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In Fenglin Town, at a branch of the Lin family, behind the mountain.
Lin Hao clutched his chest, looking extremely dejected. His gaze swept over the surrounding crowd, and in the face of the harsh ridicule and disdainful smiles, his heart felt as if pierced by a thousand needles.
"I don't believe it! Even if my spirit root is shattered, I will still re-establish the path of martial arts!" The young Lin Hao's face was filled with indomitable spirit.
He had once opened the second Earth Gate, using his divine soul to search for the Heavenly Stone Body, making his body as strong as steel, impervious to even blades and swords!
But now, Lin Hao could not even reconstruct the first Earth Gate. This enormous disparity was something Lin Hao could not accept.
Rumble...
As he spoke, the earth seemed to tremble.
Lin Hao's divine soul instantly surged into the depths of the earth.
This was an underground world, the foundation of a martial artist's cultivation, the first of the 'Five Great Earth Gates.'
Once one became a martial artist, they could use their divine soul to challenge the 'Five Great Earth Gates.'
Each Earth Gate was extremely perilous, and a single misstep could lead to one's demise. However, there were countless powerful spirit bodies and opportunities.
For example, the Heavenly Stone Body that Lin Hao had once found in the second Earth Gate was considered a treasure-grade spirit body, making the body as hard as a rock, invulnerable to damage.
Martial artists not only searched for unique and powerful spirit bodies within the Earth Gates, but if they were lucky, they could even discover indestructible divine weapons, which they could nurture within their divine souls for their own use.
Breaking through each Earth Gate was incredibly difficult.
Even in the 'Flowing Cloud City's' four major families, the number of geniuses who could break through to the third Earth Gate could be counted on one hand.
...
At this moment, Lin Hao was in the first Earth Gate, hoping to regain a spirit body.
Ahead was an endless sea of lava, the scorching heat capable of instantly melting an ordinary person. To the left was a vast ocean, emitting a gentle glow, and countless pieces of adamantine stone, swords, spears, and halberds, all of which were fundamental for tempering the body.
If one could communicate with the spirit body of a sword or spear, their future cultivation of such weapons would be greatly enhanced, allowing them to achieve great success quickly.
If a martial artist's divine soul could successfully communicate with the lava, their physical body could transform into a lava body, a natural force and a treasure-grade spirit body in the first Earth Gate.
"Since I can enter the first Earth Gate, it proves that I can still become a martial artist!" Lin Hao gritted his teeth and walked toward the lava.
The lava was a treasure-grade spirit body in the first Earth Gate. If he could successfully communicate with it, Lin Hao would transform into a lava body.
Lin Hao's divine soul rapidly rushed toward the lava, the powerful divine will unique to martial artists transforming into a towering beast, instantly merging with the lava.
At the same moment, Lin Hao's pupils constricted. His broken spirit root could not withstand the power of the lava, and he spat out a stream of blood.
Boom!
The towering beast was incinerated by the lava, instantly reduced to nothingness.
Lin Hao's divine will was expelled from the first Earth Gate, returning to his body.
"Haha, Lin Hao, with your current broken body, you dare to try to communicate with the dominant body of the first Earth Gate? You have no sense of life and death."
"Although I don't really want to call you a broken body, but after much thought, I can't find any other words. Lin Hao, give up."
Seeing Lin Hao like this, some of the Lin family branch disciples looked at him with undisguised disdain and contempt.
"Failed... Why..." Lin Hao was somewhat dazed.
He was once a disciple of the Lin family's main branch, having successfully opened the second Earth Gate, with a body that was invincible to blades and spears! But now, he couldn't even reconstruct the first Earth Gate!
This wasn't because Lin Hao lacked insight, but because his spirit root had been severed in the sect world, causing his strength to rapidly decline from the second Earth Gate, and now he couldn't even open the first Earth Gate.
Some of the branch disciples who still had some connection with Lin Hao shook their heads repeatedly.
This once high-ranking disciple of the Lin family's main branch now faced such a fate.
The world is unpredictable, always beyond one's control.
...
"Lin Hao, since you failed to establish the Earth Gate, you have no right to interfere in my relationship with Yurao."
The young man who spoke was named Lin Feng, known as a prodigy in the Lin family branch, ranking second among the younger generation in martial prowess, second only to the family head's son, Lin Tong.
"Yurao and I are like siblings. Although Uncle Yu has betrothed her to you... Yurao is unwilling about this marriage. Please let her go and don't force her," Lin Hao looked at Lin Feng, exhausted.
Although he didn't like Yurao, she was like a sister to him, and Lin Feng was a despicable and unscrupulous person, known for his womanizing and frequent visits to pleasure quarters.
But the Yu family had forced the engagement because of his talent. If she married him, Yurao would surely have a miserable future.
This morning, when he visited the Yu family, he saw Yurao covered in bruises, with a clear handprint on her face.
Although Yurao didn't want to say, Lin Hao knew it was Lin Feng's doing!
Lin Hao couldn't bear to see Yurao suffer, so he invited Lin Feng to talk, hoping he would treat Yurao better in the future.
Lin Feng, however, made a bet with Lin Hao. If Lin Hao could reconstruct the first Earth Gate in front of these branch disciples, he would give up the engagement.
But his spirit root had been severed in the sect world, and he had lost the qualifications to become a martial artist.
