Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Seeing Lin Hao standing at the entrance, the nearest Alchemy Master didn’t pay him much mind at first. He just glanced over before resuming his alchemy.

But then, the Alchemy Master’s body stiffened. He suddenly turned, bowed with clasped fists, and respectfully called out, "Young Master Lin."

The voice rang out with perfect clarity inside Pill Cloud Hall.

Then, the Heaven-Stepping Sect disciples who had come to help were dumbfounded.

They watched as several Alchemy Masters stopped what they were doing, trotted over to Lin Hao, and bowed in unison with clasped fists, greeting him respectfully.

The disciples exchanged glances, and each saw the same shock in the others’ eyes.

’Just who is this Lin Hao? Why are even the high and mighty Alchemy Masters from the Danling Sect so respectful to him?’

’This makes no sense.’

’Could it be... the only reason they’re so respectful to us is because of Lin Hao?’

The moment the thought surfaced, the more they considered it, the more plausible it seemed. The way they looked at Lin Hao changed.

The disciples dispatched to help at Pill Cloud Hall were naturally sharp-witted. Seeing the Alchemy Masters flock over, they certainly weren’t about to be left behind.

Trotting over, they also bowed with clasped fists and declared in unison with unusually booming voices, "Greetings, Senior Brother!"

Their sheer presence instantly overshadowed that of the Alchemy Masters.

"Just pretend I’m not here. Go on, get back to your work." Even Lin Hao hadn’t anticipated such a scene.

As if granted a great amnesty, the crowd of Alchemy Masters repeatedly agreed.

"How have things been going these last few days?" Lin Hao asked casually upon seeing the Sect Disciples.

The Alchemy Masters, who had been starting to disperse, all froze in place, their full attention suddenly fixed on his question.

"Well..." The disciples didn’t know how to answer.

Over the past few days, several Alchemy Masters had been working as if their lives depended on it. To be honest, the disciples had never seen so many pills before; they had been so busy being shocked that they really couldn’t say for sure just how many had been made.

Their hesitation, however, made the hearts of the Alchemy Masters leap into their throats.

The Alchemy Masters were still counting on receiving more guidance from Lin Hao. If he was unsatisfied with the number of pills they had refined, it would be a disaster.

Sure enough, their worst fears were realized. They heard Lin Hao’s dissatisfied voice ask, "It didn’t meet expectations?"

"My young friends, you’ve all witnessed our efficiency these past few days. Please, tell the truth."

Before the disciples could even answer, several Alchemy Masters had already crowded around them, their faces full of supplication.

They looked as pitiful as could be.

The disciples were utterly dumbfounded.

’Are these really Alchemy Masters?’

’Aren’t Alchemy Masters supposed to be high and mighty figures, so arrogant their noses are in the air?’

In the next moment, someone gave them their answer.

"You all have utterly disgraced our Danling Sect! We are Alchemy Masters! Even the Sect Leaders of the Southern Border Prefecture’s four great sects must treat us as peers! Look at you now, you’ve practically become the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s dogs!"

An Alchemy Master stepped forward, berating the others with a look of profound disappointment.

This Alchemy Master was in his twenties or thirties, the youngest among the group.

Seeing this Alchemy Master speak out, the ones who had benefited from Lin Hao’s help all frowned, but none of them said a word.

This Alchemy Master’s name was Cao Tianguan, and he came from a significant background. His father, Cao Xiong, was a Sect Elder—a figure who could stand on equal footing with Elder Shan Dan.

The day the three Alchemy Masters were killed, Cao Tianguan had been the first to flee. Most of those who ran with him belonged to Cao Xiong’s faction.

Furthermore, they hadn’t been chosen by Master Shan Dan to come to the Heaven-Stepping Sect; they had volunteered.

Their goal, of course, was to fish for some benefits at the Heaven-Stepping Sect to take back with them.

The three Alchemy Masters killed that day had all been Cao Tianguan’s men.

Back in his sect, he was an object of adulation, someone everyone tried to curry favor with. Encountering a scene like that for the first time, he had been terrified into a panicked retreat.

After his escape came frustration, followed by resentment.

Lin Hao had ruined their plans.

He had originally wanted to leave, but Cao Tianguan was simply not willing to let it go.

Ever since the day the three Alchemy Masters were killed, his group had started taking some of the less valuable Spirit Grass from Pill Cloud Hall and secretly pocketing a pill or two from every batch they refined.

But to Cao Tianguan’s surprise, several of the other Alchemy Masters from his sect had turned against him, forcing his subordinates to hand over their ill-gotten gains.

At first, he didn’t understand why, but now, seeing their attitude toward Lin Hao, Cao Tianguan understood everything.

’These Alchemy Masters have been bought by the Heaven-Stepping Sect.’

"This is treason against the sect! When we get back, cruel punishment is what will be waiting for you!" Cao Tianguan said, his face contorted with malice.

The expressions of the Alchemy Masters on Lin Hao’s side all changed.

However, an Alchemy Master immediately stepped forward.

"Cao Tianguan, it’s not your place to say whether we’ve betrayed the sect. Who knows? When we return, perhaps even the Sect Leader himself will come out to welcome us."

The one who spoke was the same Alchemy Master who had been refining the Harmonization Pill; he was the very first to benefit from Lin Hao’s guidance.

Hearing this, the eyes of the other Alchemy Masters lit up.

They could now refine pills of a much higher grade than before—pills whose recipes had long been lost.

If the Sect Leader were to find out, their status and treatment would surely improve.

Having come to this realization, another Alchemy Master stepped forward. "Cao Tianguan, you’ve been acting like a tyrant just because your old man is a Sect Elder. I’ve put up with you for a long time! Keep running your mouth, and see if I don’t slap you!"

