526: Chapter 526 Willing to Contribute to the Sect Master's Breakthrough

Ling Hao shook his head, pushing these pieces of information aside for now.

"Let's ignore that for the moment."

He took a sip of the tea poured by Yu Zhaohua and looked at the three women. "Besides this, is there any other information regarding the Golden Crow Holy Land?"

Yu Linglong, Nangong Mei, and Baili Qiao exchanged glances.

Yu Linglong spoke first:

"According to the information obtained, decades ago, the Golden Crow Old Ancestor's behavior was erratic. Sometimes he targeted the Niding Alliance, but other times he found excuses to cancel it. It wasn't until recent years that this behavior disappeared. However, there must be people from the Niding Alliance within the Golden Crow Holy Land; the Sword Peak Revered Master is the most suspicious. Also..."

A cold glint flashed in Yu Linglong's beautiful eyes.

"It is said that Saint Son Yang Ritian is the grandson of the Golden Crow Old Ancestor and is exceptionally favored. It's him who is targeting our Linglong Blessed Land, supposedly to make someone happy? Hmph!"

Baili Qiao took over the conversation:

"After we arrived in Fusang Province, we were quickly discovered. The Golden Crow Saint personally issued an order to hunt us down under the guise of 'Evil Cultivators and Niding Alliance thieves.' Currently, the four great Grade 8 Sects have each dispatched one Tribulation Transcendence Heavenly Venerable, plus the Golden Crow Holy Land's four Tribulation Transcendence [experts] and one newly promoted Mahayana [expert], and a Mahayana Stage [expert] from the Xuanwu Holy Land is also stationed there—a total of eight Tribulation Transcendence [experts] and two Mahayana [experts]."

"After we came to Tanggu Kingdom, during the forty-nine-year war between Fusang Province and the True Demon Realm, we saved many of the Giant Clan and gave them the Sheng-Sheng Creation Spring and Moon Essence, which earned us the trust of the Giant Clan, allowing us to stay here temporarily. However... the Golden Crow Holy Land should already be suspicious of the Giant Clan."

Ling Hao finished listening and was silent for a moment, tapping his fingertips lightly on the edge of the stone table.

"Eight Tribulation Transcendence [experts] and two Mahayana [experts]. The Golden Crow Saint has certainly spared no expense for your sake."

Nangong Mei gave a light huff, her expression disdainful.

"It's not for our sake. He's more afraid of the Moonshadow Sect reaching into Fusang Province and stabbing him in the back."

Ling Hao thought for a moment and looked around.

"With your strength, you shouldn't fear them, should you?"

Yu Zhaohua was at Void Tempering Great Perfection, with a true combat strength at the Tribulation Transcendence Great Perfection level. Counting the System, Cultivation Technique, Dao principles, and other various bonuses, dealing with a Mahayana Early Stage [expert] head-on was not a problem at all.

Yu Linglong was at the Tribulation Transcendence Early Stage, and by crossing a major Realm, she completely possessed the combat power of the third or fourth layer of the Mahayana Stage. Yu Linglong, Nangong Mei, and Baili Qiao were all at the Void Tempering [stage], and their true strength reached the level of Tribulation Transcendence; within the same Realm, they could be called invincible!

Baili Rou and the few other core True Disciples at the Body Integration Stage were not without the power to fight against the Tribulation Transcendence Stage when they combined their efforts.

If they really faced those eight Tribulation Transcendence and two Mahayana [experts], while the Moonshadow Sect people wouldn't exactly be sweeping them away, they certainly wouldn't be afraid.

Besides, they weren't gathered together all the time.

Yu Linglong covered her mouth and smiled.

"You'll have to ask Revered Master about that."

Ling Hao turned his head to meet Yu Zhaohua's ice-blue eyes.

Yu Zhaohua looked at Ling Hao, her voice clear and light.

"Waiting for you."

Only two words, clean and crisp.

Ling Hao's gaze paused on her face for a moment, and a certain corner of his heart stirred slightly.

Yu Linglong added at the right moment from the side, lazily saying:

"We did want to make a move, but Revered Master said that the Sect Master likely has the intention to destroy the Golden Crow, and we shouldn't do anything that might disrupt the Sect Master's plans for the sake of momentary gratification. We only need to come here to investigate information. So—'Waiting for you.' We just had to obediently wait."

Yu Zhaohua did not respond to her teasing, simply picking up the teacup in front of her, bringing it to her lips, and taking a light sip.

Moonlight fell on her silver-white hair, and that layer of cold luster merged with her pure, clean profile; no expression could be seen.

Ling Hao looked at Yu Zhaohua's profile, suddenly having an indescribable feeling.

Had she, perhaps, quietly developed some feelings that even she herself hadn't noticed?

"Ahem..."

Yue Xinlan coughed lightly opposite him, the sound not loud, but it just happened to interrupt Ling Hao's train of thought.

Ling Hao turned his head and saw Yue Xinlan sitting opposite the stone table holding an empty teacup, her small face tight, not knowing how long she had been sitting there.

Thinking that there might still be an "Eight Kings Rebellion" tonight, and it would be chaotic then, Ling Hao smiled.

"I will have Yu Linglong help you arrange a room first."

As he spoke, he gave Yu Linglong a look.

Yu Linglong understood, got up, and walked toward Yue Xinlan.

