After traveling a distance through the air using Qinggong, Chen Hao, along with Lin Huashan and Yi Ning, landed in a cluster of flowers.

The moment their feet touched the ground, Yi Ning suddenly let go of Chen Hao's hand and walked off to one side, her expression full of hatred.

"Chen Hao, what exactly happened?" Lin Huashan asked with concern, "And who was that woman you were carrying on your shoulder?"

"The night before last, you were captured by the Dust King, and he forced me to work for him to exact his revenge," Chen Hao explained.

"Revenge?" Lin Huashan was quite surprised.

Chen Hao nodded indifferently and then recounted the story of Chen Ji, the Dust King.

Coincidentally, just as he finished speaking, a low, ripping cry drifted down from the mountain that had been transformed by the Dust King Chen Ji.

"It's the Dust King crying," Chen Hao said sympathetically. "He must have learned from Yingji that his son had perished long ago."

"Boom!" The mountain began to tremble again, allowing Chen Hao to feel Chen Ji's overwhelming anger and sorrow.

Once the mountain had returned to tranquility, Lin Huashan asked, "Chen Hao, do you think the Dust King will kill Yingji?"

"If it were you, could you bring yourself to kill someone you once loved deeply, after they betrayed you?" Chen Hao countered.

"I don't know; I've never loved anyone," Lin Huashan said with a slight blush, "But if it were you, I definitely couldn't bear to kill you."

Hearing Lin Huashan speak in such a manner, Chen Hao was taken aback, unsure of how to continue the conversation.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

It was only after some time that Chen Hao finally said, "We should go back now, and let the Dust King send us to the Netherworld."

"Yes!" Lin Huashan nodded.

...

...

Chen Hao, Lin Huashan, and Yi Ning returned to the mountain formed from the Dust King's corpse.

As Chen Hao had expected, Yingji was not dead. She was kneeling under a tree, her head bowed as if atoning for her sins.

"Dust King, you should keep your promise to let us return to the Netherworld," Chen Hao called out loudly to the mountaintop.

"All right!" The voice of the Dust King sounded, clear and straightforward.

At that moment, a dazzling golden light appeared before Chen Hao.

The light was so bright that Chen Hao had to squint his eyes.

When he could see clearly again, the light was already close at hand.

It was the Sword of Dust!

Chen Hao suddenly remembered the Dust King had said that if he avenged him, he would bestow the Sword of Dust upon him.

After hesitating briefly, Chen Hao reached out and took the Sword of Dust.

"This is the Sword of Dust with its seal removed!" the Dust King declared, "It's very different from when you fought that traitor with it."

The traitor referred to by the Dust King was King Mieji. When Chen Hao had dueled King Mieji, the Sword of Dust in King Mieji's hands was still sealed.

The moment he grasped the Sword of Dust, Chen Hao could feel the terrifying power latent within it, confirming what the Dust King had said.

"So, how do I leave the Dust Realm?" Chen Hao inquired. Clearly, he wasn't very interested in the Sword of Dust.

"Didn't I give you the Dust King Ring? First, put on the Dust King Ring, then use the Sword of Dust to draw a line across the sky."

Chen Hao's brow furrowed slightly, feeling somewhat skeptical: Was the method of leaving the Dust Realm really this simple?

Nevertheless, he did as the Dust King had said.

He could not find a reason why the Dust King would deceive him.

However, the moment he put on the Dust King Ring, his face turned deathly pale, and he was in extreme pain.

He felt his Yin Soul trembling violently as if struck by a thunderous lightning, nearly losing consciousness.

Seeing Chen Hao sway slightly, looking vulnerable as a willow in the wind, Lin Huashan quickly supported Chen Hao's arm and asked anxiously, "Chen Hao, what's wrong with you?"

Chen Hao kept his eyes closed, his body shivering violently.

After a long time, he covered his chest, his voice weak, "It feels terrible, that ring is cursed."

"Hahaha!" The Dust King's laughter boomed, "That's right, this ring is indeed cursed!"

"You, you, you!" Lin Huashan was both angry and anxious, "How dishonorable! No wonder your wife betrayed you!"

"Silence!" The Dust King roared with fury.

Chen Hao looked at Lin Huashan and shook his head slightly.

Lin Huashan snorted, her face flushed with anger, "Is this how you repay a kindness?"

"I have not broken my word, I will let you go," said the Dust King, "But first, you need to do something for me. I promise you, as soon as the task is completed, I will definitely let you go."

"What if it's something I can't do?" Chen Hao asked slowly, his voice as light as the surrounding wind.

"If you can't do it, your Yin Soul will be sucked into the Dust King Ring and will vanish along with its disintegration!" the Dust King declared, "Don't think I don't know about the ancient enchantment on your left eye. But even if the enchantment is powerful, it cannot stop the Dust King Ring from draining your Yin Soul!"

"Tell me, what else do you want me to do for you?"

"Within three days, you must kill all the members of the Dust Tribe and unleash the power of the Sword of Dust to destroy all the towns! Remember, you have only three days!"

Hearing this, Chen Hao was utterly despondent. Killing Chen Yu wouldn't be difficult for him, but he could never bring himself to harm innocent civilians.

"Don't bother giving me three days, just kill me now," Chen Hao said composedly.

"There's no need to reply hastily, take some time to think it over, you may change your mind soon. I'll reiterate, you only have three days."

...

...

The night was deep.

The firewood crackled fiercely in the flames, illuminating the faces of Chen Hao, Lin Huashan, and Yi Ning as they sat around the fire.

Young and still showing signs of naiveté on their faces, their expressions couldn't be more different: Yi Ning was expressionless, Chen Hao had a slight frown, and Lin Huashan was extremely anxious.

Just moments before, Chen Hao had tried every method, but he could not remove the Dust King Ring from his right hand. Whether he chopped off the hand and buried it deep in the earth or tried to draw it into the Nether Acupoint.

The Dust King Ring and the hand would grow back again.

The Dust King Ring was bound to his Yin Soul!

After a long silence, Lin Huashan looked at Chen Hao with tears in her eyes and said, "Chen Hao, please, go kill all the members of the Dust Tribe, won't you?"

With that, Lin Huashan's tears fell.

"Silly girl," Chen Hao replied with a slight smile, as he reached out to wipe away Lin Huashan's tears, "You have such a kind heart; it's too hard for you to say such things for my sake."

"But I just don't want you to die!" Lin Huashan became even more distressed, "Why aren't you worried at all? Don't you fear death in the least?"

"Actually, I am very afraid of dying!" Chen Hao said, looking profoundly sorrowful, "I once promised a girl that I would be with her for eternity. So I have always been afraid of dying—I'm scared that without me, she'll be left alone in this world with no one to care for her, love her, and cherish her as I do."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.