The beast-clad youth was filled with regret at the thought of what he had just done, and he slapped himself a few more times.

The slaps seemed to jolt him to his senses.

The next moment, he hurriedly turned around and kowtowed toward the Wind and Cloud Platform, apologizing all the while. "Esteemed lady, this lowly one was blind and failed to recognize your greatness. I have just disrespected you. Please be magnanimous and forgive my transgression. Spare me."

Meng Qing stared at him blankly, her mind a complete void.

When Meng Qing didn’t answer, the beast-clad youth delivered several more slaps to his own face. SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

He had slapped his own face until it was as swollen as a pig’s head.

Meng Qing finally snapped back to reality.

She had been completely stunned.

Just moments before, her heart had been filled with despair, for she had implicated not only Lin Hao, but the Misty Palace as well.

But in the blink of an eye, the tables had turned, and this impossibly arrogant youth was now kneeling before her.

It would have been difficult for Meng Qing not to be dumbfounded.

Now, the youth’s slaps had jolted her awake.

She took a step forward, about to speak.

The youth was certainly detestable, but seeing his utterly miserable state, Meng Qing couldn’t bear it.

But before she could speak, someone else cut in.

"I remember you trying to trade a worthless sword for my sister just now. After insulting her like that, you think a few slaps are enough to settle things?"

The speaker was, of course, Yu Mengru.

"I’ll compensate her! I’ll pay!" the beast-clad youth stammered, frantically pulling items from his storage ring.

Lin Hao strolled over unapologetically and collected everything without even a glance.

"Is that enough now?" the youth asked, staring hopefully at Yu Mengru, looking utterly pitiful.

"Is there nothing left inside?" Yu Mengru asked doubtfully.

"Really, it’s empty."

"Oh, in that case, I suppose that storage ring is useless to you now," Yu Mengru said, her big eyes blinking with a look of pure innocence.

The beast-clad youth stiffened, then reluctantly removed the storage ring.

Lin Hao unapologetically took it.

"Well, my sister’s debt is more or less settled. Now for mine," Yu Mengru said, her words nearly making the youth cough up blood.

"Yours? But I don’t owe you anything!"

"Tonight was my birthday party. You ruined it, and you’re telling me you don’t owe me anything?" The glint in Yu Mengru’s eyes made the beast-clad youth’s heart pound with fear.

He asked feebly, "What do you want?"

Yu Mengru gave a wicked little laugh and pointed at Luo Zhonglou. "Hand over your storage ring."

Luo Zhonglou’s face fell, but seeing the miserable state of the beast-clad youth, how could he dare utter a single word of refusal?

And just like that, Lin Hao had another storage ring in his possession.

Nearby, Song Xinchuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. ’Thank goodness, I still have mine.’

"That should do it, right?" The beast-clad youth also let out a sigh of relief.

"And now, let’s settle the final score." Yu Mengru clapped her hands, a cunning glint in her eyes mixed with a flicker of rage.

Hearing this, the beast-clad youth’s body went limp.

"Those two bastards injured my beloved Master! That debt must be paid as well!"

The beast-clad youth looked toward Song Xinchuan.

Song Xinchuan’s expression flickered through several emotions, but he didn’t move.

"In the eyes of the Jinglian Saint Institute, the five great divine sects are nothing but ants, let alone one of their leaders. You’d better think this through," the beast-clad youth said.

Song Xinchuan’s expression was uglier than ever.

He couldn’t afford to offend the Jinglian Saint Institute. He had thought this was a chance to curry favor with a powerful backer, but who could have predicted this outcome?

His scheme had backfired completely.

Full of resentment, he unwillingly took off his storage ring.

"Now, that has to be enough, right?" the beast-clad youth asked Yu Mengru, breathing another sigh of relief as he watched the ring land in Lin Hao’s hand.

"Hmm..." Yu Mengru mused, remaining silent for a long moment.

The hearts of the beast-clad youth, Luo Zhonglou, and Song Xinchuan all leaped into their throats.

"Alright, that’s about enough. We forgive you." Finally, Yu Mengru clapped her hands, speaking the words that felt like a royal pardon to them.

At that moment, they finally understood. This girl was an absolute Witch.

Luo Zhonglou and Song Xinchuan quickly bent down and helped the youth back to his feet.

However, it seemed their relief was premature.

"You may have gotten past them, but you still have to deal with me," Lin Hao’s cold voice rang out.

THUD!

The youth, who had just been helped to his feet, heard this and dropped to his knees again with a thud.

"You injured Sister Su. Did you really think I’d let you off so easily?" Lin Hao said, his voice ice-cold as he looked at Luo Zhonglou and Song Xinchuan.

Song Xinchuan’s fists clenched. "Lin Hao, don’t push your luck!" he said in a low, dangerous voice.

Who was Song Xinchuan? He was a Sect Leader from one of the five great divine sects, a man who could do as he pleased throughout the entire Cangnan Empire.

But now, not only had his storage ring been taken—a humiliation of the highest order—but Lin Hao was still pushing. He was incandescent with rage.

"I am pushing my luck. What are you going to do about it?" Lin Hao replied with a beaming smile.

Song Xinchuan’s expression flickered, but he took a deep breath and asked, "What is it you want?"

Lin Hao didn’t answer. He simply raised his fist.

Seeing this, Song Xinchuan actually laughed. "If you need to vent, then go ahead and strike. I won’t fight back."

’Lin Hao is only in the Blood Coagulation Realm. Just circulating my Cultivation Technique would be enough to rebound the force and injure him.’

’If I don’t move and he ends up injured, he’ll have no one to blame but himself.’

With this in mind, Song Xinchuan clasped his hands behind his back, a nonchalant expression on his face, though a faint, mocking smile played in his eyes.

