Dozens of miles away, Old Ou turned to look behind him, his brows slightly furrowed.
"What's wrong, Grandma Mo?" the middle-aged man asked, puzzled.
"Strange..." the old woman said, "Earlier, the high-ranking Tianling personally came, and the sky showed unusual phenomena. But now, the thunderclouds and the flames have completely disappeared. Why is that..."
The branch leaders were not concerned. One of them said, "Grandma Mo, it's probably because the high-ranking Tianling has left, so the unusual phenomena have disappeared."
The middle-aged man also nodded, finding the explanation reasonable. After all, a high-ranking Tianling wouldn't stay in such a small place for long. Like a dragon, they show their head but not their tail, coming and going quickly, which is quite common. The head of the Bai family was like this in the past.
However, the old woman's doubts did not dissipate. She said, "Most of the high-ranking Tianling's disciples are countless, and it's not impossible that there are over a hundred named disciples. A named disciple would never make the high-ranking Tianling take action... unless it's a direct disciple..."
"A direct disciple?" The middle-aged man shook his head. "A direct disciple of the high-ranking Tianling must have both strength and talent. Otherwise, they wouldn't catch the high-ranking Tianling's eye. Although the Third Young Master Bai Zhanchen has good talent... his strength... seems to have only opened the second Earth Gate..."
This was also what Old Ou was puzzled about. What merit did Bai Zhanchen have to become a disciple of the high-ranking Tianling? Moreover, the little Qing, whom the First Young Master had sent to his side, had never mentioned that Bai Zhanchen had a master.
"Could... this be a fraud?" the middle-aged man asked, puzzled.
The branch leaders looked at each other. In the mountains earlier, the high-ranking Tianling was genuine. If it were a fraud, could it be that the Third Young Master Bai Zhanchen had found a high-ranking Tianling to act for him? This was impossible.
The old woman also shook her head. "The high-ranking Tianling is real. I just find it strange, but I can't quite put my finger on it..."
Then, their figures quickened, and in a blink, they left the Tianlang Mountains. No one wanted to stay there any longer.
...
At this moment, Lin Hao, Bai Zhanchen, and Lin He were gathered together. Today's plan was successful, and there were no major flaws.
Bai Zhanchen was still somewhat worried. He feared that if the old woman and the middle-aged man discovered the truth later, it would not end well. Therefore, Bai Zhanchen asked Lin Hao several times.
"Don't worry. If something happens to you, I won't have a good outcome either," Lin Hao said, his expression always calm. He had a plan and knew he needed to stay away from the Bai family after this.
"Brother Lin Hao's kindness, I will always remember. From now on, I will no longer have to hold back," Bai Zhanchen's eyes had a passionate gleam. His martial talent was excellent, but due to Bai Zhen, he couldn't show it.
With today's plan successful, Bai Zhen would certainly not dare to act against him in the future.
"Do you not plan to compete for the position of family head?" Lin He asked, staring at Bai Zhanchen.
Bai Zhanchen smiled helplessly. "The Bai family was once a major force, and all its prestige came from my father. Once my father falls, without a high-ranking Tianling to sit in the family, it will likely decline. My goal... is the sect world."
Bai Zhanchen's eyes had a glimmer of hope. What he aspired to was not the position of family head, but the martial world. Only by becoming strong himself could he push a noble family to the peak.
Lin Hao sized up Bai Zhanchen a few times. This young man had a broad vision and a complex personality. If he didn't die young, he would one day shine brightly. Lin Hao remembered Bai Zhanchen's name.
After leaving the Tianlang Mountains, the three of them parted ways.
Over the next two days, Lin Hao did not leave the Lin family. He stayed in his room to cultivate. As expected, there was no news from Bai Zhen, who seemed to have been intimidated by the high-ranking Tianling in the Tianlang Mountains and thus dared not cause trouble for Lin Hao.
Only Lin He was on edge for a while. Seeing that everything was as it should be, he left the Lin family, planning to go out to cultivate and break his own limitations before the ranking tournament began.
During this time, Lin Hao's gains were not small. His strength broke through to the fifth level of the Spirit Body realm and stabilized at the mid-level. The 'Cloud Wind Step' also reached the fourth level, making his speed even faster, far surpassing other martial artists at the same level.
As for the 'Heavenly Gang Divine Technique,' it also improved to the third level. Now, even if he faced the 'Red-faced Lion,' Lin Hao could easily win, as long as it wasn't a mid-level fierce beast, he could escape unharmed.
The 'Star Breaking Palm' and 'Five Chasing Wind Swords' were also cultivated to the Great Success level, significantly enhancing his strength and increasing his true qi.
In the Earth Gate realm, Lin Hao needed to solidify his foundation. This was the base, and only with a solid foundation could he become even stronger if he advanced to the Heaven Gate realm in the future.
On the fourth day, above the Bamboo Garden, a true qi pressure formed, and the void seemed to condense. The sudden surge of true qi naturally alarmed the strong disciples.
In the back mountain of the Lin family, a young man in white stood with his hands behind his back, his deep blue eyes staring at the direction of the Bamboo Garden.
"Another Lin family disciple has broken through?" A beautiful woman with a waterfall of hair stood in front of the young man in white, exuding a faint fragrance.
