Chapter 106: Where Does the Road Lead?

The campfire flickered gently in the night wind, and the voices by his ear gradually faded away. Luo Hao withdrew his gaze from the fire and quickly extinguished it.

Elder Qingyang dared to light a fire in the Tian Cang mountain range under the cover of darkness because he possessed enough strength to handle the dangers lurking in the dark. But Luo Hao was clearly not strong enough to face attacks from all sorts of beasts.

With the fire quenched, only wisps of smoke lingered as Luo Hao’s figure vanished into the wild mountains. Under the cloak of night, a shadow darted through the desolate forest like a ghost. Luo Hao had to hurry back; Xiao Hei’s injuries needed urgent treatment.

“Xiao Yangzi, you did well this time! Here, Uncle Shi rewards you with this string of candied hawthorns!” A youthful voice suddenly rang out in the air above the barren mountains.

Soon, a little boy with his hair tied in a bun and wearing a colorful garment appeared with an air of precociousness. In his hand was a thickly candied string of hawthorns, and behind him trailed Elder Qingyang, whose expression was notably awkward.

“Uh, Uncle Shi, why don’t you show yourself and take him back to the Zi Ling Peak?” Qingyang Elder asked awkwardly, gazing at Luo Hao’s disappearing silhouette in the void above.

Indeed, the old man was nearing three hundred years of age, yet he was still called “Little Yangzi.” How could he not feel embarrassed? Yet he dared not show the slightest displeasure.

To the disciples of Tianhai Sect, he was the formidable Lord of the Tianfa Hall, a figure of great authority. But in front of this boy, all dignity seemed meaningless. Fortunately, his senior brother, the sect leader, was still there to back him up.

“This kid was entrusted to me by Elder Qingcang. Besides, the Tianhai Sect is too small to contain a dragon!” The little boy’s innocent eyes suddenly grew profound.

“Elder Qingcang, then what of him...”

“Indeed, he will ultimately return to the Ancient Haotian Sect. Moreover, with the revival of the human spirit’s will, the Tianhai Sect seems restless, yearning for change. Qingyang, do you understand this?”

“Uncle Shi’s words, Qingyang understands!”

“Do you truly understand?”

“Yes!”

“Then, do you want a candied hawthorn?”

“...”

As Luo Hao raced through the night, his perception of the surroundings became astonishingly sharp, and an immensely terrifying, domineering power flowed constantly through his meridians.

This power had multiplied his physical strength many times over and elevated his vitality to its pinnacle.

“Once Xiao Hei is healed, I should try to break through to the Blood Gathering Realm!” Luo Hao pondered. Though his true combat power far exceeded his current realm, his low cultivation level left him vulnerable against those stronger than him.

Thinking of this, he instinctively touched the Jade Crystal Lotus in his bosom. For the sake of this precious treasure, he had truly faced death nine times out of ten.

Although some memories of what had happened were lost, a conversation with Elder Qingyang confirmed that something extraordinary had occurred within him—such as the Dragon Demon power that Elder Qingyang mentioned.

Meanwhile, in Ziwei Pavilion of the Tianhai Sect, a solemn and ancient building, two figures stood—one above the other.

“Sir, that is the full account. As Young Master Murong Ying said, that boy truly harbors immense fortune!” The figure below bowed slightly, avoiding direct eye contact with the figure standing on the pavilion’s steps.

If the Lord of the Ten-Thousand Demons Sect, Qing Tang Hall, were here, he would undoubtedly recognize the speaker as the mysterious black-clad man who had competed with him for Luo Hao.

The figure atop the steps stood with hands behind his back, silent for a long moment. The mysterious man below was drenched in sweat, barely daring to breathe, well aware of the severe fate awaiting those who failed their missions.

“You may leave. I am now informed of the matter.”

After a long pause, a fleeting voice reached the black-clad man’s ears. Instantly, his tense heart relaxed, and he bowed deeply to the figure above, replying, “Yes, Sir.”

“How interesting. It seems that boy is far more than just a recipient of the human legacy.”

After the black-clad man disappeared, the figure on the steps smiled faintly, a trace of greed flashing in his eyes before he murmured, “If I can obtain that mysterious power, I should be able to break my shackles. Then, not only the small Tianhai Sect, but the entire Ancient Northwest Continent will be within my grasp.”