"I’ve been sick of him for a long time, too! Pfft! What a piece of work. Without his old man, he’s nothing!"

"It’s one thing to throw your weight around in our own sect, but to come to the Heaven-Stepping Sect and still try to steal Spirit Grass... If you want to talk about disgrace, you’re far more disgraceful than any of us!"

One after another, the Alchemy Masters who had long been oppressed by Cao Tianguan all turned on him, their words like spears.

If not for the fortuitous encounter a few days ago, they would certainly have been wary of Cao Tianguan. But things were different now. What Lin Hao had given them had also given them confidence.

"You... You... All of you!" Cao Tianguan trembled with rage.

He had never imagined that these Alchemy Masters, usually as docile as lambs, would turn on him so ferociously.

Moreover, they had completely disregarded the bonds of fellowship and exposed all of his dirty laundry.

"They’ve rebelled! We’re leaving. Back to the sect. I’d like to see whether it’s a welcoming party or cruel punishment that awaits them when they return!" Cao Tianguan’s face alternated between pale and livid. With a final wave of his hand, he stormed out the door.

He had lost too much face; he couldn’t bear to stay in the Heaven-Stepping Sect a moment longer.

When a flower raised in a greenhouse feels wronged by the outside world, his first thought is always to run back to the safety of his sect.

Lin Hao had been standing at the entrance. Seeing Cao Tianguan approaching, he said nothing and simply stepped aside.

Cao Tianguan, however, stopped beside Lin Hao and said menacingly, "Lin Hao, is it? You’d better hide in the Heaven-Stepping Sect for the rest of your life!"

Lin Hao was the root of all his problems. After being humiliated that day, Cao Tianguan had already written a letter back to the sect calling for reinforcements, but now he saw he couldn’t afford to wait.

In response, Lin Hao merely smiled.

"By the way, where is Master Shan Dan?" Lin Hao paid him no mind and asked one of the Heaven-Stepping Sect disciples.

"The Master has been teaching Senior Brother Wu Kui for the past few days. He isn’t here," a disciple replied.

"You’ve got guts!" His threat had been met with blatant, undisguised contempt. Cao Tianguan’s face twisted into an inhuman mask of rage, but ultimately, he didn’t dare do anything to Lin Hao.

This was the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s territory, after all. Three Alchemy Masters had already died here; he didn’t have the courage to confront Lin Hao directly.

Cao Tianguan’s departure with a few other Alchemy Masters caused not even the slightest ripple.

Just by standing at the entrance for a moment, Lin Hao had been able to tell who was genuinely refining pills and who was just slacking off.

"You have all done well," Lin Hao said with a smile to the remaining Alchemy Masters. "I will suggest to Master Shan Dan that when you return to the sect, you should be formed into an independent group, under the direct authority of the Sect Leader."

They had all witnessed Master Shan Dan’s attitude toward Lin Hao, so they didn’t doubt his words in the slightest.

The thought of the treatment they would receive upon returning to the sect filled the Alchemy Masters with excitement, and they all thanked Lin Hao profusely.

"Alright, you’ve all worked hard. Go and rest for today." Lin Hao needed to refine the Nine Dragon God Refining Pill. This pill was of critical importance, and he didn’t want any third party present.

"You," Lin Hao said, pointing to one of the disciples, "go inform Master Shan Dan and have Junior Brother Wu come to Pill Cloud Hall."

Wu Kui was well-suited for alchemy, and Lin Hao had no intention of keeping the Nine Dragon God Refining Pill a secret from him.

Besides, he had a heaven-defying plan in the works, one that required an Alchemy Master.

Wu Kui had to be nurtured.

By now, whether for the Sect Disciples or the Alchemy Masters of the Danling Sect, Lin Hao’s words were like an imperial edict. None dared to dally, and in no time at all, the hall was completely empty.

Lin Hao stood at the entrance to Pill Cloud Hall, waiting for Wu Kui to arrive. But before Wu Kui appeared, an unexpected group of people did.

BOOM!

All of a sudden, a figure came flying through the air and slammed violently onto the ground in front of Lin Hao.

Lin Hao took one look and recognized the man—it was the same Alchemy Master who had slapped another when he first entered Pill Cloud Hall.

There was no need to ask why, because Lin Hao already knew what had happened.

He saw that Cao Tianguan and his group had returned.

And next to Cao Tianguan stood an old man who hadn’t been there before.

The old man was tall and dressed in Daoist robes. On his chest, a silver Small Tripod insignia was particularly conspicuous.

Seeing this insignia, Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed.

All the Danling Sect Alchemy Masters who had come to the sect wore a similar insignia on their chests, but on theirs, the Small Tripod was yellow.

Among those who had come from the Danling Sect, only one other person had a silver tripod: Master Shan Dan.

In other words, this old man was an elder of the Danling Sect!

And the group of Danling Sect Alchemy Masters, upon seeing this old man, all fell back until they were standing behind Lin Hao.

"Uncle, that’s him! He’s the one who subjected me to endless humiliation! Those three Alchemy Masters also died because of him!" Cao Tianguan pointed a finger at Lin Hao and said viciously.

With someone to back him up, Cao Tiguan immediately became cocky and arrogant again.

"Lin Hao, you didn’t expect this, did you? That I, Cao Tianguan, would be back so soon! Even if you never leave the Heaven-Stepping Sect, I still have ways to deal with you! This time, I’m afraid not even Wu Taichu himself will dare protect you!"

Cao Tianguan gloated, looking at Lin Hao with immense satisfaction.

Lin Hao’s expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn’t heard a word.