Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

"The Lin family really stole the show at the martial tournament today. I’m afraid the Wu family’s position as the number one family in War Dragon City is no longer secure," someone whispered from below the martial stage.

"I fear there’s more to this. Young Master Luo and the Suo Demon Sect... they haven’t come with good intentions," someone else replied.

Another person chimed in, "That’s right. I remember Wu Zhen was training with the Suo Demon Sect, but Lin Hao killed him. The Lin family is in deep trouble now."

"And Young Master Luo... for him to condescend to come to a place like War Dragon City, there must be more to it. Maybe it’s also related to Lin Hao."

For a moment, the crowd below the stage was abuzz with discussion.

As for Lin Zheng, who had just won his victory on the stage, he was hardly the center of anyone’s attention anymore.

’Lin Hao... It’s always Lin Hao!’ On the martial stage, hatred surged in Lin Zheng’s eyes.

He should have been the most dazzling person on this stage, but now his spotlight had been stolen by a good-for-nothing who wasn’t even here.

’Lin Hao... so detestable.’

With Wu Zhonghao defeated, Luo Yulou stood up and walked onto the martial stage.

The crowd fell completely silent.

Could it be that the Young Sect Leader of the Zhengyang Sect was about to stand up for the Wu family?

"You’re from the Lin family. Do you know Lin Hao?" Luo Yulou asked, standing before Lin Zheng.

Although Wu Zhonghao had lost to Lin Zheng, he could only blame his own lack of skill. Luo Yulou couldn’t easily make a fuss about it.

But Lin Hao was a different matter. He had killed a disciple of the Zhengyang Sect, and that was a debt Luo Yulou was determined to collect.

It was just that...

The elder from the Imperial City’s Lin family was sitting right there, and Luo Yulou couldn’t figure out his intentions, so he didn’t dare be too brazen with his words.

"We are also looking for Lin Hao. Where is he?" Since Luo Yulou had made a move, the two from the Suo Demon Sect saw no reason to stay put. The pair stood up and also stepped onto the martial stage.

"Today is quite lively indeed. Even this old man would like to find that little bastard Lin Hao." The elder from the Imperial City’s Lin family, who had been observing impassively, finally spoke up.

As soon as he said this, Luo Yulou and the two from the Suo Demon Sect simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, the War Dragon City Lin family was just a branch of the main Lin family—one of the four great families—and this elder was clearly from the main family in the Imperial City.

If he had favored Lin Hao, things would have become tricky.

But now, the elder’s words put their worries to rest.

For a moment, they exchanged a smile, then fixed their gazes on Lin Zheng, awaiting his answer.

"I hate him more than any of you," Lin Zheng said unhurriedly.

"Patriarch Lin, everyone is talking about Lin Hao. What exactly did he do that was so heinous?" Chen Tianyu asked, turning his head toward Lin Tianxiao.

He had just heard Lin Tian and Lin Yuan speak and had become extremely interested in Lin Hao.

He originally thought Lin Hao had only offended the Wu family, but now it seemed he had stirred up a much bigger hornet’s nest.

Chen Tianyu’s question was not subtle at all, and many people heard it.

Afterward, they all pricked up their ears, waiting for Lin Tianxiao’s answer.

Wu Sipei’s face instantly turned as white as a sheet.

Her experiences this past month had been a humiliation. If Lin Tianxiao were to speak of it, she would be utterly disgraced.

Her gaze turned to Wu Tianli, but he just shook his head in anguish.

With Chen Tianyu present, he didn’t dare to act rashly.

And when Wu Sipei’s gaze fell on Luo Yulou, his eyes shifted elsewhere.

Wu Sipei’s figure swayed, as if about to collapse.

But Lin Tianxiao had already begun to speak.

"You’ve heard what my nephew did. Wu Zhen was a disciple of the Suo Demon Sect, and they’ve come for revenge today. The Zhengyang Sect is also here for vengeance. That’s because my nephew, at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, killed three of their disciples who were at the Fifth Layer."

Shock flashed in Chen Tianyu’s eyes. "How did he manage that?!" he asked.

Someone at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, who hadn’t even awakened their bloodline, killing three disciples at the Fifth Layer... That was just astonishing.

