C7 Misty Forest

The next evening, everything was set. Lin Hao and Lin Qing slipped away to the Misty Forest, unbeknownst to their family members. They didn't pause along the way, only stopping for a brief respite upon reaching the entrance to the Misty Forest.

"Where's this Immortal Abode you mentioned?" Lin Qing asked, extracting a low-grade soulstone to replenish some spiritual energy. "You haven't misled me, have you?"

Lin Hao chuckled with ease. "Of course not. We're almost there. I wouldn't dare deceive you."

His smooth compliment left Lin Qing feeling somewhat elated, momentarily forgetting the numerous times they had clashed.

"Hmph, I should hope you wouldn't dare. Otherwise, you'll regret it. Let's get moving."

Just as Lin Qing was ready to press on, he noticed Lin Hao seemed to want to say something, so he paused and prompted him.

"What's the hold-up? Come on, I want to make it back by tonight."

"Well, with our rushed pace, my spiritual energy is depleting rapidly. I can't maintain this speed any longer," Lin Hao admitted, looking troubled. "My cultivation level isn't as advanced as yours, and while you have soulstones for replenishment, I'm running on empty."

Impatiently, Lin Qing handed over a low-grade soulstone. "Take this and recharge. We left in such a hurry, I only brought a few soulstones—three or four at most. But one should be plenty for someone at your level of cultivation."

Lin Hao accepted the soulstone and sat down cross-legged to absorb the spiritual energy. Roughly fifteen minutes later, he rose to his feet, the soulstone completely drained.

Lin Qing harbored no suspicions. Under normal circumstances, he would have been skeptical—how could Lin Hao fully absorb a low-grade soulstone in just fifteen minutes? But Lin Qing's eagerness to reach the Immortal Abode caused him to overlook this detail.

"We'll be there once we get through this thick forest," Lin Hao said, pointing ahead.

"Then let's not waste any more time," urged Lin Qing.

Lin Hao and Lin Qing advanced side by side, while Lin Hao covertly channeled the gold needle technique. Having just replenished his spiritual energy, Lin Hao was confident he could execute the gold needle technique up to four or five times in succession. This time, he had equipped himself with the gold needle he had acquired from the Misty Forest, which Zhao Qiang claimed was imbued with lethal poison. If Lin Qing were struck by it, her fate would be sealed.

Lin Hao kept a vigilant eye on Lin Qing's every move, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"Now," he whispered to himself.

With a swift gesture of his left hand, several red fireballs materialized out of thin air. He swept them up with a flick of his sleeve and hurled them towards Lin Qing, bellowing the command, "Go!"

The fireballs burst forth, radiating intense heat as they dispersed in a swarm, hurtling towards Lin Qing from various angles.

"What are you doing!" Lin Qing exclaimed, spinning around and retreating rapidly. She narrowly evaded Lin Hao's Fireball attack, her voice tinged with both surprise and anger.

Lin Hao felt a twinge of unease at her reaction. Lin Qing was not only keeping pace but was also ready to counter his moves, even while traveling at full speed. It meant she was either perpetually on guard against him, or she had been prepared to eliminate any threats all along.

Either scenario spelled trouble for Lin Hao.

"So, everything you told me was a lie? You've been plotting against me all along," Lin Qing accused, her voice seething with fury.

With the facade of friendship now shattered, Lin Hao saw no reason to hold back the truth.

"Yes, the tale of the Immortal Abode was a fabrication. My sole purpose in bringing you here was to end you," he confessed, throwing caution to the wind and hoping to provoke her into underestimating him.

Despite Lin Qing's vigilance, Lin Hao was convinced she harbored contempt for him deep down.

"To kill me? Hahaha..." Lin Qing's laughter rang out, mocking and incredulous. "I had intended for you to meet your end at the Immortal Abode, but since you've deceived me, your time to die is now."

With a chant and a fierce shout, Lin Qing commanded, "Fireball, go!"

Lin Hao swiftly dodged, simultaneously suppressing the impulse to deploy his gold needle. This was his ace in the hole, reserved for a critical moment to ensure a one-hit kill.

The spot where Lin Hao had been standing was now a large crater, radiating intense heat, the earth within it showing signs of melting.

A cold sweat broke out on Lin Hao's brow. Had the Fireball hit him, he would have been gravely injured!

Lin Qing was taken aback to see Lin Hao evade the initial Fireball. But before Lin Hao could regain his composure, Lin Qing launched another Fireball at him.

Lin Hao dodged repeatedly, his movements desperate and uncoordinated.

Witnessing Lin Hao's plight, Lin Qing burst into laughter, taunting, "You came to kill me, kid? You can't escape today. I won't kill you just yet. I'm going to toy with you until you regret ever deceiving me."

With a menacing expression, Lin Qing sent a barrage of Fireballs raining down on Lin Hao.

"Bulwark of Thorns," Lin Hao uttered in a low voice, vanishing from Lin Qing's sight.

"Humph!" Lin Qing grunted dismissively. "Bulwark of Thorns. You won't be so fortunate this time."

Lin Qing cast the Clearing Spell and immediately spotted Lin Hao taking cover in a large tree nearby. A massive Fireball hurtled toward Lin Hao's refuge.

The Clearing Spell was known to penetrate most concealment techniques, provided the caster's cultivation level matched or exceeded that of the person in hiding, or else the spell would fail to reveal them.

Legends told of even more advanced techniques beyond the Clearing Spell, capable of uncovering nearly all who were hidden. These formidable skills were said to be possessed by the elite Cultivation Families.

As the Fireball approached, Lin Hao quickly employed the Burrowing Technique, escaping to the rear.

With a sharp "Crack!" the tree was cleaved in two and burst into flames.

Lin Hao watched, heart pounding, but before he could process the scene, a chilling sensation enveloped his location.

Bursting from the ground, Lin Hao gestured with his hands, and in a flash, several Fireballs surged toward the ground beneath his feet.

"Bang! Bang!"

A series of sharp cracks echoed as several ice pitons sprouted beneath Lin Hao's feet, only to be shattered by his swift Fireball spells. Had any of those ice pitons struck him, Lin Hao would have undoubtedly sustained serious injuries.

"Hahaha..."

Lin Qing burst into laughter once more, watching Lin Hao as if he were merely a monkey performing tricks.

After employing the "Clearance Technique" to spot Lin Hao emerging from a tree and then taking cover underground, Lin Qing channeled the ice piton technique his father had taught him, aiming directly beneath Lin Hao.

Lin Qing felt a wave of relief wash over him as he witnessed Lin Hao's pitiful state. He retrieved a low-grade soulstone to replenish his depleted spiritual energy. His repeated use of the Fireball Technique had gradually drained him, and now was the perfect time to recharge.

He wasn't concerned about a surprise attack from Lin Hao. In his view, Lin Hao was too terrified to do anything but silently hope for mercy.

Foolishness comes in many forms, and Lin Qing was a prime example, lost in his own delusions.

"Now is the moment," Lin Hao thought to himself.

"Gold Needle Technique, Gold Needle, go!"