âWhy would you say that he knew Chen Hao well?â asked Luo Ziyan while looking at the giant python as she wiped her tears.
âThatâs because he knew this place very well. No ordinary mortal can break the formation formed by the Dragon Blood Jade that was given to Chen Hao, yet the elder undid it effortlessly. Also, he repeated Chen Haoâs name and the word âsecretâ while examining the Celestial War Godâs remains after he killed me, which to me was proof that he knew Chen Hao well,â explained the giant python. âHe then took the longevity coffin with him after he couldnât find what he wanted, but he overlooked my tremendous spiritual power as a beast who lived for more than ten thousand years. Even though my body has perished, my soul still remains, thus I saw everything!â
Chen Hao frowned in deep thought at its words. The formation was indeed from the Dragon Blood Jade, and no one else knew this place besides grandpa and Mo Canglong. Wait a minute, what about the mysterious man who hadnât shown himself but left a note to lead me to the longevity coffin?
There is no telling if his grandfather and the others are still alive or not due to the trouble at the Holy Water Ritual. As for Mo Canglong, he was long since dead, thus Chen Hao did not even consider him, which left the mysterious man as the sole suspect. Could he be the culprit then?
But this did not make sense, as the mysterious man seemed to have led him to the longevity coffin out of kindness. Chen Hao remembered very well that the mysterious man had given him numerous clues given by the man back when he struggled to solve the mysteries surrounding the League of Sun.
Chen Hao began piecing together the ins and outs of that day. He thought to himself, I found the longevity coffin thanks to the map he gave me in secret, which he insisted I open myself before seeking Grandpaâs help. Because of that, I made a huge leap forward in my cultivation and defeated the Mo Family on behalf of my family. He gave me many hints about Ziyan as well. Did he lead me this far up until now to exploit me or put me in danger? This doesnât make any sense to meâat least for now!
âHao, have you ever met such a hidden master?â asked Luo Ziyan while looking at Chen Hao.
Chen Hao nodded after a brief ponder. âYes, I had. Uncle Qin, my mentor whom I had mentioned before, is one such person.â
After giving it some more thought, he continued, âHe is very powerful, so powerful that Iâm afraid that I wonât even stand a chance against him even with my cultivation base now. To be honest, Iâve never seen his true prowess despite him showing me his abilities every day. I guess that summarizes his abilities pretty well.â
His answer alarmed both Luo Ziyan and Chen Pingan, for no ordinary man would have the ability to make Chen Hao feel uneasy with the strength he had now.
âBut it couldnât be Uncle Qin. He has always been kind to me, having saved my life and taught me his skills. Besides, why would he do that?â
Chen Hao was at his witâs end; he had even assumed Uncle Qin to be the mysterious man who had been helping him in secret, which made him feel very at ease as it had always been whenever Uncle Qin was by his side.
âIt sounds odd to me then. Why would he hide from you now if what youâre saying is true? Besides, if I'm not mistaken, the destruction of your Foundation was somewhat related to him!â said Luo Ziyan after some contemplation.
Chen Haoâs heart ached at her words, and he shook his head. âNo, thereâs no way Uncle Qin would do this to me. I wouldnât believe he's behind all this until I have enough proof to convince myself!â
Just then, Fang Jiannan walked up and pointed at the giant python as she called out, âLook, Chen Hao!
The giant pythonâs soul is fading away!â
Chen Hao looked over immediately and without delay, used his Heaven Abstruse Skills to try to save the glowing mass by wrapping his vital energy around it.
âItâs too late, Hao. My time has come. Donât waste your vital energy for me! Remember what Iâve told youâbe careful, and keep living!â said the giant python.
âNo! I wonât let you die like this!â said Chen Hao as he released more vital energy.
âThank you, Hao. It was a pleasant thing to have met you, a friend in this world who is kind to me and keeps me in your mindâ¦â
With that, the giant pythonâs soul disintegrated into glittering dusts, shimmering like fireflies in the dark before scattering away into nothingness.
Chen Hao clenched his fists, recalling his vow to protect his friends and family from harm. The giant python had helped him the other day despite having met him only once, not to mention now that it had sacrificed its soul just for the sake of telling him that a wicked master had begun making his move; the giant pythonâs sacrifice had ended sadly with its soul disintegrating into nothingness.
Chen Hao trusted the giant python as one of his own, yet he was helpless upon witnessing its death.
Moreover, he was tricked into losing the Celestial War Godâs remains.
Unable to forgive himself, Chen Hao blamed himself so badly that he wished he could give himself some slaps.
âIâm not blaming you, Hao. You have nothing to blame yourself since this is perhaps predestined.
Besides, you have to calm down, for the Stone of Fate has reminded us of the Chen Family apart from the tomb. Since the tomb was broken into, I worry that your family might be ambushed as well. We must hurry to your family!â
Both Chen Hao and Chen Pinganâs hearts skipped a beat upon hearing Luo Ziyanâs words.
âThe Stone of Fate showed the tomb covered in a layer of darkness with an eerie silence, and it was the same with the Chen Family!â
Upon hearing this, Chen Pinganâs eyelids twitched.
âHao, we must hurry back immediately!â
Chen Haoâs heart was in his mouth upon hearing Luo Ziyanâs reminder.
She was right; since this murderer knew him so well, he must have known his family too. Could his family be ambushed as well?
The thought made Chen Hao panic instantly.
At Luo Ziyanâs instructions, Li Ba stayed behind to bury the giant pythonâs remains and to escort Fang Jiannan and the girls back to the Southern Region along the way.
Meanwhile, Chen Hao would go ahead and return to the Chen Familyâs residence with his Uncle and Ziyan.
Now with Chen Haoâs ability, the return trip to the Chen Familyâs residence in the Southern Region would take just a few hours.
Miss Shen, Ziyue, and also Qin Ya, who was recuperating from sickness, should be in the Chen Familyâs residence now. Chen Hao wondered if they were alright.
Although the men from his grandpaâs Soul Palace were guarding the Chen Familyâs residence, if the man, with such terrifying cultivation base that was enough to kill the giant python so easily, planned to do something terrible to the Chen Family, then Chen Hao was worried that no one else in the family could possibly stop him.
âThatâs the island ahead of us!â said Chen Hao as he dashed over with his Uncle and Luo Ziyan.
As his cultivation base was slightly higher than the other two, Chen Hao landed first on the island.
The Chen Family residence now seemed to have lost its usual liveliness; its atmosphere was filled with an eerie silence and there was not a soul in sight on the gigantic island.
Was the Chen Family really ambushed right after the Celestial War Godâs tomb, as shown by the Stone of Fate?
Chen Haoâs heart began pounding heavily; each step forward took him a Herculean effort as he stepped slowly through the front entrance of the Chen Familyâs residenceâ¦