Chapter 68: A Perfect Match

Exotic beasts scattered in all directions, causing a great commotion that lasted for a long time. At this moment, the culprit, Lin Hao, stood motionless with the Cloud-Swallowing Sword in hand, eyes closed, lost in reverie.

The uproar on the mountain awakened those guarding its entrance.

“What’s going on? What happened?” one of them exclaimed.

“Could it be that the fugitive really made it up the mountain? Hurry, report this. You few, go up first and check,” another urged.

Lin Hao was oblivious to all this. Only after more than ten minutes did he finally open his eyes.

Joy flickered in his gaze as he looked at the Cloud-Swallowing Sword, stroking it as tenderly as if it were his beloved. “The Qingcheng Technique truly is an exquisite sword art. Paired with this sword, it’s the perfect match!”

As he finished, Lin Hao waved his arm, and a row of distant trees crashed to the ground.

The earth shook once more.

Now, the aura radiating from Lin Hao was no longer that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but had reached the Out-of-Body stage.

Indeed, as Lin Hao practiced the Qingcheng Technique, his state of mind soared into the realm of unity between man and sword, comprehending a deeper sword intent and expanding his sea of consciousness.

He had broken through in an instant.

He now possessed the power of the second layer of the Out-of-Body stage, a level he had been stuck at for ages. He had hoped to break through at Tianyu Mountain, but unexpected events prevented it.

Who would have thought that coming to this forsaken place would turn misfortune into blessing? He obtained the Qingcheng Technique and broke through further.

Holding the Cloud-Swallowing Sword, Lin Hao spoke in his mind, “System, I broke through! I actually broke through! The Qingcheng Technique is marvelous!”

The system, unmoved by his joy, calmly reminded him, “Host, friendly advice: if you don’t leave soon, you will face danger.”

On hearing the system’s warning, Lin Hao snapped out of his elation, listening intently.

He heard footsteps and voices approaching from afar.

His eyes chilled, and in a flash, he leapt onto a tall tree.

Peering down, with only the moonlight to guide him in the gloomy dusk, Lin Hao saw nothing at first.

After a while, figures drew near, and he recognized them as the officials who had guarded the mountain entrance that afternoon, now climbing up.

He overheard one say, “The commotion came from here. Slow down, move carefully. If the fugitive is really on the mountain, we shouldn’t act rashly.”

Another nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I heard the one who escaped earlier is extraordinarily strong—even Master Xiao was beaten black and blue. If we run into him, we’d better lie low and wait for reinforcements.”

“Exactly. Supposedly, he’s formidable. Let’s hope it’s not him. If we do run into him, we’ll be out of luck.”

Talking quietly, they slowed their steps and cautiously approached Lin Hao’s position.

Lin Hao listened to their conversation, a mocking smile curling at his lips as he watched them with contempt. “Afraid, yet you still dare come up the mountain? I’ll toy with you a bit and let you know what fear truly is.”

He remained motionless atop the tree, waiting until the two men were beneath him, watching them as they surveyed their surroundings.

One carried a torch and remarked, “Looks like a fierce battle happened here—look at how these trees have been destroyed. Could it be that masters fought here?”

“Who knows? Maybe two exotic beasts were fighting,” the other replied.

The suggestion sent a chill down their spines, a shiver running through them.

“Buddy, I don’t see the fugitive here. Maybe we should go back down and return when reinforcements arrive. If it’s really beasts fighting, the two of us won’t stand a chance,” one quickly suggested.

The other nodded, “Alright, let’s go down first.”

Just as they were about to leave, Lin Hao’s eyes sparkled mischievously. With a leap, he jumped from one tree to another, letting out a howl as he went.

The two men saw a shadow flash past and heard what sounded like a tiger’s roar. Shocked, they dropped to the ground in fright.

---

The two men took up their swords, trembling as they stood back-to-back. “Did... did you see something just pass by?”

“I think so. And I swear I heard a tiger’s roar,” the other gulped.

“Me too. What do we do? Let’s get out of here!” they said, edging nervously down the mountain, still back-to-back.

Seeing their terror, Lin Hao’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. He soared past them again, brushing their faces with exotic fire.

“Ah!” The two cried out in agony, dropping their swords and clutching their faces.

“My face—something burned me! Was it ghost fire?”

