"Young Master Lin, please take care." In front of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, a man named Dan Fang personally saw Lin Hao out, his face full of reverence.

At this time, it was the Treasure Hunting Pavilion’s daily peak hour, and people were constantly coming and going. Dan Fang’s actions made quite a few of them stare, wide-eyed.

In particular, patriarchs from some of the smaller families, seeing Dan Fang come outside, had quickly put on their most sincere smiles, preparing to greet him.

Who would have thought that Dan Fang wouldn’t even glance at them, but would instead be unusually respectful to a wet-behind-the-ears kid?

A highly revered Alchemy Master, so respectful to a kid—this world was simply insane!

What made that kid so special?

However, Dan Fang didn’t see it that way.

Just a moment ago, Lin Hao had come to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion to borrow his Alchemy Room, and Dan Fang was overjoyed.

Because of the pills from last time, he was now completely in awe of Lin Hao. The moment Lin Hao arrived this time, his mind started buzzing, and he did everything he could to curry favor.

However, this time, Lin Hao hadn’t let him into the Alchemy Room at all, only allowing Yi Mingcheng, a steward who was still at the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, to enter.

In truth, Lin Hao knew what he was thinking. Under normal circumstances, the few types of pills he needed to refine were nothing special, and it wouldn’t have mattered if Dan Fang watched. He could have even offered a pointer or two. But right now, Lin Hao was pressed for time and had no such leisure.

And so, even though he had been rushing, by the time he walked out of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion’s doors, the sun was already setting.

"Oh, right. Old sir, I’ve taken that little thing your young miss left behind. When the Pavilion Master returns, please let him know."

It was only as he walked down the steps that Lin Hao remembered he had taken the strange fire left by Wenren Yuxin, and he turned back to add this.

The item had been left for him by Wenren Yuxin in the first place, so Lin Hao had no qualms about taking it.

In fact, Lin Hao had originally intended to take the Pill Furnace she left behind as well, but unfortunately, he didn’t have a spiritual storage ring and simply couldn’t carry it.

A single spiritual storage ring was worth a fortune. In War Dragon City, not even the City Lord possessed one; they were far too rare.

However, this was something Lin Hao could refine himself. But without the materials, there was nothing he could do. In the end, he could only gaze at the furnace and sigh.

Dan Fang was stunned for a moment before he caught on, saying quickly, "It’s fine, it’s fine. The Pavilion Master instructed that it was originally something the young miss left for you. The Pavilion Master knew you were coming and also told me to let you know that if our service was lacking in any way, you shouldn’t mind. If he were here, he would definitely have seen you off personally."

Dan Fang recalled how Lin Hao hadn’t let him into the Alchemy Room and assumed it was because his attitude last time had displeased Lin Hao, so his words became even more respectful.

A patriarch, dejectedly about to enter after being ignored by Dan Fang, heard these words, stumbled on the threshold, and nearly fell flat on his face.

’The Pavilion Master of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion would see him off personally? That’s practically heaven-defying! Just what is his background?!’

Lin Hao hadn’t been seen in public for three years, and with his recent reawakening, his appearance had changed so much that no one could recognize him.

"Old sir, you’re too kind. I am about to embark on a long journey, so I may have been the one to neglect you. When I return, I will come and find you."

Lin Hao was the type to clearly distinguish between gratitude and grudges. If someone stabbed him once, he would return the favor with ten or a hundred stabs. But for a debt of kindness, he would similarly repay it a hundredfold.

Although the Pavilion Master of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion had been polite to him before because of his potential value, when Ninety-Five had spoken those words in a personal capacity at the Lin family estate—even if it was also for personal gain—it was still a great favor to the Lin family at that time.

To all those who treated him well, Lin Hao was equally courteous.

When Lin Hao said this, Dan Fang visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He then pulled out a thick stack of silver banknotes from his robes. "Young Master Lin, you are about to travel far. You can’t be without money. Please take these."

The people coming and going were all dumbfounded by Dan Fang’s actions.

’The Treasure Hunting Pavilion is a business! They only ever take money; when have they ever given it away?’

One month was a tight schedule, and he would indeed need money for expenses once he reached the Heaven-Stepping Sect. Lin Hao didn’t stand on ceremony; he took the banknotes and tucked them into his robes.

"Thank you!" Seeing Lin Hao accept the money, Dan Fang looked eternally grateful.

Those two words made the onlookers’ vision darken as they nearly fainted.

"You’re the one being too kind, old sir. Goodbye." It was getting late, and Lin Hao still hadn’t found a mount. He needed to hurry and pick one out.

Dan Fang respectfully saw him off.

Watching Lin Hao depart, Dan Fang was lost in thought for a long while...

Lin Hao had just rounded a corner when he suddenly felt the ground tremble, followed by the sound of panicked screams.

He looked up and couldn’t help but frown.

Four tall, majestic spirit beasts were rampaging in his direction, and the shops on both sides of the street were being torn to pieces under their iron hooves.

The beasts were moving at incredible speed, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.

The beast in the very center had a coat of snow-white fur, making it extremely striking next to the other three black beasts.

And sitting upright on the white beast was a young girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old. Watching the merchants scattering in all directions, her eyes were filled with indifference, and her face even held a faint look of mockery.

Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed. He saw that the beasts had no reins, yet their riders were all as still as mountains. Their riding skills were extraordinary.

What surprised him the most was that all the riders’ cloaks bore a red sun emblem.

’If I’m not mistaken, these people are likely from a sect!’

Under normal circumstances, if Lin Hao had seen them acting so arrogantly, he might have intervened. But his departure was imminent, and the Lin family was in peril; it was not a good time to stir up more trouble.

So, seeing the beasts charge over, Lin Hao chose to step aside.

