"Young Master, hurry and go! Don't worry about me." Yan'Er could see Lin Hao's dilemma and tried to pull him outside.
Her determined expression met Lin Hao's eyes, and it sent a shockwave through his mind.
'Lin Hao… if I can't even handle this crisis, how can I ever hope to contend with Lin Wu?!'
At this critical moment, a flash of insight suddenly struck him.
"Yan'Er, when is the Heaven-Stepping Sect recruiting disciples?" Lin Hao asked abruptly.
That wicked servant had just said her son was preparing to go to the Heaven-Stepping Sect. If he and Yan'Er could get in, then even if the Lin family learned of their whereabouts, there would be nothing they could do.
On the Celestial Yang Continent, powerful sects reigned supreme over families. In this world, power determined status!
Lin Hao knew of the Heaven-Stepping Sect. Three years ago, it was already one of the five great sects of the Southern Border Prefecture. It was immensely powerful; even a mere Sect Disciple from there would be treated with courtesy by the City Lord of War Dragon City.
And the entrance requirements were not low. One needed a cultivation at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm and be no older than sixteen.
'As long as I can get into the Heaven-Stepping Sect, what do I have to fear from the Lin family!'
In an instant, the gloom in Lin Hao's heart was swept away, replaced by clarity.
"I think it's in half a month," Yan'Er said after a moment's thought.
"Yan'Er, let's go. We're leaving the Lin family!" Lin Hao grabbed Yan'Er's wrist and started heading out.
"Young Master, where are we going?" Yan'Er asked.
"We'll go to the Celestial Break Mountains first. Once I reach the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, we'll go to the Heaven-Stepping Sect!" Lin Hao had made his decision.
"Ah, Young Master, let's not go to the Celestial Break Mountains! Let's find somewhere else," Yan'Er said, her face turning pale at the mere mention of the name.
Lin Hao was puzzled. 'This girl isn't even afraid of death, so what's so scary about the Celestial Break Mountains? Devil Beasts?'
"Don't worry. We'll just stay on the outskirts. If we're careful, it won't be dangerous. It's just that it'll be hard on you," Lin Hao comforted her.
Yan'Er shook her head and pursed her lips. "It's no hardship as long as I'm with you, Young Master. It's just that in the Celestial Break Mountains, there's... there's a ghost."
"A ghost?" Lin Hao was stunned.
"Yes, a female ghost in white lives in the Celestial Break Mountains. She often comes down to snatch young girls and take them up the mountain. Several have already been taken from the Lin family. They're returned after ten days at the least, half a month at the most. Without exception, they all come back dazed and act insane, becoming fools. Later on, any girl who was taken would be executed the moment she was returned."
Yan'Er had an expression of lingering fear.
"Don't be afraid, Yan'Er. There are no ghosts in this world. It's probably just a powerful Martial Artist playing tricks," Lin Hao comforted her.
But seeing that Yan'Er still looked terrified, Lin Hao decided to go along with her wishes.
"We'll head in the direction of the Heaven-Stepping Sect then. We won't go to the Celestial Break Mountains."
Under the moonlight, Lin Hao and Yan'Er left the Lin family home where they had lived since childhood.
'Lin family, I will be back! Killing that vicious servant today was only the beginning!' As he walked further away, Lin Hao glanced back, making a silent vow.
In the dead of night, the streets were cold and deserted. There were no pedestrians, only the howling of the wind. Lin Hao led Yan'Er at a full sprint until they had to stop, panting for breath.
"Yan'Er, are you tired?" Lin Hao asked, bending over with his hands on his knees.
"I'm not tired," Yan'Er replied, shaking her head. She wasn't breathing heavily at all. Her beautiful eyes were sparkling, and she seemed to be full of energy.
'I practice martial arts, and even I'm out of breath. How is this girl completely fine?'
Lin Hao was taken aback for a moment, but then he understood.
He remembered that Yan'Er had started acting strangely five years ago. During the day, she was always sleepy, like a little lazy kitten. But as soon as night fell, she became a different person, bouncing all over the place, full of boundless energy.
It wasn't just her; her mother had been the same. She had a listless, lazy look during the day, but her spirits would soar at night.
He had been worried about her, but it seemed there was no need.
After resting for a moment, Lin Hao stood up and reached out to pull Yan'Er to her feet.
In that instant, he felt as if he'd been struck by lightning!
Yan'Er, who had been right beside him, was gone!
A living person, vanished into thin air. How was that possible?!
