This scene felt hauntingly familiar to Chen Hao. He remembered the King Mieji who had died by his hand several months earlier on the Soul Severing Mountain in the mortal world.

King Mieji's body was just like the tree before him, turning to dust whenever a part of it detached from the main body.

Thinking of the weapon used by the Dark Law King, the Sword of Dust, and certain matters regarding the Dark Law King, Chen Hao said, "This could very well be the Dust Realm!"

"The Dust Realm!" Hearing Chen Hao say this, Lin Huashan was shocked. Although she had arrived in the Netherworld less than a year ago from the sealed scroll's world, in fact, she had learned much about the Netherworld from her mother.

This was also the reason she had been in secret contact with Qian Feng, involving a secret about her mother and Qian Feng.

Of course, it also pertained to the ancient city.

Seeing that Lin Huashan did not appear confused, Chen Hao looked at her doubtfully and asked, "Huashan, have you also heard of the Dust Realm?"

Lin Huashan paused for a moment, then her eyes suddenly widened. While shaking her head, she hurriedly replied, "I've heard of it. People from the Zhao Residence have spoken about the Dust Realm and the stories of the Dust Tribe."

"Oh!" Chen Hao nodded slightly. Upon hearing Lin Huashan's mention of the Zhao Residence, he remembered that he had many questions to ask her.

The very first question he wished to ask was whether what the bald chef from the Zhao Residence said was true? Had Zhao Chong lied to him at that time?

"Huashan, I have many questions I'd like to ask you."

"I also have much I want to tell you!" Lin Huashan said.

"Two months ago, on the day Zhao Chong left Netherworld City with the Zhao Residence, did he take you with him when he left?"

Lin Huashan nodded: "He did. I came to find you precisely to tell you about this. That night we left Netherworld City, Zhao Chong arrived at the Great River Wetlands with a masked woman who caught up with us. Later, Zhao Chong said he wanted to go to the mortal world to find you, and then I was knocked out by that woman wearing the mask. When I woke up, I was taken by the Zhou Family to the Soul Severing Mountain where I was imprisoned until I escaped yesterday."

"A woman wearing a mask?" Chen Hao's heart jolted, suddenly filled with puzzles and suspicions.

He remembered the woman who turned into a fiery bird that King Nanlin had told him about. When he was captured by King Nanlin in the Netherworld, it was that woman who saved him, preserving the Nether King's Heart above his left eye.

He wondered if the woman Lin Huashan spoke of was the same mysterious woman who had saved him.

If that was indeed the case, then the mysterious woman was his lifesaver. Why then had Zhao Chong never told him and Ye Yuqiao about this mysterious woman?

Moreover, by knocking Lin Huashan unconscious when Zhao Chong went to the mortal world to find him and Ye Yuqiao, it appeared evident that she didn't want him and Yuqiao to meet the mysterious woman.

So, who was this woman really? The more Chen Hao thought about it, the more suspicious and dreadful it seemed. It was as if both he and Ye Yuqiao had fallen into a conspiracy woven by Zhao Chong and the mysterious woman, becoming mere pawns in their game.

"Chen Hao, I've made another discovery, though it's just a conjecture," Lin Huashan spoke, "I feel that the woman wearing the mask is very much like someone."

At that moment, an image flashed through Lin Huashan's mind – the masked person lifting off her mask to reveal the beautiful face of Ye Yuqiao.

To her, the feeling given off by that woman was too similar to Ye Yuqiao's.

"Like whom?" Chen Hao asked.

Just as Lin Huashan was about to answer, at that moment, a piercing scream came from the nearby woods.

Suddenly, Lin Huashan's expression changed to one of shock, and the words she was about to say were swallowed back as she and Chen Hao turned to look in the direction of the scream.

Chen Hao had already activated his Nether Vision in his left eye. His gaze cut through the trees of the Dust Realm to see several dozen soldiers encircling Yi Ning at the base of a tree.

"Who are you? Why are you capturing me?" Yi Ning said as she backed away, bumping into the tree trunk. There was no escape, no retreat. In her tear-filled eyes, Chen Hao saw boundless fear.

"Are you the one who stormed into the Netherworld?" a commanding officer among the soldiers asked, "How did you break in?"

"I don't know!" Yi Ning shook her head repeatedly.

"Humph, you won't talk, huh? We will catch you and interrogate you thoroughly. Rest assured, I have hundreds of ways to make you talk!" the officer sneered with a malicious smile.

Chen Hao deactivated the Nether Vision Technique in his left eye, wondering how Yi Ning got in too. He took hold of Lin Huashan and dashed forward to rescue her like a shooting star.

Soon after, he arrived in front of Yi Ning.

Seeing Chen Hao and Lin Huashan suddenly appear before her like a gust of wind, the commanding officer and the dozens of soldiers were all startled, taking a step back.

"Chen Hao!" Yi Ning exclaimed. Although she only saw his back, she recognized him instantly.

"Two more people!" the officer exclaimed in shock, then muttered to himself in a low voice, "I need to capture them quickly, then go back and report this to the Nether King."

"Capture all three of them!" the officer ordered loudly.

Chen Hao pulled Lin Huashan back a few steps to stand beside Yi Ning and said, "Aside from the three of us, there's one more person, a very powerful one. I suggest you don't capture us; otherwise, when that person comes to rescue us, I will make sure he kills every single one of you!"

The person Chen Hao referred to was King Nanlin. He said this deliberately as a reverse psychology to provoke those from the Dust Realm to confront King Nanlin.

"Pah!" the officer swore loudly, "Don't you see where you are? You dare to threaten us. He's very powerful, is he? Once we have captured the three of you, I..."

Before he could finish, suddenly, Chen Hao sprayed a dazzling purple Nether Eye's Fire at him and the surrounding soldiers.

Startled once again, the officer and his men retreated several steps.

By the time the Nether Eye's Fire faded, Chen Hao had already disappeared with Lin Huashan and Yi Ning from their sight.

"Gone, but you won't escape!" the officer gasped for air and said while frantically looking around, "You all, go after them!"

...

...

A quarter of an hour later.

In the depths of the forest.

"Let go of me!" Yi Ning angrily shook off Chen Hao's hand, "Who asked you to save me?"

Chen Hao immediately let go of Yi Ning's hand.

Suddenly, Yi Ning drew a knife from her bosom and stabbed towards Chen Hao's chest.

Chen Hao reacted quickly, instantly retreating several meters with Lin Huashan.

"Such ingratitude!" Lin Huashan scolded angrily, "If it weren't for Chen Hao's kind intentions to save you, you would have been taken away by those people!"

"I don't need his help, I don't!" Yi Ning said loudly, her voice hoarse.

"Then go back on your own now, you wanted to..."

"Shh!" Chen Hao interrupted Lin Huashan, as he seemed to hear a strange noise.

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