"Hao’Er, do you have a way?" The two Lin family elders stared intently at Lin Hao, taking a long time to come to their senses. Their voices were raspy and trembling. They were simply too excited.

But there was no joy on Lin Hao’s face. He frowned and said, "A pill. There is a type of pill that can help you advance to the Soul Gathering Realm, but it has side effects."

"As long as we can advance to the Soul Gathering Realm, we would have no regrets even in death!" the two Lin family elders replied in unison.

Lin Hao shook his head. "It won’t come to that. It’s just that after taking that pill, it will be impossible for you two Grandfathers to ever advance again in this lifetime."

"That’s the side effect you mentioned?" The two Lin family elders’ eyes went wide with astonishment.

Seeing Lin Hao’s serious expression, they had thought the side effect would be severe. But no side effect, no matter how great, could overcome the temptation of the Soul Gathering Realm. Thus, they had already prepared for the worst in their hearts.

But now, Lin Hao was telling them the side effect was merely being unable to advance again.

The corners of the two elders’ mouths twitched fiercely. For them, who had been in seclusion for years without making an inch of progress, this kind of side effect was practically a blessing.

"Hao’Er, that pill you mentioned..." The two Lin family elders were so anxious they wrung their hands, their gazes so intense it was as if they wanted to swallow him whole. They had lost all semblance of an elder’s composure.

An embarrassed look appeared on Lin Hao’s face.

For two Martial Artists who had been in seclusion for many years, asking them to give up their pursuit of the martial way and stop cultivating would be worse than death. That was why Lin Hao had told them there was a way for them to advance.

But as for that pill, he was completely incapable of Refining it at his current level.

For one, some of the medicinal ingredients required were so rare that even the Treasure Hunting Pavilion might not have them. For another, his cultivation level was insufficient.

Refining that pill was extremely draining for an Alchemy Master; without the cultivation of the Fifth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, success was simply impossible.

Of course, he could do as the Carefree Divine Monarch did when Refining this pill: consume pills like they were meals during the Alchemy process.

But he was different from the Carefree Divine Monarch. The Carefree Divine Monarch didn’t cultivate the martial way, so consuming pills was purely beneficial for him. If Lin Hao did the same, not only would it not benefit his future martial cultivation in the slightest, it would actually hinder his progress.

Seeing the expression on Lin Hao’s face, the joy on the two elders’ faces gradually faded. In an instant, they seemed to have aged a great deal, and said dispiritedly, "A pill that can help an Elemental Realm Martial Artist advance is like a cloud in the distant sky—unattainable. Hao’Er, you can take your time to think of a way."

"You two Uncles, you have to believe in Hao’Er." Anxious, Lin Tianxiao, who was standing to the side, blurted out what had happened to him. "I recklessly activated my Bloodline Power earlier, but after Hao’Er gave me a pill, my cultivation has been completely restored!"

"What?! There’s actually a pill that can heal injuries from using one’s bloodline!" The two Lin family elders were shocked once again.

They had lived for a long, long time, but they had never heard of such a heaven-defying pill on the continent.

But Lin Tianxiao had no reason to lie to them.

In that moment, hope rose once more.

"Grandfathers, don’t be too anxious. That pill is easy for my master to refine. It’s just that he just left War Dragon City," Lin Hao said with a smile.

"Your master?" the three Lin family members asked in unison.

"If it weren’t for him, I might have spent my whole life in a daze. He is a peerless, extraordinary man. To him, nothing is impossible," Lin Hao said.

The secrets he carried were simply too astonishing. They would be his greatest trump card, so he alone could know them.

Inventing a master at this moment was purely beneficial for him.

The three Lin family members recalled Lin Hao’s recent performance, and they all nodded with a look of sudden understanding.

The mysterious True Qi in the Lin family’s back mountain, creating a bloodline for an ordinary body, the Divine Medicine that could heal bloodline injuries, replicating a martial technique after seeing it once, and just now, seeing through Wu Tianli’s technique...

If there wasn’t an extraordinary person backing him, Lin Hao couldn’t have grown to this extent.

"The Wu family’s matter is no cause for concern. When my master left, he told me to go to the Heaven-Stepping Sect to meet up with him." With this, he could both put their minds at ease and have a reason to go to the Heaven-Stepping Sect.

"The Heaven-Stepping Sect, one of the five great sects of the Southern Border Prefecture! Excellent, excellent!" The two Lin family elders’ brows relaxed, and their moods soared.

Since Lin Hao’s master told him to go to the Heaven-Stepping Sect, it naturally meant he had a deep relationship with them. Not only would they have the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s support, but they could also get the pills. This was simply the best news they had heard in their entire lives.

"Hao’Er, when will you set out?" Lin Tianxiao, however, asked a very practical question.

The Lin family’s situation was urgent. Although he had put their minds at ease, Lin Hao himself was not optimistic. He replied, "Naturally, the sooner the better."

"Good! I’ll have someone send that chest of jewelry to your courtyard later. Then you can go into town and purchase some supplies. It would be best to prepare a gift for your master. You mustn’t be impolite." Lin Tianxiao was very considerate of Lin Hao.

The journey to the Heaven-Stepping Sect was long, and Lin Hao did indeed need a mount. He nodded. But he refused the jewelry. He still had plenty of silver banknotes from Yi Mingcheng, and he felt no pressure at all using them.

Furthermore, most of the servants in the Lin family were Lin Tianhao’s cronies. There would have to be a major purge and new people would need to be supported.

"Third Uncle, you need to reorganize the Lin family, which is precisely a time when a lot of money is needed. I won’t..."

As Lin Hao spoke, he suddenly saw a jade hairpin in the chest of jewelry. It was shimmering with a beautiful iridescent light. He walked over and picked it up.

