Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Threat from Master Twilight Rain

“Uncle Bai, I have to leave now. This time I was simply passing by, and there’s something urgent I must attend to. I promise I’ll visit again another day!” Lin Yanghao certainly had no interest in meddling with the affairs of the White Tiger Sect at the moment; his most pressing task was to find a way to drive that old monster out of his body. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even be able to sleep peacefully at night, and sooner or later, he’d be driven mad.

No matter what Lin Yanghao said, Bai Chen refused to let him go. He insisted that Lin Yanghao stay a few days. Forced into a corner, Lin Yanghao had no choice but to concoct a flawless lie to pacify Bai Chen, and only then was he able to leave.

“Boy, I’ve fulfilled my promise to you, so now you should let me go, shouldn’t you?” As soon as Lin Yanghao stepped outside, the old monster, Master Mu Yu, began clamoring incessantly in his ear. In truth, Lin Yanghao still hadn’t decided whether he should release the old monster. The prospect of living with a ticking time bomb inside him was terrifying, but if he released Mu Yu and the old monster tried to possess him again, what then? This indecision plagued Lin Yanghao.

Steeling himself, Lin Yanghao resolved to destroy Master Mu Yu. That way, he’d be safe and the secret would be kept, killing two birds with one stone. Besides, the old monster was no good person—disposing of him would be a righteous act. The troubles from earlier would vanish with Mu Yu’s demise.

“Ring, oh ring, hurry and help me! Get rid of that old monster,” Lin Yanghao silently pleaded to his ring.

“No! You’re breaking your promise! You’ll die a miserable death!” As soon as Lin Yanghao conveyed his intent to the ring, Master Mu Yu emitted a terrifying, furious roar. Lin Yanghao ignored him, awaiting the old monster’s end.

“You underestimate the power of the Nascent Soul stage, boy! It’s far more than you imagine! Nine Heavens Infant Transformation!” Before Lin Yanghao could react, he felt his blood and energy churn violently; suddenly, flames erupted around him, enveloping him completely.

“Hahaha! Boy, die for me! I’ll make sure you never reincarnate. I’ve burned all my cultivation to break through that barrier. Though my power is gone, it won’t be long before I regain my former glory—perhaps even surpass it.” In a flash, the fiery veil transformed into an infant radiating flames, who spoke to Lin Yanghao with a chilling tone.

This was indeed the old monster, Master Mu Yu. He had used the famed Nine Heavens Infant Transformation technique of the cultivation world, burning away all his cultivation to break through the ring’s barrier. This technique, simply put, was a mutually-destructive art, and it wasn’t guaranteed to succeed every time—otherwise, he would have used it the first time Lin Yanghao trapped him.

Anyone forced to use this technique would be at their wit’s end, gambling their life’s cultivation. Without it, only death awaited. If it succeeded, there was a slim chance of survival, and Mu Yu was lucky enough to pull it off.

Lin Yanghao was left utterly stunned. Was this possible? Could the old monster escape even the constraints of his treasured ring? The next moment, the old monster lunged at him.

Pain, as if his soul were being torn apart, made Lin Yanghao taste the agony of life and death, a torment worse than death itself. Each second dragged on like a year—his suffering could not be more aptly described.

“You too are possessed! This isn’t your original body! You—” A weak voice echoed in Lin Yanghao’s ear, then faded into silence.

It turned out that a body which had already been possessed could not be possessed again, no matter how great the cultivator’s power.

After a long while, when his body felt somewhat better, Lin Yanghao struggled to lift his head and looked around. Not a soul was in sight. Only then did he realize the old monster had failed to possess him. Though he didn’t know the exact reason, the joy of ridding himself of Mu Yu outweighed everything.

The next morning, awakened by birdsong, Lin Yanghao rose and quickly prepared to return home. He had said he’d be back in one or two days, but five days had passed already. Who knew how worried Feng Shihan must be—so Lin Yanghao hurried home.

“What’s happening? Am I still myself? How have my speed and strength improved so much overnight?” Lin Yanghao noticed that both his speed and strength had increased significantly. Reflecting carefully, he could only attribute these changes to his encounter with the old monster and the failed possession.

Returning home, the moment he entered, he saw Feng Shihan holding White Emperor. Feng Shihan looked somewhat haggard, her eyes staring blankly into the distance, a testament to her days and nights of concern for Lin Yanghao.

The White Emperor in her arms was the little creature Lin Yanghao had rescued from the saber-toothed tiger years ago. Its snowy white fur earned it the name White Emperor. Strangely, after all these years, it hadn’t changed at all. Now, the little thing seemed even closer to Feng Shihan than to Lin Yanghao, which made him quite dissatisfied.

“Shihan,” Lin Yanghao called softly, feeling a pang of tenderness at her current state, and silently lamented, “To have a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?”

Feng Shihan, lost in thought, heard her name called in a familiar voice. At first, she thought she was imagining things, but once she turned, she saw a familiar smiling face and tears involuntarily streamed down her cheeks.

Lin Yanghao walked over and gently embraced her. No words were needed; everything was understood. Feng Shihan’s weary face gradually brightened.

Lin Yanghao then recounted his general experiences from the past few days to Feng Shihan, though he said nothing about Master Mu Yu or the attempted possession. He didn’t mention spiritual roots or cultivation realms either, as he himself only had a vague understanding, and it would be hard to explain. When Feng Shihan learned that Lin Yanghao was a cultivator rather than a martial artist, her astonishment was beyond words. To become a cultivator from a martial artist was practically unheard of.