Yan'Er had been right next to him. Even a powerful Martial Artist couldn't have abducted her so silently. 'Could it be...'
Lin Hao felt as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.
"Yan'Er! Yan'Er!" Lin Hao called out twice, but there was no answer. Only the cold wind howled, rattling the cloth banners on either side of the street, sounding exceptionally eerie.
'The Celestial Break Mountains! Right, the Celestial Break Mountains!' His suspicion confirmed, Lin Hao broke into a run.
...
The Celestial Break Mountain Range was vast and boundless. From a distance, its highest peak seemed to merge with the sky. That was why there was a saying in War Dragon City: The Celestial Break Mountains can break the heavens!
This was a paradise for Devil Beasts.
No one had ever entered the depths of the Celestial Break Mountains, for it was rumored that Devil Beasts even more terrifying than Soul Gathering Realm experts existed within.
Beneath the sky, bathed in moonlight, the Celestial Break Mountains resembled a colossal beast that had been slumbering for ten thousand years, exuding a cold and terrifying aura.
Lin Hao rushed toward the mountains like the wind, arriving at the outer perimeter before long.
Ahead, the entrance to the Celestial Break Mountains was like the bloody maw of a giant beast, poised to devour its next victim.
Lin Hao straightened up and strode forward without a trace of fear...
An hour later, Lin Hao stopped behind a cliff, panting heavily.
After sitting down, he forced himself to think calmly.
'The Celestial Break Mountains stretch for who knows how many thousands of miles. Searching like this is like finding a needle in a haystack. Besides, I'm not strong enough to go any deeper. For now, the only plan is to wait!'
Lin Hao recalled Yan'Er's words: the abducted girls would be returned in ten days at the least, or half a month at the most. Then, they would be executed by the Lin family.
'First, I'll cultivate here in the Celestial Break Mountains. Once I reach the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, I'll return to the Lin family! No matter what, I have to save her then!'
The main reason Lin Hao had taken Yan'Er away from the Lin family was to protect her. Now that she was missing, he no longer had any such worries.
When he killed the wicked servant at the Lin family estate, only he and Yan'Er had been present. Plus, he had been a fool for three years; no one would suspect him.
Now that Yan'Er was missing, even if they were suspicious, they would only suspect the so-called female ghost of the Celestial Break Mountains.
Having figured this out, Lin Hao relaxed and found a hidden cave to slip into.
Centering his focus and clearing his mind, Lin Hao began to practice the *Celestial-Slaying Divine Annihilation*.
Before long, he had entered a state of profound concentration.
Half an hour later, Lin Hao's eyes snapped open, filled with astonishment. This time, his cultivation progress was as slow as a snail!
'What went wrong? Could it be that being in the cave has cut me off from that energy?'
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Lin Hao crawled out of the cave and found a patch of dense grass to hide in.
He circulated his Cultivation Technique once more. This time, he quickly sensed the flow of energy.
A look of delight appeared on his face, and he intensified his cultivation.
...
Meanwhile, a large party on horseback galloped out of War Dragon City, led by two magnificent Celestial Demon Dogs clearing the path as they headed straight for the Celestial Break Mountains.
Celestial Demon Dogs were a crossbreed of dogs and the Devil Beast, the Celestial Demon Pig. They were enormous, had a keen sense of smell, and were often raised by families to track prey.
Behind the Celestial Demon Dogs, the leader of the group was a young man of about fifteen or sixteen, dressed in magnificent robes. Beside him was a middle-aged man of about forty.
"Young Master Cheng, perhaps you should return. I guarantee I will find Miss Yan'Er!" the middle-aged man said with a slight bow, his expression respectful.
But just as he bowed, a flash of resentment crossed his eyes.
Housekeeper Mo felt extremely frustrated!
This punk in front of him used to be a mere servant in the Lin family, just like him. But ever since Young Master Lin Wu had made his glorious return to the main family branch in the capital, he and his mother had somehow managed to get ahead of him.
And that wasn't all. The kid had actually awakened his bloodline, becoming the center of attention in the Lin family. Not only was he granted the family surname, but he also became a young master of the Lin family.
Now, his own nephew was dead, yet he had to hide his grief and desperately try to curry favor with this kid. Just thinking about it was infuriating!
However, when Housekeeper Mo thought about the state of that woman's corpse, an inexplicable flash of glee went through him.
'Her head was smashed beyond recognition. So satisfying. Fucking satisfying!'
"Hmph! No, we must find Yan'Er! Otherwise, a helpless girl like her will be in great danger," Lin Cheng said, his face etched with anxiety.
