Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

BOOM!

Furious, Lin Hao unleashed a strike with the full force of his Ninth Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm cultivation. The attack was truly earth-shattering.

His fist slammed into the Blood-Eyed Demon Ape, and the cataclysmic impact shook the very ground.

However, in the next instant, Lin Hao shot backward.

The blow hadn’t harmed the Blood-Eyed Demon Ape in the slightest.

But Lin Hao didn’t give up.

His body moved like lightning, constantly weaving around the Blood-Eyed Demon Ape. At the same time, Lin Hao threw a relentless barrage of punches, searching for the Demon Ape’s weak point.

However, it was to no avail.

Though uninjured by the heavy blows, the Demon Ape’s savage nature had been thoroughly provoked by Lin Hao.

"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!"

Its furious roars shook the entire secret realm.

Lin Hao was prepared; he had already sealed his Sixth Sense.

As a result, his movements were no longer affected.

"I refuse to believe I can’t handle a beast like you!" Lin Hao snorted.

He had his Body Technique, and the Demon Ape couldn’t even track his movements. It was destined to be nothing more than a punching bag.

However, Lin Hao soon discovered he was wrong. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

BOOM!

Suddenly, a torrent of incredibly scorching flame erupted from the Demon Ape’s mouth.

The flames shimmered with a dazzling array of colors, a surprisingly beautiful sight.

Lin Hao barely dodged. Seeing the flames, he couldn’t help but cry out in shock, "Flowing Light Divine Flame!"

The flame looked exactly like the legendary Alchemy Anomalous Flame, the Flowing Light Divine Flame, from his memories.

Before Lin Hao had time to think, the Demon Ape spewed fire again.

The flames it spewed didn’t dissipate. Before long, the entire area was engulfed in a dazzling, multicolored sea of fire.

As beautiful as it was, Lin Hao was in agony.

By all rights, Lin Hao, who had tempered his body with the sun and moon to the point of forming a protective aura, should have been fearless of these flames.

But that wasn’t the case. Within the flames, he could actually feel a searing, stabbing pain prickling his body.

This was completely beyond Lin Hao’s expectations.

Without another thought, Lin Hao could only circulate the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill at full power, his body beginning to glow as he fought against the flames.

Then, Lin Hao noticed that around the Demon Ape’s blood-red eyes, a halo was shining brightly.

Sensing danger, Lin Hao retreated at top speed.

The Demon Ape’s speed suddenly surged, and it actually caught up to Lin Hao.

Then, it swiped at Lin Hao with both its front claws simultaneously.

As Lin Hao retreated again, something shocking happened.

The Demon Ape’s claws shockingly morphed into fists, which then suddenly elongated and viciously slammed into Lin Hao’s chest.

SPURT!

Lin Hao’s body was sent flying backward like a kite with a snapped string, spraying a fine mist of blood into the air.

The Demon Ape opened its mouth and inhaled. The mist of blood coalesced into a ball and was instantly sucked into its maw.

Then, the Demon Ape’s eyes narrowed, its face showing a surprisingly blissful expression.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

By the time it had done all this, it was already looming over Lin Hao.

Then, it stomped its foot down!

The Demon Ape’s body was like a mountain. If that stomp landed true, Lin Hao would be severely injured, if not killed outright.

In his haste, Lin Hao managed a desperate roll, barely dodging the fatal blow.

BOOM!

The foot stomped the ground, making the very earth rumble.

At the moment of crisis, an unimaginable power erupted from within Lin Hao’s body. After the roll, he slammed his hands on the ground and shot backward.

When Lin Hao got to his feet again, he felt as if his entire body was about to fall apart.

"Damn it!"

Cursing, Lin Hao’s expression became extremely grave.

This Demon Ape already knew how to cultivate, and its intelligence was frighteningly high.

It clearly possessed speed on par with his own, yet it had held back patiently, only to deliver a devastating blow the moment Lin Hao let his guard down.

’How terrifying!’

This was, without a doubt, the strongest opponent Lin Hao had ever faced.