Lin Hao mirrored his expression. The corner of his mouth quirked up, and he threw his punch!

The next moment, Song Xinchuan stumbled back several steps before he could regain his footing. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He raised his head and stared at Lin Hao in utter disbelief.

For the life of him, Song Xinchuan couldn’t comprehend how Lin Hao had managed to injure him.

Lin Hao shrugged and turned his gaze to Luo Zhonglou.

Of course, Lin Hao knew the vast difference between the Blood Coagulation Realm and the Soul Gathering Realm, but after inheriting Chu Tiandu’s memories, he had countless ways to deal with an opponent like this.

"No need for you to act. I’ll do it myself."

Luo Zhonglou was decisive. The moment he finished speaking, he struck his own chest with his palm.

PTUI!

A spray of blood erupted from his mouth.

"Sister Su, are you satisfied now?" Lin Hao asked, turning to Su Molixi.

"Stop this nonsense," Su Molixi’s voice was faint, yet tinged with annoyance.

Lin Hao just smiled. ’He could hear the underlying concern in her words.’

"Alright. Since Sister Su isn’t pursuing the matter, you’re safe now." Having vented his anger, Lin Hao knew when to stop and finally relented.

Then, ignoring the others, Lin Hao turned to Meng Qing. "I’m sorry, Sister Meng Qing. I was a step too late."

Meng Qing bit her lip and shook her head with a smile, but tears still streamed down her cheeks.

Nearby, Yu Mengru glanced from Meng Qing to Lin Hao, then suddenly piped up, "Little brother, it’s my birthday today. Where’s my present?"

With that, she held out her hand to Lin Hao.

"What did you call me?" Lin Hao asked, stunned.

"I’m seventeen. How old are you? You should call me Big Sister!"

The corner of Lin Hao’s mouth twitched. He wasn’t even sixteen yet.

"Do you want me to call you that, or do you want a present?" Lin Hao asked, annoyed.

’He had barely interacted with Yu Mengru before, but this girl was incredibly forward. And yet, for some reason, he didn’t mind.’

"You really have a present?" Yu Mengru’s big eyes instantly lit up.

Lin Hao nodded and took out the smaller necklace.

"Wow..."

It seems a woman’s love for jewelry is innate. The necklace Lin Hao presented shimmered with a mesmerizing light, and Yu Mengru fell in love with it at first sight.

"Quick, quick, help your big sister put it on!" Yu Mengru urged, wanting Lin Hao to fasten it for her.

Lin Hao did as he was told.

"Sister, Master, what do you think?" After putting it on, Yu Mengru spun around in front of Meng Qing and Su Molixi like she was showing off a priceless treasure.

Yu Mengru, clad in a colorful dress, had a slender, snow-white neck. The necklace resting upon it was a stunning sight, exceptionally eye-catching.

Combined with her exquisite features, which bore a slight resemblance to Meng Qing’s, she looked like a pixie dancing in the night sky.

Below the Wind and Cloud Platform, the beast-clad youth had been about to sneak away, but when his eyes landed on Yu Mengru’s necklace, he found he couldn’t look away.

His eyes widened, and his breathing grew ragged.

"Miss, try probing the necklace with your spiritual sense!" he called out, walking to the foot of the Wind and Cloud Platform and looking up at her, as if he’d forgotten how terrifying this Little Witch could be.

"And why should I listen to you?" Yu Mengru retorted.

The beast-clad youth’s voice was dry as he said, "That necklace of yours... it might be a Spiritual Artifact."

It was no wonder his voice was dry.

Because even at the Jinglian Saint Institute, you couldn’t find a single Artifact Refiner capable of Refining a necklace into a Spiritual Artifact.

If this necklace truly was a Spiritual Artifact, it would be nothing short of a miracle in the history of Artifact Refining!

’A Spiritual Artifact?’

Hearing those words, Yu Mengru couldn’t be bothered with arguing. She immediately probed the necklace with her spiritual sense.

After a very long moment, she looked up, her big eyes as wide as saucers.

"Am I seeing this right?" she asked Lin Hao in a daze.

Lin Hao smiled and shook his head.

"Miss, what did you see?" the beast-clad youth asked, his curiosity clawing at him.

"Storage spaces... Every single tiny bead on this necklace is a separate storage space," Yu Mengru answered mechanically.

The beast-clad youth’s eyes flew wide.

The beads on that necklace were no bigger than the tip of a pinky finger, and there were dozens of them! For each one to have storage capabilities... it was astounding!

When Refining storage spaces, it was always easier to work with larger objects. Creating one inside something as small as a ring was already considered the pinnacle of the art.

But to do so in these tiny beads was nothing short of a miracle.

"This is perfect! Now I can keep my clothes, toiletries, and pills all stored separately," Yu Mengru said gleefully, stroking the necklace.

"Miss, what about the pendant at the top?" the beast-clad youth asked again. He had a gut feeling that the dazzling Crystal Stone there was the true miracle.

Yu Mengru closed her eyes and, a moment later, snapped them open, her expression one of pure shock.

"I see a large sphere made of countless symbols. They’re all densely interwoven and constantly rotating."

"A Living Artifact!" the beast-clad youth cried out involuntarily.

He once heard an elder from the Saint Institute say that an Artifact Refiner who could inscribe living runes had already glimpsed the Great Dao of Artifacts.

An Artifact Refiner of that caliber hadn’t appeared in a hundred years.

The interwoven, self-rotating symbols in the necklace, while not true living inscriptions, were terrifyingly close.

"Miss, sell me your necklace! No, sell it to our Jinglian Saint Institute! A Tier Two—no, a Tier Three Spiritual Artifact! Just name your price!" the beast-clad youth blurted out, recovering from his shock.

The words sent a shockwave through the crowd.