As these words fell, the figure vanished without warning. The pavilion returned to silence once more.

In the eastern sky over the Tian Cang mountain range, a shaft of dawn awakened the morning. Luo Hao arrived at the pool from which he had departed the previous night. Though he had traveled through the whole night, he felt vigorous rather than weary.

“Auntie Snake Dragon, I’m back!” Luo Hao took out the last remaining black scale and cast it into the pool, then began to call out to the Snake Dragon.

“Goo goo!”

Ripples spread across the calm surface. Soon, Luo Hao saw the familiar giant head of the Snake Dragon emerging, its enormous eyes locking onto him.

“Luo Hao!”

Surprise tinged the Snake Dragon’s voice, astonished that Luo Hao had returned alive. It also noted his cultivation remained at the Qi Spirit Realm.

“Auntie Snake Dragon, how is Xiao Hei? I’ve brought back the Jade Crystal Lotus.” Before the Snake Dragon could reply, Luo Hao pulled the jade lotus from his bosom.

A jade-green light illuminated the pool, and a soothing fragrance filled the air, relaxing every pore. Spiritual energy within dozens of miles rapidly converged toward the jade lotus in Luo Hao’s hand.

“It really is the Jade Crystal Lotus. Come with me!” The Snake Dragon was deeply moved but could not be mistaken.

The lotus in Luo Hao’s hand, with its five petals and paired leaves, was undoubtedly the Jade Crystal Lotus—a celestial treasure capable of inducing such a spiritual surge.

Following the Snake Dragon beneath the water, Luo Hao soon reached the unknown valley beneath the pool.

“Xiao Hei!”

Seeing Xiao Hei curled up in the spiritual liquid pool, Luo Hao rushed forward. The shattered scales still dripped blood; the life force was faint, on the verge of extinction.

“Auntie Snake Dragon, how can we heal Xiao Hei? Is it enough for him to consume the Jade Crystal Lotus?” Luo Hao’s voice brimmed with urgency, eager to have Xiao Hei take the lotus immediately.

“No... don’t eat me!”

Suddenly, a faint voice echoed in Luo Hao’s mind. Startled, he looked at the jade lotus with a relieved expression. “Of course, you’ve become sentient. We can communicate simply.”

The jade lotus’s telepathic message was no secret to the Snake Dragon, whose large eyes also flickered with surprise. A sentient ancient herb like this was akin to a half-step Medicine King.

The Snake Dragon’s eyes brightened as it said, “You don’t need so much. Just a single drop of the medicine liquid from the lotus’s stem will suffice.”

“You heard that. Just one drop of your medicine liquid will save my friend and won’t harm you much,” Luo Hao said to the lotus.

“Really?” The weak voice sounded again in his mind, doubting his words.

“Of course. I keep my word and won’t deceive you. Come on, give me a drop!” Luo Hao felt as though he were coaxing a child.

The Snake Dragon rolled its eyes silently. This jade lotus was a treasure rivaling half a Medicine King, yet it behaved like a child.

“Whoosh!”

After a moment, a drop of emerald-green liquid flew from the jade stem. The Snake Dragon immediately caught it with spiritual energy and said to Luo Hao, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Xiao Hei. You must be tired. Go rest.”

“Mm.”

Truth be told, Luo Hao did need rest—not from physical exhaustion, but because the Tianhai Sect was now inaccessible. He had to plan carefully for the future.

Returning the jade lotus to his bosom, Luo Hao lay down on a rock near the spiritual liquid pool.

He could no longer return to the Tianhai Sect. Among the vast sect, the only things weighing on his mind were his two brothers and those who had once helped him, like Ji Rou Suyu.

Suddenly, a fierce glint flashed in Luo Hao’s eyes as Murong Ying’s face flickered before him. Yes, besides concern, there was unfinished business, debt and grievance.

“Enough. Elder Qingyang has helped me. I hope they won’t provoke me again, or I won’t be merciful! Once Xiao Hei recovers, I’ll find a place to break through to the Blood Gathering Realm, then explore the continent and seek Meng Li.”

With his hands behind his head and a blade of grass clenched between his teeth, Luo Hao gazed at the valley’s sky and gradually drifted into a deep sleep.