It wasn’t a human Martial Artist, but it was far more difficult to handle.

So far, Lin Hao had discovered it had almost no weak points, and the toughness of its body surpassed his imagination.

Even more terrifying, it could actually match his speed.

Before Lin Hao could give it more thought, the Demon Ape attacked again.

The nine-colored halo on its forehead grew brighter, and the Demon Ape’s massive body moved with surprising agility.

Every lift of its claw, every stomp of its foot, seemed to carry the faint air of a martial arts Grandmaster.

Lin Hao was in deep trouble.

He discovered that whenever the nine-colored halo on the Demon Ape’s forehead lit up, all of his attacks were completely neutralized.

SPURT!

Lin Hao took another blow, the impact breaking his bones and sending him flying into the distance.

The threat of death loomed over Lin Hao.

’It’s so terrifying!’

Horrified, Lin Hao frantically circulated the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill to heal his internal injuries.

Suddenly, Lin Hao froze.

The Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill corresponded to the Blood Coagulation Realm. Since he was at the Ninth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, he should have, by all rights, mastered the highest level of the technique—the Ninth Layer.

But at that moment, Lin Hao realized his Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill was only at the Eighth Layer.

He had always been so focused on advancing his realm that he had completely overlooked this fact.

Now, facing his strongest opponent and in desperate need of his Cultivation Technique to heal, he had finally discovered, upon circulating it, that there was one more layer.

In the past, Lin Hao’s primary focus had always been on increasing his cultivation level; even the most powerful Cultivation Technique was merely a tool to that end.

He cultivated his realm, not the technique itself.

And so, he had overlooked the most important thing.

’What would happen if I focused on the technique instead of the realm?’

Suddenly, Lin Hao’s mouth went dry with anticipation.

Prioritizing the technique over the realm... it meant the realm itself could be extended!

He was currently at the Ninth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm. If he could extend that realm, then...

’Could it be that the Ninth Layer isn’t the true limit of the Blood Coagulation Realm? Could there be... a Tenth Layer?!’

Nine was the ultimate number, a number of heavenly destiny.

That was why there were nine realms for a Martial Artist, and nine layers within each realm.

This was an immutable, ancient truth.

To surpass the Ninth Layer of a realm—only someone like Lin Hao would dare to have such a thought, let alone entertain it.

It was no exaggeration to say that even if Lin Hao failed, this thought alone was enough to shake the annals of history!

And that thought exploded in Lin Hao’s mind like a great bell, a sudden awakening.

In that instant, Lin Hao felt a sudden rush of clarity, as if some long-held shackle in his mind had been broken.

His mind soared beyond his realm, and his thoughts instantly leaped free from the cage of martial arts!

The sky is vast enough for any bird to fly; the sea is wide enough for any fish to leap!

Lin Hao completely forgot his predicament, completely forgot his own Martial Arts Realm, as he began to circulate the Ninth Layer of the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill.

In that instant, Lin Hao’s broken bones snapped back into place. Then, his sinews, bones, skin, and even his internal organs began to thrum with power.

At the same time, even the flames spewed by the Demon Ape were drawn toward him, converging above his head before being absorbed and refined!

A strange aura formed around Lin Hao’s body, one that faintly pulsed with the might of a thousand thunderbolts, an imposing presence capable of crushing all of existence.

At this moment, the world around them also began to change.

The earth began to rumble, the sound growing louder and louder, until the ground suddenly caved in without any warning.

A wave of scorching heat surged forth as a brilliant beam of light shot toward the heavens.

A flash of ecstasy appeared in the Blood-Eyed Demon Ape’s eyes, but upon seeing Lin Hao, that ecstasy morphed into deep apprehension.

Then, the nine-colored halo on its forehead became blindingly brilliant as it lunged at Lin Hao like a bolt of lightning.

It had been born in this secret realm and had developed its Spiritual Sense far earlier than other Devil Beasts. Moreover, it was the sole survivor in this central region; its combat instincts were even more terrifying than Lin Hao’s.

Realizing that the man before it was about to become a major threat, the Blood-Eyed Demon Ape prepared to unleash its strongest attack.