"I don’t know either. And not only that, I recall that he even captured her"—Lin Tianxiao pointed a finger at Wu Sipei—"and she’s at the Sixth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm." He revealed another shocking secret.

Wu Sipei’s face was deathly pale, all traces of her earlier arrogance gone.

"Oh, I remember now! I remember Brother Hao saying he was going to sell her to a brothel! How did she come back?" Lin Yuan suddenly exclaimed from the side.

Lin Tianxiao scolded him, "Nonsense! Who told you that!"

"It was you, Father. You say it all the time when you’re drunk. If you don’t believe me, ask Brother Tian." Lin Yuan was Lin Tianxiao’s son.

After saying this, he slowly pulled something out from his robes.

"This is Wu Sipei’s outer garment. You said Brother Hao was the one who took it off her. You threw it away when you were drunk, but I kept it."

"HAHAHA..."

The scene instantly erupted in roaring laughter.

Wu Sipei’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted from pure rage.

"Well... never mind. This is your Lin family’s private business; it’s not my place to inquire." Chen Tianyu was about to speak again but stopped himself.

Lin Tianxiao knew what he wanted to ask and was about to answer when he suddenly heard a cold snort.

In an instant, the chair beneath Lin Tianxiao shattered into dust. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and if Ninety-Five hadn’t been quick to support him, he would have been thoroughly disgraced.

The cold snort had come from the Lin family elder. Even from a great distance, Lin Tianxiao was still injured.

The power of a Soul Gathering Realm Martial Artist was terrifyingly vast. A mere snort was enough to injure an Elemental Realm Martial Artist.

Ninety-Five was about to speak but was stopped by Lin Tianxiao.

He had to resolve the Lin family’s matters himself.

"Please, help me look after them." Lin Tianxiao stood up, glanced at Lin Tian and Lin Yuan, and said to Ninety-Five.

Then, his gaze drifted to the distance. A faint smile touched his lips as he took a deep breath, rose to his full height, and leaped onto the martial stage.

No one noticed that Yi Mingcheng, who had originally come with him, had vanished at some unknown point.

On the martial stage, Lin Tianxiao looked at Lin Tian and Lin Yuan once more, his eyes filled with gratification.

He had brought Lin Tian and Lin Yuan today merely to let them see the world, but their reactions just now had greatly exceeded his expectations.

To be honest, even he was shocked by how fearless Lin Tian and Lin Yuan had been just now.

In the past, he never would have believed the two of them had such courage.

The reason they dared to act this way was entirely because they had spent the last month frequently listening to Yi Mingcheng recount Lin Hao’s exploits.

Lin Hao had become their inspiration, giving them the courage to be fearless.

And hearing them speak again of the events from a month ago, Lin Tianxiao felt his own spirit stir.

Leaping onto the martial stage, Lin Tianxiao stood with his back straight and declared in a clear, loud voice, "Today, I, Lin Tianxiao, will take responsibility for all matters concerning Lin Hao!"

The entire arena fell deathly silent.

The Zhengyang Sect, the Suo Demon Sect, the Wu family—Lin Tianxiao couldn’t possibly stand against these powers alone, and that wasn’t even counting the Soul Gathering Realm elder from the Lin family.

Everyone knew that today, Lin Tianxiao was finished.

"What courage! I won’t bully you. If you can defeat me, I can spare Lin Hao’s life!" Luo Yulou said, actually challenging Lin Tianxiao.

On the other side, after Wu Zhonghao whispered a few words in Wu Tianli’s ear, Wu Tianli suddenly spoke up, "Lin Tianxiao, as long as you can defeat Young Master Luo, my Wu family will also drop the matter."

"And us from the Suo Demon Sect. If you can defeat Young Master Luo, we will turn around and leave," even the two from the Suo Demon Sect said the same.

Far from being overjoyed, Lin Tianxiao’s vigilance skyrocketed.

Wu Tianli should be well aware of his strength, and Lin Tianxiao was equally aware of the Wu family’s determination to have Lin Hao killed.

For Wu Tianli to dare say such a thing, it meant he had absolute confidence in Luo Yulou.

However, since Lin Tianxiao was standing here now, he had already anticipated everything. Even if he couldn’t win, he had a foolproof plan.