’When Yan’Er comes to the Heaven-Stepping Sect in the future, this will be the perfect gift for her,’ Lin Hao thought gleefully.

Seeing his action, the three Lin family members all shared a knowing smile.

"Grandfathers, Third Uncle, I’ll be going now to purchase some things in town." The thought of Yan’Er made Lin Hao feel a sense of urgency. He would pick a mount today, take care of a few other matters, and then he could set off first thing tomorrow morning.

The time for the Heaven-Stepping Sect to recruit disciples was fast approaching.

"Hao’Er, would you like us two old geezers to accompany you?" the two Lin family elders asked kindly.

These were extraordinary times, and Lin Hao was now a precious treasure in their hearts.

Hearing this, Lin Tianxiao’s eyes lit up with mirth. ’The two Grand Elders are truly fond of Lin Hao. For them to willingly act as bodyguards for a junior—this is an honor that likely no one else in the Lin family has ever enjoyed. However, his performance is worthy of this honor.’

Lin Tianxiao’s gaze shifted, and he saw a trace of anticipation deep in the two elders’ eyes.

’Perhaps, in the two elders’ hearts, being Hao’Er’s bodyguard is the real honor,’ Lin Tianxiao thought to himself.

Hearing this, Lin Hao was also a bit overwhelmed by the favor, but he immediately refused. "Second Grandfather, Fourth Grandfather, you should help Third Uncle instead. Even if I can’t win a fight, can’t I still run? The Treasure Hunting Pavilion’s Master is sure to make a move at this time, so I won’t be in any danger. I’ll go back and change my clothes first."

"Alright then. In any case, be careful." The two Lin family elders nodded and watched Lin Hao leave.

"That boy, Hao’Er... he has Zixuan’s bearing from back in the day," Lin Zhongbo said with a gratified expression as he watched Lin Hao’s departing figure.

Lin Tianxiao’s eyes burned with intensity as he said, "Clan Uncles, I have a feeling that Hao’Er’s achievements will definitely far surpass everyone else in the Lin family!"

He knew more than the two Lin family elders. In his eyes, Lin Hao’s methods were profound and unfathomable; he even suspected whether that so-called master truly existed.

"No, I’m still a little worried! Hao’Er is of critical importance to our Lin family. Any of us can run into trouble, but he cannot be harmed in the slightest!" A worried expression suddenly appeared on Lin Zhongbo’s face.

Lin Zhongzhi said only eight words, "The Lin family will prosper. That prosperity is Lin Hao!"

"Tianxiao, the Lin family is in your hands. We two old geezers will go have a look." After the two Lin family elders finished speaking, their figures vanished.

’The Lin family will prosper, and that prosperity is Lin Hao... Zixuan, twenty years ago I was no match for you, and now Hao’Er has far surpassed you at your peak... Forget it, forget it. He is destined to soar to the heavens. I will guard the Lin family for him,’ Lin Tianxiao murmured to himself. Then, with a determined look in his eyes, he strode away...

After returning to his courtyard, washing up, and changing his clothes, Lin Hao was about to head out when he found himself subconsciously picking up the silver spear.

"Huh?" A trace of surprise flashed in Lin Hao’s eyes.

He hadn’t held this spear in some time. The weather was now extremely cold, so the spear should have been ice-cold to the touch. But on the contrary, holding it now felt as if it had a body temperature.

Lin Hao took a closer look and was pleasantly surprised.

The silver spear was forged from an extremely rare material called Crimson Cloud Cold Iron!

Crimson Cloud Cold Iron was an excellent material for forging Divine Soldiers, and even Spiritual Artifacts. Weapons forged from it possessed outstanding resilience and were not easily broken.

Although this silver spear wasn’t a Spiritual Artifact, it could definitely be considered a Divine Soldier.

’Crimson Cloud Cold Iron has special properties. It’s extremely heavy. This spear must weigh over five hundred jin.’ Lin Hao estimated the weight, then gave it a casual shake, and the silver spear buzzed. He then grabbed the shaft just below the tip with his left hand and bent it gently, turning the silver spear into the shape of a bow.

In his hands, the silver spear felt as light as a feather.

CRACK!

He released his left hand, and the silver spear snapped straight. The force of that snap was well over a thousand jin!

’What a good spear!’

After admiring it for a while, the more Lin Hao looked at it, the more he loved it.

’Unfortunately, time is short, and I can’t find the materials in War Dragon City. Otherwise, I would definitely give the Artifact Refining Skill a try!’

With a Divine Soldier in hand, Lin Hao’s first thought was to turn it into a Spiritual Artifact.

One had to know that having a Spiritual Artifact could increase one’s combat power several times over.

Take Wu Tianli, for example. If he had possessed a Spiritual Artifact when he attacked the Lin family, there would have been only one outcome: an instant kill!

Spiritual Artifacts were incredibly powerful. A Seventh Layer Elemental Realm expert, combined with a Spiritual Artifact, could even split War Dragon City in a single strike! However, a Spiritual Artifact could only display its full power in the hands of a Martial Artist at or above the Seventh Layer of the Elemental Realm.

This was because wielding a Spiritual Artifact required immense strength.

Of course, on the Celestial Yang Continent, Spiritual Artifacts were also extremely rare, because the art of Artifact Refining was only held by a few select sects.

On the Celestial Yang Continent, it was likely that only the five great divine sects had Artifact Refiners.

’Just a thought. The most urgent task is still to refine some pills for my family.’ Lin Hao put the silver spear away and prepared to leave.

With his departure imminent, he certainly hadn’t forgotten the uncles and cousins who had suffered because of him.

The family needed to develop, and it couldn’t do so without Martial Artists. And as long as there were Martial Artists, they would need pills.

With pills, the Lin family could recover its strength in the shortest possible time.