Just as the silver-armored General had said, Elder Gu truly did not dare to use the Demon Saber.

Although he had never used this Tier Four Spiritual Artifact before, he could sense its malevolent nature.

Right now, for instance, it seemed to sense the killing intent in Elder Gu’s heart and was showing signs of going out of control.

Hearing the General’s count reach four as he raised one hand high, veins bulged on Elder Gu’s hand gripping the Demon Saber, and his body began to tremble.

The Heaven-Stepping Sect had a legacy of ten thousand years, a lineage of an Emperor Venerable. Elder Gu could not let the sect be destroyed at his own hands.

"Wait!" Hearing the General reach the count of three, Elder Gu shouted to stop him.

The silver-armored General’s entire face, save for his eyes and lips, was hidden within his helmet. At this moment, his pair of icy eyes glinted with a cold light.

Hearing this, he said coldly, "Have you seen reason?"

"To be perfectly honest, Lin Hao is not in the sect. Not only is he absent, but our Sect Leader is also away on business. You can wait a few days for this matter concerning Lin Hao."

"Hahaha, you are laughably naive. Lin Hao entered the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s territory a day ago. At his speed, he would have arrived long ago. One simple question: are you handing him over or not!" The General’s voice was steeped in chilling killing intent.

Elder Gu was stunned for a moment, then a flash of joy in his eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Then, he suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "Every word I’ve said is true. How about this? This Spiritual Artifact in my hand is a Tier Four Spiritual Artifact. I will offer it as collateral. When the Sect Leader returns, I will surely give you a satisfactory explanation."

Elder Gu’s gambit could very well end up losing him everything, but he was certainly afraid.

Because Lin Hao could control this Tier Four Spiritual Artifact; Elder Gu had seen it with his own eyes. Once the Spiritual Artifact was in the enemy’s hands, the moment Lin Hao appeared, it might just become their Life-Extending Talisman.

The temptation of a Tier Four Spiritual Artifact was simply too great. The silver-armored General’s eyes burned with greed as he shot a look at the adjutant beside him.

The adjutant was initially overjoyed, but he suddenly froze after taking a few steps.

’What if I go over there and that old man takes me hostage? Wouldn’t I be dead for sure?’

However, his worry was unnecessary. Before he could move, Elder Gu had already tossed the Demon Saber. The saber plunged into the ground right in front of the adjutant, leaving only the hilt exposed.

Before the Demon Saber, the hard rock was like tofu.

The adjutant breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to pull out the saber. His hand shot out quickly, but it recoiled even faster.

Aaaargh!

With a blood-curdling scream, he clutched his hand and scrambled backward.

His right hand was a mess of torn flesh and dripping blood.

Clearly, he had been injured by the Demon Saber.

"You old bastard, you deserve to die!" the adjutant roared in fury.

"How could a Tier Four Spiritual Artifact be touched by the likes of you? Don’t get greedy if your cultivation is insufficient," Elder Gu’s voice was calm and unruffled.

Upon hearing Elder Gu’s words, the adjutant dropped to his knees with a THUD before the silver-armored General and said, "Sir, this old bastard is trying to sow discord! This subordinate would never dare."

"I know you don’t have the guts. Find a few men and guard the Spiritual Artifact," the silver-armored General’s voice rang out, showing no hint of anything unusual.

The adjutant thanked him repeatedly, then quickly selected some soldiers. Before long, they had completely surrounded the Demon Saber.

"For its sake, I will give you ten more breaths of time," the silver-armored General said, a smirk playing on his lips.

"You!" Elder Gu never imagined the military officer could be so shameless. He was so angry his beard bristled and his eyes went wide.

The silver-armored General spoke again, his voice cold. "Remember, you won’t get a second chance. If I don’t see Lin Hao in ten breaths, I will flatten your Heaven-Stepping Sect!"

"Who wants to flatten the Heaven-Stepping Sect?" Just then, a lazy voice drawled.