Yue Xinlan stood up expressionlessly and followed her through the corridor, disappearing in the direction of the row of pavilions deep in the peach forest.

The night breeze blew through the corridor, lifting a few fallen petals, which spun a few times in the air before falling gently back to the ground.

It was quiet by the stone table for a moment.

When Ling Hao withdrew his gaze, he found that everyone was looking at him.

Under the moonlight, those pairs of eyes were shockingly bright in the night. Yu Lingshuang lowered her eyelids, picked up her teacup, and drank slowly, her expression as usual, showing nothing unusual.

Yu Zhaohua's ice-blue eyes were as calm as a pool.

But the gazes of the others were clearly different.

Nangong Mei leaned against the edge of the stone table, the neckline of her ochre-red gauze dress drooping slightly due to her slightly forward-leaning posture, revealing a patch of snow-white skin and the shadow of that deep cleavage.

Those amorous eyes were half-squinted, the corners of her eyes slightly upturned, like a lazy cat, her gaze burning.

Baili Qiao stood biting her lower lip, her fingertips twisting her cuffs, as if suppressing something.

Yu Lingling kept her head down, but her peripheral vision drifted toward Ling Hao's direction again and again, lingering a second longer each time than the last.

Baili Rou, Zhu Jin, Bai Zhi, and Shu Lan were huddled together in the corridor not far away.

The four of them, with eight eyes, looked over from behind the corridor pillars, the window lattices, and the gaps in the wisteria, their gazes intertwined with nervousness and anticipation.

The atmosphere in the air had quietly changed. The temperature of the moonlight seemed to have risen a few degrees, and the sound of night dew dripping became exceptionally clear.

Yu Lingshuang suddenly put down her teacup and stood up. She glanced at Ling Hao with a smile on her face.

"I'm tired, I'm going back first."

After she finished speaking, she turned and walked toward the pavilion. She had eaten her fill all the way from Cangwu to Fusang; it was time to leave the spot for those who were still hungry.

Nangong Mei stood up from the stone table, her voluptuous figure casting a slender shadow in the moonlight. She walked up to Ling Hao, leaned down, and acted coquettishly.

"Sect Master... tonight..."

"No."

Ling Hao interrupted her, his tone crisp.

Nangong Mei was stunned, blinked twice, and then came back to her senses.

"I haven't finished speaking yet."

Ling Hao looked at her eyes, which had widened slightly in the moonlight, and the corners of her mouth hooked up slightly.

"I naturally know what you want to say."

Nangong Mei's lips pursed slightly, and the lazy amorousness at the corners of her eyes turned into resentment at this moment.

"...Why?"

She swayed her delicate body, waves surging.

"Does Sect Master not like it anymore?"

Baili Qiao and Yu Lingling beside her didn't speak, but their eyes held the same question.

Baili Rou and the others in the distance also held their breath.

Ling Hao's gaze swept across the faces of everyone present, taking in those expressions of resentment or confusion one by one.

"I am already at the Mahayana Fifth Layer Peak. Tonight, I have decided to break through to the Mahayana Sixth Layer."

The resentment in Nangong Mei's eyes was replaced by surprise; she opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Breaking through to the Mahayana Seventh Layer required Immortal Qi. Immortal Qi could generally only be obtained through Immortal Stones. Ling Hao possessed Cangwu and Baiyan provinces, but he had never seen an Immortal Stone to this day.

However, after being promoted to a Grade 8 Sect, the System would reward an Immortal Vein.

And to be promoted to a Grade 8 Sect, one needed to complete the main quest—become the Revered Master of the Three Provinces. And to become the Revered Master of the Three Provinces, one had to first destroy the Golden Crow Holy Land and unify the three provinces.

Although it sounded far away, let's just break through to the Mahayana Sixth Layer first for now.

He smiled and looked at Nangong Mei.

"I just refused you, Elder Nangong, precisely because relying on you alone is probably not enough."

Nangong Mei understood the meaning behind his words, the resentment in her eyes faded, and a glimmer of light emerged.

Ling Hao looked around at everyone.

"Breaking through to the Mahayana Sixth Layer is not an easy task. I need to merge with my Natal Spirit Treasure, the Hunyuan Yin and Yang Pestle, but it has not been refined to the extreme yet. For this, I have practiced a 'Nine Stars Returning to Origin Secret Ritual'—this requires your concerted efforts to help refine it. Of course, it will also be of great benefit to you."

"Are you willing?"

The silence lasted only for a breath.

Nangong Mei was the first to smile, that smile like spring water breaking ice, the amorousness at the corners of her eyes overflowing again.

"Willing to contribute to the Sect Master's Breakthrough."

Baili Qiao also nodded lightly: "I am willing."

Yu Lingling's eyes were bright and clear:

"I am also willing."

In the corridor in the distance, Baili Rou, Zhu Jin, Bai Zhi, and Shu Lan looked at each other, then spoke in unison:

"We are willing to contribute to the Sect Master's Breakthrough!"

Ling Hao looked at them, his gaze sweeping across each face. The moonlight fell on those bright, gentle, or cold faces, reflecting clearly the light dancing in every pair of eyes.

He stood up and gently placed the teacup in his hand on the stone table, making a crisp sound.

"Then let's go."

"But... remember to bathe and cleanse yourself before you come."