'Dammit, his mother dies a horrible death, and all he can think about is women. If I were your mother, I'd crawl out of the underworld and beat you to death, you unfilial son!'
Housekeeper Mo cursed inwardly but said aloud, "Miss Yan'Er is indeed in great danger. But that fool Lin Hao is also missing. Maybe the female ghost of the Celestial Break Mountains is just a remnant of his family branch in disguise! They've been waiting for this day!"
"Find him, and we'll find the killer and save Yan'Er!" Lin Cheng's eyes lit up.
Housekeeper Mo stumbled, speechless with exasperation. 'If you were my kid, I'd definitely regret not shooting you onto a wall.'
...
The Celestial Demon Dogs led the way, heading straight for the Celestial Break Mountains. Just as the entrance to the mountains came into view, the entire group came to a halt.
Under the moonlight, the Celestial Break Mountains were mysterious and profound, exuding an oppressive aura.
"Housekeeper Mo, your cultivation is profound. You go and clear the way!" Lin Cheng's tone left no room for refusal.
Housekeeper Mo's mouth twitched as he cursed inwardly, 'Fuck, I've lived for decades and only managed to cultivate to the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer as an ordinary mortal because of a fortunate encounter, and I'll be stuck here for the rest of my life. You're a Spirit Body with an awakened bloodline, and you dare say my cultivation is profound? Profound my ass!'
However, after his expression changed several times, Housekeeper Mo finally resigned himself to his fate.
But as soon as he looked up, his eyes widened in shock.
The bright moon hung high in the sky, yet its lunar essence was being drawn into a pillar of brilliance that shot straight into the Celestial Break Mountains.
'This... some living being is cultivating with lunar essence!'
Housekeeper Mo's eyes were as wide as bronze bells, his shock beyond measure.
"Young... Young Master Cheng, we have to go, quickly! There's an existence in the Celestial Break Mountains we can't afford to provoke!" As if recalling something terrifying, Housekeeper Mo's face turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with terror, and his voice trembled.
Lin Cheng had also seen the strange phenomenon in the sky. Seeing Housekeeper Mo's panicked state, he gave him a contemptuous look and said arrogantly, "Housekeeper Mo, I didn't expect you to become so timid in your old age. The moon alone is enough to scare you like this."
"HAHAHA..." The men who had followed were all Lin Cheng's loyal lackeys. Hearing this, they began to laugh mercilessly.
This time, Housekeeper Mo didn't argue. Instead, he looked around in terror and hissed, "Shh! Keep your voices down! If we disturb that existence, none of us will survive!"
After saying this, Housekeeper Mo paused, then continued, "I was born an ordinary mortal and should have been stuck at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm my whole life. But several years ago, I had a fortunate encounter in these very mountains. A powerful Martial Artist was fighting a Blood Python. The Blood Python was at the critical moment of transforming into a Flood Dragon. It was being beaten back, but at the last moment, it drew lunar essence into its body and took the Martial Artist down with it."
Everyone in the Lin family knew that Housekeeper Mo had a fortunate encounter that allowed him, an ordinary mortal, to reach the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer, but he had never spoken of what that encounter was.
Now, hearing him bring it up himself, everyone held their breath.
"A Blood Python's hide is exceptionally tough, its physical body as strong as an Elemental Realm expert's. That particular Blood Python had almost stepped into the realm of Flood Dragons; its physical strength was nearly on par with a Soul Gathering Realm expert. But I saw it with my own eyes—it just absorbed a single sliver of lunar essence, and its body exploded!"
As soon as Housekeeper Mo said this, the scene fell deathly silent.
A Blood Python nearly as strong as a Soul Gathering Realm expert had exploded just from absorbing a sliver of lunar essence. And now, a being in the Celestial Break Mountains was cultivating with a whole pillar of it. Just how powerful was this being?!
At this thought, everyone felt their very souls tremble, and their legs began to shake.
"Sigh... I remember the moonlight that night was dim, nowhere near as bright as it is now..." Housekeeper Mo gazed at the increasingly dazzling moonlight, seeming to be transported back several years. He entered a strange state and actually forgot his fear.
But to the others, his words were like a clap of thunder!
Lin Cheng was the first to react. He shot off, fleeing desperately down the mountain like a beaten dog.
"Oh, Momma!" The others, cursing the fact they only had two legs, scrambled and crawled away, scared out of their wits.
But Housekeeper Mo, lost in his strange state, stared at the lunar essence and began to walk toward the place where Lin Hao was cultivating...