Therefore, Lin Tianxiao said in a heavy voice, "I accept!"

"After you!" Luo Yulou stood with his hands behind his back, cutting an exceptionally dashing figure.

Lin Tianxiao didn’t stand on ceremony. With a soft cry, he took the initiative and attacked.

His cultivation was currently at the Elemental Realm Second Layer, but he did not underestimate his opponent in the slightest because of Luo Yulou’s age.

His opening move was the Yellow Level Top Grade martial technique, Thunder Shock Fist.

A Yellow Level Top Grade martial technique used by an Elemental Realm Martial Artist was on a completely different level than one used by a Blood Coagulation Realm Martial Artist.

As soon as he unleashed Thunder Shock Fist, surging True Essence transformed into rolling thunder, blanketing the sky as it crashed down toward Luo Yulou.

Below the stage, weaker Martial Artists scrambled back, clutching their eardrums in agony.

As for the Martial Artists who hadn’t awakened their bloodlines, they were forced to their knees by this one punch, unable to get back up.

This was the might of an Elemental Realm Martial Artist.

But on the martial stage, Luo Yulou merely took a small step back and then threw a punch of his own.

BOOM!

The two fists collided, and an explosive crack echoed through the air.

From the aftershock of the sound alone, the Martial Artists below the stage who had not awakened their bloodlines spat up blood and were directly knocked unconscious.

On the martial stage, Lin Tianxiao staggered back five steps before steadying himself, his face flushed red.

Luo Yulou, however, had only taken two steps back.

"The resources of a sect are far beyond your imagination. Even though you are at the Elemental Realm Second Layer, I have dozens of ways to defeat you!"

Luo Yulou looked at Lin Tianxiao with unconcealed ridicule in his eyes.

’A Profound Level martial technique!’ Bitterness flashed in Lin Tianxiao’s eyes.

He had figured it out from their exchange: Luo Yulou was only at the first layer of the Elemental Realm, but he possessed a Profound Level martial technique.

Luo Yulou shrugged, then said with a mocking expression, "Want to try again?"

Lin Tianxiao didn’t answer, simply throwing another punch.

He used Thunder Shock Fist again.

Luo Yulou smiled faintly and sent a palm strike forward.

He had switched to another martial technique.

Once again, there was no suspense. Lin Tianxiao’s body was thrown back, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

This time, Luo Yulou only retreated a single step.

"Is that all you’ve got?" Luo Yulou toyed with Lin Tianxiao like a cat playing with a mouse.

Lin Tianxiao still didn’t answer, unleashing Thunder Shock Fist yet again.

Luo Yulou changed his palm to a claw, using yet another martial technique.

As the Young Sect Leader of one of the four great sects in the Southern Border Prefecture, Luo Yulou knew several Profound Level martial techniques.

And the ones he had just used were all Profound Level Low Grade techniques.

BOOM!

A fist and a claw collided, but this time they produced a far more shocking ripple of energy than before.

Then, Luo Yulou’s body was sent flying.

’Strike him while he’s down!’

Lin Tianxiao pressed his advantage, pouncing forward and swiping a claw at Luo Yulou.

His earlier attacks had just been to lull his opponent into a false sense of security. That last strike was his true killing move.

It was, shockingly, a Profound Level Low Grade martial technique.

This was his ace in the hole. If he couldn’t seize this opportunity, he would have no other chance to turn the tables.

However, he had still underestimated Luo Yulou.

Luo Yulou dodged Lin Tianxiao’s claw like a wisp of green smoke. Then, with an unbelievable twist of his body, he swept out a leg. Lin Tianxiao’s body flew like a piece of paper, landing on the edge of the martial stage, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

"Your War Dragon City Lin family has no one!"

Luo Yulou took out a handkerchief, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and tossed it at Lin Tianxiao, speaking indifferently.

An insult, another insult!

These words, coming from Luo Yulou’s mouth, were clearly far more convincing than when Wu Zhonghao had said them earlier.

Even Lin Tianxiao, the Patriarch of the Lin family, had been defeated. The Lin family truly had no one.

Lin Tianxiao felt blood rush to his head and was just about to use his Bloodline Power.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out...