The nine-colored halo on its forehead shone with unparalleled brilliance, then that light actually spread, flowing all the way down to its right front claw.

The claw, which already glinted with a cold light, now looked as if it were wearing a dazzling gauntlet.

Though beautiful, it radiated a suffocating aura. Its claw seemed to have transformed into the hand of Death itself.

Poised to snuff out all of creation!

This hand of Death shot toward Lin Hao’s chest, faster than a bolt of lightning.

SCHLICK!

The hand of Death struck Lin Hao’s chest, sinking in without the slightest effort.

The tremendous force of the impact sent Lin Hao sliding backward.

A human-like smile appeared on the Demon Ape’s face, but it immediately froze.

It couldn’t reach Lin Hao’s heart!

In reality, the moment the Demon Ape’s claw had touched his body, the True Essence generated by the Ninth Layer of the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill had already surged frantically to his chest.

The power contained within this True Essence was beyond imagination. Though the Demon Ape’s claw had pierced Lin Hao’s skin, it couldn’t advance another inch.

Therefore, what appeared to be a fatal blow was, for Lin Hao, merely a flesh wound.

The Demon Ape clearly sensed something was wrong. Its left front claw also transformed into a hand of Death and shot toward Lin Hao’s chest.

If both claws found their mark, its next move would undoubtedly be to pull them apart and rip Lin Hao in two!

Suddenly, Lin Hao’s eyes flew open. He took a step back with his right foot, leaned forward abruptly, and threw a punch!

BOOM!

Lin Hao’s fist collided with the Demon Ape’s left claw.

Both were thrown back at the same time!

Lin Hao was thrown back a dozen steps before he found his footing, while the Blood-Eyed Demon Ape only took a single step back.

"ROAR!"

Although Lin Hao still seemed to be at a disadvantage, the Demon Ape, despite retreating only one step, roared again and again in fury.

Its left front claw hung limply, clearly injured.

That a puny human had actually managed to injure it sent the Demon Ape into a blind rage.

Reeling from the pain, it let out a heaven-shaking roar.

Then, another ball of flame erupted from its gaping maw.

Lin Hao neither dodged nor evaded, instead charging straight into it!

He threw a punch!

The Demon Ape reacted instantly. As Lin Hao’s fist approached, its Scale Armor suddenly flared out!

Scale after scale stood on end, each one razor-sharp.

BOOM!

However, Lin Hao’s fist continued forward, its momentum unchecked.

The punch landed heavily on the Demon Ape, and the Scale Armor at the point of impact shattered!

With his mind freed from the cage of martial arts, Lin Hao was no longer constrained by the concept of realms. Instead, with a belief in his own invincibility, he channeled his imperial-grade Cultivation Technique to face his foe.

Although he was still the same person, Lin Hao’s fists were now countless times more terrifying than before.

"ROAR!"

The Demon Ape cried out in pain with a great roar.

Then, it clenched both front claws into fists, bent its body, and slammed them down toward Lin Hao below.

The two fists descended like meteorites from the heavens, creating a massive sonic boom as they tore through the air!

Lin Hao retreated, and the two fists slammed into the ground.

RUMBLE!

The ground roared under the blow, leaving behind a bottomless crater.

Then, the Demon Ape coiled its body, pushed off with all four limbs, and charged violently toward Lin Hao.

This was the moment Lin Hao had been waiting for. He leaped into the air, landed on the Demon Ape’s back, and raised his fist to strike!

But then, the unexpected happened.

The Demon Ape suddenly stood upright, wrapped its front claws back around Lin Hao, and with a great leap, jumped straight into the newly formed sinkhole.

As he fell with the Demon Ape, Lin Hao had only one sensation: heat!

Unimaginable, scorching heat!

Unable to break free from the Demon Ape’s grasp, Lin Hao could only shut his eyes and circulate his Cultivation Technique at full power to resist the inferno.

THUD!

The sound of the Demon Ape landing echoed. Lin Hao opened his eyes, and the scene before him left him shocked beyond words...