Chapter 286: Chapter 282: The Prowess of the Secret Skill

Under the immense pressure of the Soul Gathering Realm expert, Lin Hao’s physical body was completely immobilized.

But at that moment, the corner of Lin Hao’s mouth curled into a smirk.

The one-armed man was suddenly overcome with a terrible premonition.

BOOM!

The Primordial Body appeared behind the one-armed man and launched a sudden attack.

It was all too sudden. The one-armed man, arrogant in his success, had let his guard down completely.

The Primordial Body possessed the same combat power as the real one, and even though the one-armed man was a Soul Gathering Realm expert, he was still staggered by the blow.

PFFT!

He staggered forward—right into the waiting Evil-Slaying Sword.

The sharp blade instantly ran him through.

The one-armed man looked down, his eyes wide with disbelief and terror.

A terrifying, boundless aura then erupted from him, a divine light swirling within his eyes.

Lin Hao, still unable to move, felt the suffocating aura of death wash over him.

With a mere thought, his Primordial Body moved again.

The Primordial Body grabbed the one-armed man and sent him flying backward.

The Evil-Slaying Sword remained unstained by blood, but a fountain of it erupted from the one-armed man’s chest.

He tried to clutch the wound, but the Primordial Body instantly closed the distance, drove a fist into the injury, and punched its entire arm through his torso.

With a final jolt from the Primordial Body, the man’s corpse exploded into pieces.

A Soul Gathering Realm expert was dead!

Although the Martial Artist was missing an arm, he was a Soul Gathering Realm expert nonetheless. Yet Lin Hao had managed to ambush and kill him.

A smile touched Lin Hao’s eyes. He had eliminated a Soul Gathering Realm expert with just his Primordial Body, without even resorting to his special flame.

But the smile vanished in an instant. Swift as lightning, Lin Hao darted into the dense forest.

Several powerful experts were arriving!

Though he had taken down one Soul Gathering Realm Martial Artist, Lin Hao was self-aware enough to know he had only succeeded through the element of surprise.

’In a fair, one-on-one fight, I wouldn’t have stood a chance. Even if my Primordial Body is immune to their immobilization techniques, it’s still not enough.’

’Maybe once I reach the Peak of the Elemental Realm and can create three Primordial Bodies at once... only then might I have a fighting chance.’

For now, Lin Hao had no choice but to run.

The moment he vanished, several figures appeared where the fight had taken place.

Their eyes narrowed as they took in the gruesome scene.

A Soul Gathering Realm expert was dead, and not by the special flame!

This was terrifying!

"Are you certain you only saw Lin Hao?" an old man demanded, grabbing a Sanqing Sect disciple.

The disciple nodded frantically.

He was one of the few disciples who had arrived with the one-armed man.

Upon receiving the answer, the old man flung the disciple a great distance away.

Then, turning to an old Daoist holding a duster, he said worriedly, "Sect Leader, something is strange about this."

"The gap between the Elemental Realm and the Soul Gathering Realm is too vast. I don’t believe Lin Hao could kill a Soul Gathering Realm expert on his own."

This old Daoist was, of course, the Sect Leader of the Sanqing Sect.

Hearing the long whistle from this direction, he had immediately rushed over with the sect’s top masters.

Old Daoist Ning remained silent, pacing around the area. Finally, a peculiar glint appeared in his eyes.

He sighed softly. "It was him, alright. If I’m not mistaken, he has successfully formed a Primordial Body and mastered its use!"

At these words, all of Old Daoist Ning’s followers looked astonished.

The Incarnation Secret Skill had been lost for millennia. How long had it been since Lin Hao obtained it? Yet he had already reached such a level of mastery!

Their eyes burned with greed as they stared at the dismembered corpse on the ground.

An Elemental Realm Martial Artist who had cultivated this technique could kill a Soul Gathering Realm expert. Who wouldn’t covet such a powerful Secret Skill?

