Chapter Twenty-Four: Turning Danger into Safety

“Give up already! Even if I destroy this body, I won’t let you succeed!” Lin Yanghao shouted angrily.

“Hahaha! A kid whose cultivation isn’t even at the beginner’s stage thinks he can escape from me? Utterly delusional! Come, welcome the arrival of your ancestor!” The white-bearded infant laughed instead of getting angry at Lin Yanghao’s words.

Suddenly, Lin Yanghao’s head felt as if it were splitting apart, a pain so intense it was indescribable.

“Humph, boy, you’re just unlucky to have been caught by me. You won’t even get the chance for your soul to reincarnate. Your only fate now is to be devoured and become my nourishment! Let me send you off on your final journey!” The old monster spoke coldly, with not a trace of emotion.

Lin Yanghao suddenly felt his body lighten, and when he regained his senses, he found himself in a pitch-black world. Looking down, he saw that his body was semi-transparent—clearly, he was now in his soul form, though his size was still that of an ordinary person, unlike the infant-shaped old monster floating before him.

“Come! At last, I am to be free! Two hundred years! Hahaha! Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of everything you leave behind, including your women. Hahahaha~” The old monster laughed madly, then lunged toward Lin Yanghao’s soul.

“It’s over. There’s no retreat this time, truly no escape. Goodbye, dear Shihan. Farewell, beautiful world!” Lin Yanghao was utterly desperate. The opponent’s strength was vastly superior, making any attempt to flee pointless, like an egg against a stone. He closed his eyes, quietly awaiting death, hoping for better luck in the next life. No—that wasn’t right. This death would be final, as the old monster had just said there’d be no chance for reincarnation. With eyes shut, countless memories flashed through his mind.

Suddenly, the old monster’s agonized screams reached Lin Yanghao’s ears. He quickly opened his eyes to find himself unharmed, while the old monster was enveloped in a yellow light, wailing in pain. How the yellow light had appeared, Lin Yanghao didn’t know, but so long as he was safe, he cared nothing for the old monster’s fate—the more tormented he was, the happier Lin Yanghao felt.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Yanghao felt his footing steady and returned from that strange place to the real world.

“Kid, let me out quickly! I won’t possess you anymore, I promise!” The old monster’s voice echoed in Lin Yanghao’s mind just as he returned.

“Stay locked up in there! You tried to harm me—dream on if you think I’ll let you out! Wait for death!” Lin Yanghao retorted fiercely.

“If you let me out, I’ll tell you where to find a treasure that can greatly improve your cultivation speed. In no time, you’ll reach the Foundation Establishment stage. And if you wear it daily, it will ward off evil and strengthen your physique.” Desperate, the old monster offered a huge temptation.

Lin Yanghao was moved—such a treasure that could boost cultivation speed? Though he didn’t understand what the Foundation Establishment stage was, it must be something better than Martial Emperor. He was torn, unsure whether to cooperate.

“Don’t hesitate. I’ll take you to the treasure first. Just loosen this barrier a little, and you’ll see. Don’t underestimate the treasure—if not for it, I wouldn’t be in this miserable state. Truly a case of gain turned to loss.” Seeing Lin Yanghao still unmoved, the old monster grew anxious. If the barrier didn’t expand soon, his soul would dissipate, so he offered a condition Lin Yanghao could hardly refuse.

“Fine, I agree. But what should I do?” As expected, Lin Yanghao couldn’t resist the temptation and finally consented.

“If I’m not mistaken, the thing restraining me is a magical artifact or perhaps an even greater and more mysterious immortal item. As for how you control it, I can’t say. Simply convey your intentions to the artifact, and it should respond.” Relieved, the old monster quickly explained, unwilling to die just yet.

Lin Yanghao was puzzled—he had no idea he possessed such a treasure. He was nearly penniless, yet he recalled a ring that had accompanied him for years. Raising his hand, he saw the ring was gone—clearly, it was this mysterious ring that had saved him once more.

Using his thoughts, Lin Yanghao commanded the ring, “Ring, oh marvelous ring, please loosen up a bit for this villain, but don’t let him escape!” Sure enough, the yellow light expanded.

“Phew, I was suffocating in there. How unlucky I am to have met such a brat! Truly, a curse lasting eight lifetimes!” The old monster lamented in Lin Yanghao’s mind.

Still bitter over the recent ordeal, Lin Yanghao ignored him, thinking fiercely, “Don’t try any tricks. If I get the treasure, maybe I’ll spare you. Otherwise, all that awaits you is death!”

He then headed home. It took several hours to return, as his internal energy had been drained by the old monster, leaving him only slightly stronger than an ordinary person. Fortunately, he hadn’t gone far, or it would have taken much longer.

Once home, Lin Yanghao sat down to recover his inner strength, then bid farewell to Feng Shihan and set out.

On the way, Lin Yanghao asked the old monster many questions. It turned out the old monster was not a martial artist, but a terrifying cultivator. He said his name was Master Muyu, and before beginning his cultivation, he was known as Quan Guyun—a powerful figure of the Nascent Soul stage.

Initially, Lin Yanghao didn’t understand the Nascent Soul stage, but after hearing Master Muyu explain the realms and divisions of the cultivation world, Lin Yanghao was astounded, finally realizing how terrifying the old monster truly was.