Elder Gu’s eyes lit up, and he immediately turned his head.

He saw the figures of Wu Taichu and Lin Hao appear at the main gate.

The one who would speak in such a manner could only be Lin Hao.

Seeing Lin Hao appear, Elder Gu let out a huge sigh of relief in his heart.

After everything that had happened, Elder Gu had the distinct feeling that no matter how great the crisis, as long as Lin Hao was here, nothing was a problem.

"Lin Hao, you’ve finally shown yourself. You have no respect for the law and look down upon the imperial royal family. The Monarch has given the order to take you to the Imperial City." The silver-armored General guessed his identity the moment Lin Hao appeared and immediately spoke.

Lin Hao didn’t answer him. Instead, he asked Elder Gu, "Elder Gu, who is that thing that doesn’t dare show its face?"

"I don’t know what kind of thing it is, but it’s definitely not a good thing," Elder Gu replied with a smile.

The silver-armored General’s eyes gleamed with fury as he roared, "Fire the cannons! Flatten the Heaven-Stepping Sect!"

Elder Gu’s expression changed drastically. Wu Taichu’s expression also flickered, and he couldn’t help but clench his fists.

Only Lin Hao’s gaze remained normal, a hint of a smile even appearing on his lips.

RUMBLE!

Over a hundred Divine Might Cannons fired in unison. Cannonballs blotted out the sky as they rained down on every part of the Heaven-Stepping Sect.

Only then did the silver-armored General remove his helmet, revealing a young face.

He looked at Lin Hao’s group of three, his face wreathed in smiles. He said, "Today, the Heaven-Stepping Sect, with its ten-thousand-year legacy, will be erased from existence by my hand. Remember my name. I am Hu Ding’an, an Imperial Guard of the Monarch."

In this situation, Hu Ding’an couldn’t help but be excited.

A sect with a ten-thousand-year legacy being erased by his hand—his name was destined to shake the world.

However, the smile on his face didn’t last long before it froze.

The expected explosions never came.

The cannonballs fell into the Heaven-Stepping Sect like stones sinking into the ocean, completely silent.

Hu Ding’an’s expression changed. He ordered again, "Fire again!"

Another round of bombardment began.

The result was the same.

Lin Hao watched with a faint smile.

Wu Taichu unclenched his fists.

Elder Gu looked at Lin Hao, his eyes filled with surprise, admiration, and confusion.

He had personally experienced the power of these cannonballs. Even when he tried to catch one with a hand of True Essence, it exploded. How could this be happening now with a full barrage?

Elder Gu couldn’t understand why the cannonballs were vanishing without a trace.

As for his opponent, Hu Ding’an was even more horrified.

He knew the power of these cannonballs better than anyone. A single one was enough to level a mountain peak.

Forty years ago, Cang Yan of the Heaven-Stepping Sect had slapped the Monarch in Jinluan Hall, an act the imperial royal family regarded as a deep humiliation.

But back then, Cang Yan was still around. The royal family feared him, so they didn’t dare to act rashly.

In secret, the royal family had been searching for a way to eradicate the Heaven-Stepping Sect, which eventually led to the creation of these cannonballs.

The value of each cannonball was immeasurable. Even the royal family had spent thirty years of effort to gather a hundred of them.

Of course, not all of the hundred-plus Divine Might Cannons here were loaded with such ammunition, but after three consecutive bombardments, all one hundred of those special cannonballs had been fired into the Heaven-Stepping Sect.

And yet, the Heaven-Stepping Sect remained eerily quiet, as if no cannonballs had ever fallen.

The soldiers Hu Ding’an had brought exchanged glances, their faces filled with confusion and terror. This Heaven-Stepping Sect was too bizarre.

At this moment, Lin Hao’s voice rang out again. "Are you done firing? If so, it’s our turn!"

As soon as Lin Hao’s words fell, Hu Ding’an turned to look, and his face changed drastically.