"Then what now...?" an old man behind Old Daoist Ning asked.

"Chase!" Old Daoist Ning spoke a single word.

The group determined his direction and gave chase, heading deeper into the Celestial Break Mountain Range...

Meanwhile, Lin Hao was moving at top speed, and it wasn’t long before he reached the Suanni’s territory.

"Aunt Ni, we have to leave, quickly!" Lin Hao sent a mental message to the older Suanni.

’Over the past month, the Sanqing Sect’s masters have silently eliminated all the Devil Beasts in the outer region. Now that they’ve found me, they’re sure to be in pursuit.’

’Though this Suanni is powerful, she has her cub to look after. The enemy has several Soul Gathering Realm experts and might even be carrying Spiritual Artifacts. We have to lie low for now.’

The Suanni had also heard the one-armed man’s long whistle earlier. Seeing Lin Hao return in such a state, she understood the gravity of the situation.

"Old Ancestor, take Ziyan and go that way. I will cover our retreat," the Suanni replied.

’The Celestial Break Mountain Range is vast. The Suanni must have had her reasons for settling here. Perhaps there are things deeper in the mountains that even she fears.’

Not daring to risk it, Lin Hao nodded, scooped up Ni Ziyun, and headed in the direction the Suanni had indicated.

The older Suanni leaped into the air and shot toward the outer edges of the Celestial Break Mountain Range.

Lin Hao hadn’t gone far before he came to a halt. A massive battle had erupted in the outer range.

Even from a great distance, Lin Hao could feel the ground trembling.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lin Hao chose to press on.

Fifteen minutes later, with Ni Ziyun in his arms, Lin Hao reached a mountain peak.

Just then, the roar of a Devil Beast echoed from the direction he had come.

On the peak, Lin Hao felt as if he had been struck by lightning, the shock so great he nearly coughed up blood.

Looking into the distance, he saw a mountain peak shatter and explode from the force of that roar!

A single roar that could shatter mountains.

Lin Hao was first stunned, then a look of joy crossed his face. The roar had clearly come from the Suanni.

’Her bloodline may be impure, but she’s still a descendant of an ancient race. A mere Soul Gathering Realm expert is no match for her.’

His expression changed in the next instant, however.

He saw a flash of white light.

The white light flared, seeming to slice apart heaven and earth. Under its glow, a massive mountain peak vanished without a trace! 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

’That’s a Spiritual Artifact! And only a Tier Four Spiritual Artifact could possess such might!’

’And that kind of power is being wielded by a Soul Gathering Realm expert.’

’To find me, the Sanqing Sect brought a Tier Four Spiritual Artifact into the Celestial Break Mountain Range!’

That wasn’t all. Lin Hao also spotted several other, much dimmer, flashes of light, also from Spiritual Artifacts.

Clearly, in addition to the Tier Four one, the Sanqing Sect had deployed other Spiritual Artifacts.

At this, Lin Hao’s heart sank.

No matter how strong the Suanni was, her bloodline was impure. Facing a Soul Gathering Realm expert wielding a Tier Four Spiritual Artifact, she would likely perish!

Just then, Ni Ziyun opened her eyes and huddled closer to Lin Hao.

Even from so far away, the aura emanating from the battle was terrifying.

Lin Hao sighed and turned to leave.

’Without absolute power, all I can do is watch, completely helpless.’

At that moment, Lin Hao was filled with a searing hatred.

The Suanni might be a beast, but in Lin Hao’s eyes, the Martial Artists she was fighting were worse than any animal.

"You old bastard, just you wait! I’ll be back to settle this score!"

Lin Hao didn’t linger, pressing onward.

He hadn’t gotten far when he heard a cry of pain.

Clearly, the Suanni was wounded.

Clenching his fists, Lin Hao forced himself to keep going.

But just then, the unexpected happened.

Ni Ziyun, cradled in his arms, suddenly shot out and bolted back the way they had come.