The young man in white said nothing. "Who is in that direction?"
Lin Bai stepped forward and said softly, "Brother Lin Tian, that should be Lin Hao's room."
There were a few outer disciples around, who were as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to breathe loudly.
Lin Tian was the strongest of the outer disciples and the top-ranked person in the outer disciples' rankings. His strength was unparalleled, having reached the eighth level of the Spirit Body realm. His every move could severely injure disciples at the fifth or sixth level with his thick true qi.
The woman in front of Lin Tian was called Lin Caiyi, who was also Lin Yan'er's cousin.
"This true qi is quite pure and sufficient to become an elite disciple. Have that boy come and see me later," Lin Tian said casually.
Hearing this, a few of the outer disciples nodded in agreement.
Once a disciple reached the elite level, their team assignments and training were decided by Lin Tian. This was the rule of the outer disciples, and no one dared to defy Lin Tian's will.
He was the undisputed ruler of the outer disciples, a prodigy of the heavens.
"Brother Lin Tian, do you plan to enter the inner sect for this ranking tournament?" Lin Yan'er looked at Lin Tian with admiration.
With Lin Tian's strength, he had the qualifications to reach the top of the inner sect. However, in the past two years, Lin Tian had chosen to stay in the outer sect and not enter the inner sect's villa.
Lin Yan'er respected Lin Tian greatly. First, Lin Tian was the cousin of the inner sect's Lin Xiurui. Second, Lin Tian's strength was terrifying, reaching the eighth level of the Spirit Body realm, with vast and thick true qi and a long-lasting aura, making him a prodigy of the heavens in Liuyun City.
Hearing this, Lin Tian smiled. He had his reasons for staying in the outer sect.
Seeing that Lin Tian did not speak, Lin Yan'er did not ask further. They walked forward at a steady pace, and a few outer disciples approached Lin Tian for guidance, hoping to gain martial arts insights.
...
The next morning, Lin Hao opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing, as if it could pierce through everything.
Lin Hao had spent several days in a profound realm, absorbing all the spiritual energy from a medium-grade spirit stone, and his strength had directly advanced from the fifth level of the Spirit Body realm to the sixth level. Each of his breaths was extremely steady, and his aura was so internalized that it was hard to gauge his depth.
The second Earth Gate realm was mainly about strengthening one's physical body, a crucial stage. A solid foundation would greatly benefit his future martial path.
After reaching the sixth level of the Spirit Body realm, Lin Hao firmly suppressed his cultivation, sealing it at the fifth level. This way, he could slowly absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, forcefully stabilizing the sixth level.
"In a few days, the outer disciples' ranking tournament will begin. I need to at least get the fifth place, or I won't have a chance to enter the inner sect," Lin Hao thought.
Most of the elite disciples of the Lin family were not a threat to Lin Hao, but there were a few with extremely strong abilities, like Lin Tian, who had the eighth level of the Spirit Body realm and was one of the geniuses of the Lin family, well-known in Liuyun City.
Unfortunately, if Lin Hao wanted to grow quickly, he had to leave Liuyun City, and even this world, which was not suitable for him.
The inner sect or the sect world were just stepping stones for Lin Hao. His destination was a true martial world, where his potential could be infinitely unleashed.
The world he was in was called the Yellow Wasteland Continent, also known as the Xuan Realm, located in the north, in the Northern Xuan Realm region. This was the area with the most backward and weakest martial development among the four major regions of the Yellow Wasteland Continent.
The Yellow Wasteland Continent was located in the 'Heavenly Domain,' a vast land with countless unknown continents, and the Yellow Wasteland Continent was just a grain of sand among them.
In the 'Northern Xuan Realm' region, those who opened the second Heaven Gate were rare, and those who opened the third Heaven Gate were almost never seen.
His past life as the Nine Heavens Emperor was not simple, but unfortunately, he did not know much about the Yellow Wasteland Continent. The Nine Heavens Emperor had only visited this place in his youth, making many friends, including the founding ancestor of the Immortal Sword Sect, who was one of the Nine Heavens Emperor's childhood friends. Moreover, the Nine Heavens Emperor had also taken several disciples from the Yellow Wasteland Continent, who were all outstanding in talent and cultivation, considered prodigies of the ages.
However, the past was the past, and for this life's Lin Hao, the meaning was somewhat different.
He was born and raised in this place, and all his memories came from here. He did not even know how large the 'Northern Xuan Realm' was, let alone the entire Yellow Wasteland Continent.
He needed to slowly explore this entire world, where many of the strongest soul realms and legacies were said to be sealed from the ancient era.
The ancient era was the era of immortals and deities. If he could obtain the strongest legacy, Lin Hao's achievements would surpass those of the Nine Heavens Emperor.
Even Lin Hao did not know whether being born in the Northern Xuan Realm of the Yellow Wasteland Continent in this life was fortunate or unfortunate. Although he could not access powerful resources, he could start from the bottom and gradually advance to the strongest throne.
In this life, there were three possible outcomes: premature death, an average life, or surpassing himself and the Nine Heavens!
His mind seemed to undergo a transformation, the sharpness of his past life gradually smoothed out, and his character greatly improved, making him consistent inside and out, with a more enduring aura and even more powerful true qi.