However, just as the white beast brushed past Lin Hao, a ball of white light suddenly shot out from the young girl’s arms, heading straight for him.

Lin Hao’s eyes flicked up, and he dodged to the side.

The white light missed, tapped the ground for a moment, and shot toward Lin Hao again, its speed surprisingly fast.

A cold glint in his eyes, Lin Hao suddenly reached out and caught the white light in his hand.

Only then did Lin Hao get a clear look at what it was.

Its body was petite and entirely snow-white, but its nose was surprisingly long.

Lin Hao recognized this creature. It was called a Spiritual Jade Fox. In the Divine Demon Destruction Domain, they were often kept as pets by the noble ladies of various clans.

This Spiritual Jade Fox had an exceptionally sensitive nose, able to identify its master’s possessions.

Lin Hao couldn’t understand why it had suddenly attacked him.

But in the next moment, the young girl sitting atop the beast gave him the answer.

"Let go of Xiaoyu, or this granny will take your dog life! Also, you have something of mine. Hand it over!" the girl shouted from her high perch, her words immediately threatening his life with extreme arrogance.

Lin Hao was already displeased by their earlier actions. For the girl to dare speak to him this way, his eyes turned ice-cold. "If you want it to live, fine. Get down here and talk!"

Before the words were even out of Lin Hao’s mouth, his feet moved, and he executed the Ghostly Divine Step.

BOOM!

A large crater appeared where he had just been standing. A young man landed at the edge of the crater, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"You little bastard! Are you blind?! You dare provoke someone from the Zhengyang Sect? Careful, or I’ll exterminate your nine generations! Now, get on your knees and kowtow until Junior Sister Wu is satisfied!" the young man said, his face a mask of extreme arrogance and insolence.

Killing intent surged in Lin Hao’s eyes. If not for his Ghostly Divine Step, he would have been reduced to a pile of mangled flesh just now.

These Sect Disciples would kill without a word of warning, and now they were even threatening to exterminate his nine generations.

’Do they think I, Lin Hao, am some weakling they can bully?!’

"The Zhengyang Sect, one of the five great sects of the Southern Border Prefecture? What prestige! And you, you’re from the Wu family?" The young man had called the girl Junior Sister Wu, and they were from the Zhengyang Sect. The girl’s identity was obvious.

"What five great sects? There are only four great sects in the Southern Border Prefecture, and my Zhengyang Sect is one of them! As for my junior sister being a young lady of the Wu family from War Dragon City, that much is true. You little bastard, are you going to kneel or not! If you don’t, I’ll help you," the young man sneered.

Lin Hao didn’t answer. A vicious aura rose in his eyes, and his hand suddenly tightened, about to end the Jade Fox’s life.

However, the Jade Fox’s whimpers made Lin Hao change his mind.

’The reason this Jade Fox attacked me must be because the jade hairpin I’m carrying belongs to that girl. It was just acting on instinct; it didn’t do anything wrong.’

’If I can’t even spare it, what’s the difference between me and these Sect Disciples?’

"Take it back!" Lin Hao tossed the Jade Fox toward the girl and moved at the same time.

Today’s matter was destined not to end peacefully. Lin Hao chose to strike.

Seeing Lin Hao’s move, a sneer appeared on the young man’s face, and he sent a palm strike flying out.

BOOM!

The two palms met with a thunderous bang. Lin Hao staggered back five steps before steadying himself, while the young man’s figure hadn’t even budged.

"Huh?"

Despite this, a flash of surprise flickered through the young man’s eyes.

"Just a piece of trash who hasn’t even awakened his bloodline, yet you can take a palm strike from me and not die. A little interesting." A mocking, cat-and-mouse look rose in the young man’s eyes.

His cultivation was at the Fifth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm. He originally thought that even if Lin Hao didn’t die, he would be severely injured, but he hadn’t expected Lin Hao to only be pushed back five steps.

But, in his eyes, Lin Hao was still an ant.

"You’re in a sect, enjoying the best resources, yet you only have this much cultivation. Useless!" Lin Hao retorted coldly.

The young man’s body stiffened, and his face immediately turned ashen.

Clearly, Lin Hao had hit a sore spot.

"Today, I will kill you, and not even the gods can save you!" The young man’s face twisted with ferocity, his killing intent surging.

"I’ve killed countless people these past few days, but I’ve only eliminated a single Sect Disciple, which I find regrettable. It just so happens you can make up the numbers. I hope you also have something on you that I need," Lin Hao said, standing tall and unafraid.

"Hahaha, you want to kill me?!" The young man roared with laughter, then his face turned cold and he said arrogantly, "Ant, today I’ll show you what a real gap in power is! I can poke you to death with a single finger!"

As his voice fell, the young man moved, and he really did use only a single finger.

The young man pointed with the index finger of his right hand. The finger suddenly elongated, its tip incomparably sharp, like a deadly blade.

At the Fifth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, one’s control over Bone Strengthening was clearly far more flexible than at the fourth layer.

"To think that Kong Xiao would use a Yellow Level Top Grade martial art, the Silent Extinction Finger, right off the bat. He’s giving that bastard too much credit." The two youths sitting on the other beasts saw the young man below make his move, and the one on the left spoke with a look of disdain.

The one on the right nodded in deep agreement and said mockingly, "How many moves do you think that little bastard can last?"

"Is there even a need to guess? One finger, silent extinction!" said the one on the left.

But the person on the right shook his head. "You’re wrong. With Kong Xiao’s personality, he definitely won’t let that bastard off so easily."

After speaking, the two looked at each other, seeing the excitement in their eyes. They were hoping to see a torturous slaughter.

Unfortunately for him, the person Kong Xiao had run into was Lin Hao.