Reconstructing the first Earth Gate was as difficult as climbing to the heavens.
To put it bluntly, Lin Feng wanted to humiliate Lin Hao in front of everyone, to stop him from interfering.
...
"Are you, with your current broken body, daring to meddle in my family affairs? Stay away from Yurao in the future, or I'll break your limbs," Lin Feng stared at Lin Hao, a cold smile on his lips.
"I just want you to treat Yurao better. After all, we grew up together, like siblings," Lin Hao tried to calm himself, trying to remain composed.
"What a joke! Since the Yu family has betrothed her to me, I am her sky. Whatever I want her to do, she must do. Even if I want her to die, that wretch must obediently follow my orders!" Lin Feng sneered, looking at Lin Hao with disdain.
The branch disciples around them also sneered.
"Haha, Yurao is just one of Lin Feng's many playthings. Whatever Lin Feng does to Yurao is his own family affair. Who cares that Yurao is Lin Feng's fiancée?"
"Lin Hao, you should take a look at yourself. With your broken body, you dare to meddle in Lin Feng's family affairs? Now Yurao is Lin Feng's fiancée, and even if he assaults her in the street, it has nothing to do with you!"
Several young disciples mocked him.
...
"Lin Feng, are you so worried about my fiancée that you've already done something improper with her? If you admit it, I might consider giving her back to you," Lin Feng sneered.
"Rubbish! Yurao and I are just siblings. How can you defame her purity like this!" Lin Hao was furious. If his spirit root hadn't been severed, he would have crippled Lin Feng!
Over a decade ago, Lin Hao's father found Yurao in a secret realm and adopted her. Later, due to some terrifying changes, he entrusted Yurao to the Yu family. They were like real siblings, how could they do anything improper!
"Dare to insult me? You, Lin Hao, are tired of living!" Hearing this, Lin Feng leaped up, his body like a spreading eagle, his momentum extremely fierce, attacking Lin Hao. He had successfully established the first Earth Gate and fused his divine will with the 'Heavenly Eagle Body,' making him very powerful.
Seeing this, Lin Hao rolled on the ground, slipping forward like an eel.
A loud boom echoed as Lin Feng's palm struck the air, leaving a palm print on the ground.
"Is this the supreme martial art of the Lin family's main branch, Lin Hao, the donkey roll? Sister Yue, look at this guy, a broken body, how could you ever like him?" Lin Feng clapped his hands, looking at a woman in the crowd with arrogance.
The woman was named Lin Yue, the beloved daughter of a Lin family branch executive. She and Lin Hao had once been close, and she had developed feelings for him.
But seeing Lin Hao today, her former admiration vanished.
"Sister Yue, you once said that if I could defeat Lin Hao, you would consider me. Now, I can crush him with one finger," Lin Feng ignored Lin Hao and walked straight toward the woman.
...
"Sister Yue... Lin Feng has a bad character and already has a fiancée. Don't be swayed by him!"
Seeing Lin Feng's unrepentant nature, and his desire to take Lin Yue into his harem, Lin Hao was immediately angry.
However, Lin Yue remained expressionless and silent.
"Sister Yue, your affairs are not for me to decide. The 'Recovery Pill' you were entrusted to keep, can you return it to me?" Lin Hao remembered a pill he had once given to Lin Yue for safekeeping.
His broken body's strength was rapidly fading. If he had the 'Recovery Pill,' he could hold on for a few days.
Lin Hao still had a glimmer of hope that the main branch might find a way to restore his spirit root...
"I've never seen it." Lin Yue's expression was cold, shattering Lin Hao's hope.
"Sister Yue... you..." Lin Hao was stunned.
"Sister Yue has never kept a pill for you. If you keep lying, you'll bear the consequences," Lin Feng said.
"If my spirit root wasn't broken, I wouldn't need the 'Recovery Pill.' It's your fault for lusting after the Miss of the Luo family in Flowing Cloud City, getting your bones broken in the sect. You brought this upon yourself," a young man sneered.
Lin Hao looked at Lin Feng and Lin Yue, his fists clenched, his eyes burning with anger.
The Luo Yan'er they mentioned was the beloved daughter of the Luo family in Flowing Cloud City. It was because of her that Lin Hao's spirit root was broken in the sect.
The spirit root is the foundation of martial arts. A broken spirit root means the destruction of the foundation, and one's strength will rapidly decline until they become an ordinary person.
...
"Perhaps, I still have a glimmer of hope to reconstruct my spirit root." Lin Hao took a deep breath, ignoring the ridicule, and left the back mountain, heading toward the branch inner hall.
After about a quarter of an hour, Lin Hao arrived at the branch hall, with black-armored guards standing at the entrance.
"The guards of the Yu family..." Seeing the Yu family guards, Lin Hao was slightly taken aback.
It seemed that the head of the Yu family branch had come here to discuss matters with the head of the Lin family branch.
Lin Hao didn't avoid them and walked straight into the hall.
"Please wait, young master Lin." Suddenly, two black-armored guards stepped forward, blocking Lin Hao.
"Brothers, I have important matters to discuss with Head of the Family Lin Zhan. Why are you stopping me?" Lin Hao was puzzled. It didn't make sense for the Yu family guards to stop him in the Lin family.
...