“My hair’s burned—what is it? Who’s playing tricks? Show yourself!” They were nearly driven mad with fright.

Lin Hao watched from the tree, a smug smile on his lips.

“Haha, chasing me everywhere, yet you’re so cowardly. Let me scare you a bit more.”

He mimicked tiger roars, each louder than the last, sending oppressive waves toward the two.

He hurled a massive fireball into the distance, creating a thunderous crash as if some beast was charging their way.

Seeing this, the pair shrieked, abandoned their swords, and scrambled down the mountain in a panic.

Lin Hao descended from the tree, laughing heartily.

“Haha! Such cowardice—I’ll scare you out of your wits!”

“Host, be advised: a large enemy force is approaching,” the system’s calm voice sounded in Lin Hao’s mind.

His laughter abruptly ceased.

He brushed imaginary dust from his clothes, grumbling, “System, can’t you let me enjoy myself for a bit longer?”

Without delay, Lin Hao left the area, swiftly outpacing the two fleeing men and descending the mountain ahead of them.

On his way down, he encountered about forty or fifty soldiers rushing up the slope.

Fortunately, the darkness favored his concealment, and he slipped away unscathed.

Once off the mountain, Lin Hao headed straight for the inn he had visited earlier, under cover of night.

The most dangerous place is often the safest.

His plan was to hide in the inn, gather all the information he needed, and then decide his next move.

The system had previously told him that mastering the Qingcheng Technique would resolve this crisis, and though Lin Hao hadn’t cultivated it to perfection, a day’s practice under urgent circumstances was sufficient.

Thus, Lin Hao returned to the inn overnight.

By now, the inn was closed for business.

Due to the battle earlier that day, no one dared stay—everyone had checked out, and the first floor was heavily damaged, unable to accommodate guests.

The innkeeper sat in his room, calculating losses, a look of anguish on his face as he scolded his staff.

Lin Hao entered a vacant room on the second floor through an open window.

The room was in disarray, as if someone had hastily packed and left, and the inn’s servants hadn’t yet cleaned up.

---

Lin Hao looked outside cautiously, then shut the window.

He poured himself a cup of tea, took a drink.

There was still untouched food and wine on the table, which he consumed without ceremony.

After eating, he used spiritual power to seal the doors and windows, then lay comfortably on the bed to sleep.

Early the next morning.

Lin Hao was jolted awake by the sound of knocking on the door.

From outside came a loud pounding.

A voice shouted, “Come out, whoever’s inside!”

Startled, Lin Hao sat up abruptly.

His eyes were still dazed with sleep as he gazed toward the door, removed his spiritual seal, and opened it.

A crowd surged in, caught off guard by how quickly Lin Hao opened the door, tumbling in as if they’d been about to break it down.

Luckily, Lin Hao was quick and dodged aside.

They collapsed in a heap at the entrance.

Lin Hao saw at once that it was the same officials who had pursued him the day before. He had mentally prepared for their arrival, showing no emotion.

He sat calmly at the table, poured himself water, and remarked, “It’s not a festival, so why are you paying me such grand respects? I can hardly accept it.”

The group scrambled to their feet.

Xiao Xiao, his face still bruised from yesterday’s beating, stood up, raised his sword, and glared at Lin Hao, shouting, “Surrender now!”

“I detest being pointed at with swords,” Lin Hao replied coolly, putting down his tea.

His gaze sharpened as he eyed the sword pointed at him. He pinched it between his fingers and snapped it in two with a crack.

With a flick of his wrist, the broken blade shot toward Xiao Xiao’s head.

Terrified, Xiao Xiao dodged to the side.

The blade grazed his ear and embedded itself in the door behind him, its exposed tip still quivering.

He touched his ear, feeling a chill. Glancing down, he saw a trace of blood—a look of fear flashed in his eyes.

“Hiss!”

The others gasped, the atmosphere instantly falling silent.

Everyone was stunned by Lin Hao’s display.

Only he remained relaxed, idly spinning his teacup, amusement in his eyes.

“What’s wrong, are you all dumbfounded? Weren’t you acting tough just a moment ago?” Lin Hao mocked the group.

Provoked by Lin Hao, Xiao Xiao glared defiantly, subconsciously raising the broken sword to point at him again.