Lin Hao’s expression changed as he quickly gave chase.

Lin Hao was incredibly fast, and he caught up with Ni Ziyun in no time.

"No! Ziyan wants Mommy!" little Ziyan cried, tears rolling down her face.

After a moment of conflicted expressions, Lin Hao gritted his teeth, picked her up, and headed back the way they came.

The closer they got, the more terrifying the pressure became.

A battle of this magnitude was far beyond what Lin Hao could approach.

By the time Lin Hao made it back to the Suanni’s cave, he was in a wretched state.

"You wait here. Don’t you dare run off, or your mother will leave you behind and won’t want you anymore," Lin Hao said, setting Ni Ziyun down and sending the message telepathically.

’Even with an impure bloodline, she’s still a descendant of an ancient race. The moment they see her, they’ll covet her. I can’t bring her with me.’

Ni Ziyun was too young, with the mind of a child. Lin Hao’s "threat" worked instantly, and she nodded her head repeatedly.

Lin Hao hid her carefully, then dashed toward the collapsing, battle-torn area.

A terrifying, heart-stopping pressure washed over him, making every step feel like an immense struggle.

Boulders shattered and giant trees exploded into splinters!

The shockwaves from the Soul Gathering Realm experts and the Tier Four Spiritual Artifact were so terrifying he felt on the verge of coughing up blood.

"Stop!"

From a great distance, Lin Hao saw Old Daoist Ning holding his duster.

Someone stood beside him, shielding him from the battle’s fallout.

His shout was immediately drowned out by a deafening collision in the distance, but the Spiritual Sense of a Soul Gathering Realm Martial Artist was incredible; they had already noticed him.

Lin Hao stood ramrod straight and roared again, "Tell them to stop!"

Seeing Lin Hao, Old Daoist Ning smiled and gave a slight nod.

The person beside him immediately let out a long whistle.

A few moments later, several figures landed beside Old Daoist Ning. Their clothes were tattered and stained with blood, and some of them were panting heavily.

Lin Hao ignored them and sprinted toward the battlefield in the distance.

In the center of a massive crater, the older Suanni lay, a mangled mess of flesh and blood, struggling to rise.

A long gash on her abdomen was gushing blood, staining the entire crater red.

Lin Hao leaped into the crater, pressed his hand to her body, and frantically channeled his Emperor Art to heal her.

"Old... Old Ancestor... why did you come back? Take Ziyan... and go. I’m finished... Go deep into the Celestial Break Mountain Range... find the Matron!" The older Suanni’s voice was as faint as a dying whisper.

’The Matron?’ Lin Hao was confused. But before he could ask, his body was no longer his own.

A Soul Gathering Realm expert had acted, pulling his immobilized body out of the crater.

"Young Master Lin, truly impressive. To think you can even command an exotic beast like the Suanni." Old Daoist Ning smiled, looking for all the world like a sagely immortal.

"You old bastard, I’m the one you’re looking for. Let her go."

"You’re truly naive. A descendant of an ancient race like the Suanni is a treasure from head to toe. Besides, it killed one of our experts. It must die today!" Old Daoist Ning didn’t reply, but a middle-aged man beside him spoke up.

Lin Hao stared at Old Daoist Ning. "If she dies, you can forget about ever getting the Secret Skill from me!"

Just then, Old Daoist Ning’s hand shot out like lightning, striking several major pressure points on Lin Hao’s body. Only then did he say with a chilling smile, "No. Even if she dies, you’ll hand over the Secret Skill all the same."

Old Daoist Ning’s smile was deeply unsettling.

Lin Hao was startled, then his face drained of all color.

Old Daoist Ning’s viciousness was beyond anything Lin Hao could have imagined.

"You deserve to die!" Lin Hao roared, his eyes blazing with fury.

BOOM!

Old Daoist Ning’s body was suddenly sent flying.