Behind them, countless disciples of the Heaven-Stepping Sect had appeared at some unknown time.

The disciples stared at them like tigers eyeing their prey, their gazes filled with undisguised killing intent.

"For daring to run wild in the Heaven-Stepping Sect, kill without mercy!" Lin Hao’s words echoed across the land.

"Kill!" The countless Heaven-Stepping Sect disciples roared in unison, their war cries shaking the heavens.

At the main gate of the Heaven-Stepping Sect, Elder Gu’s figure flickered as he lunged for Hu Ding’an.

Just then, a terrifying fluctuation suddenly rippled through the air. A massive hand blotted out the sky as it reached for Lin Hao.

"Go back!" Wu Taichu took a step forward, and a brilliant light from his hand slashed toward the void.

Under this slash, a long, narrow fissure appeared in the void, as if space itself had been severed.

The massive hand was instantly annihilated, and at the same time, a muffled groan was heard from the sky.

Below, the Demon Saber was back in Elder Gu’s hand, and Hu Ding’an had been captured by him.

"Let me go! I am from the Hu family of Imperial City!" Even as a prisoner, Hu Ding’an showed no awareness of his predicament and continued to shout.

"The Hu family, one of the Four Great Families?" Lin Hao asked with a grin.

Hu Ding’an said proudly, "That’s right! Not only is the Hu family one of the Four Great Families, but the Empress herself is a lady from our house. If you dare touch me, your sect and your family will be annihilated."

"Elder Gu, he talks too much. Silence him," Lin Hao said coolly, his eyes turning cold.

Threats would only make him die faster.

"Stop!" Just then, a voice rang out from the sky.

Elder Gu’s hand was actually stopped by this voice.

A powerful martial expert had arrived. Or rather, they had been there all along.

As the voice faded, two old men appeared together.

They were elders of the Hu family, sent to escort the cannonballs.

To them, the lives of the others were insignificant, but Hu Ding’an was, after all, a member of the Hu family. He could not be allowed to die here.

"Hand him over to us, and we promise to leave the Heaven-Stepping Sect immediately," one of the two elders said.

Lin Hao gave a cold smile.

’They’ve run rampant in the Heaven-Stepping Sect for so long, and now that Hu Ding’an is a prisoner, they still speak like this? Do they really think they’re so high and mighty that no one would dare touch them?’

"Old man, did you enjoy that little taste just now?" Lin Hao’s observation was sharp; he noticed blood dripping from one of the elder’s hands and asked mockingly.

Clearly, Wu Taichu’s attack just now had injured him.

The elder’s face changed color.

Then, Lin Hao’s voice abruptly turned cold. "Elder Gu, slaughter Hu Ding’an. Master, they’re all yours."

The sound of a dragon’s roar echoed from Wu Taichu’s hands.

The two Hu family elders were aghast. They abandoned all thought of Hu Ding’an and retreated in panic.

Their cultivation levels were higher than Wu Taichu’s, but right now, they didn’t dare to face his might, because Wu Taichu was holding a Spiritual Artifact—and a Tier Four Spiritual Artifact at that.

Elder Gu lashed out with his hand, and Hu Ding’an’s head was torn from his shoulders and grabbed.

Seeing this, the two hastily retreating Hu family elders’ eyes nearly burst from their sockets. They roared repeatedly, "Lin Hao, the Hu family will hunt you to the ends of the earth! And the Monarch will not spare you either!"

Lin Hao smiled faintly, grabbed Hu Ding’an’s head, and threw it in the direction the two elders were fleeing. "Take this back with you, and send my regards to the Hu family’s Patriarch and that bullshit Monarch!"

Lin Hao had openly challenged the Hu family, one of the Four Great Families, and the imperial royal family.

After this battle, Lin Hao’s name once again spread throughout Cangnan.

It was like a fierce gale sweeping across the land.

Lin Hao’s fame shook the world.