Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

However, recalling the force of Lin Hao’s grip on his arm just a moment ago, Ling Xiao instantly felt his worries were unnecessary.

"Senior Brother, be careful," Ling Xiao said, then unleashed a punch.

Lin Hao naturally dared not underestimate a punch from an Elemental Realm Martial Artist. He also threw a punch, striking with all his might.

BOOM!

A massive boom rang out, shaking the entire passage. Rocks rained down from the walls like an avalanche.

At the same time, a gale raged through the passage, catching the falling rocks and instantly pulverizing them to dust.

When the two fists collided, the impact was truly earth-shattering.

The force of the collision sent them both stumbling back a step. They were evenly matched.

Inwardly, Ling Xiao sucked in a sharp breath. ’Lin Hao, with his Blood Coagulation Realm cultivation, actually took fifty percent of my strength! If word of this got out, I’m afraid the entire continent would tremble.’

Ling Xiao stood rooted to the spot in a daze, completely forgetting what to do next.

"Let’s move!"

Lin Hao’s sharp cry jolted Ling Xiao from his stupor. Like a gust of wind, they rounded a corner and rushed a good distance away.

By the time they stopped, the destruction they had wrought behind them had yet to cease.

RUMBLE!

Another earth-shaking tremor followed. Rocks from high up on the wall collapsed, instantly sealing the path they had just taken.

As for the dozen or so rattlescorpions, they had long since vanished without a trace.

Lin Hao doubled back to take a closer look and discovered that the rattlescorpions had vanished in the same bizarre way as the chameleons from before.

"Let’s go," Lin Hao said to Ling Xiao, taking a deep breath.

"Senior Brother, how did you do that?" After advancing to the Elemental Realm, not only had Ling Xiao failed to surpass Lin Hao, but he had instead discovered just how terrifying his senior brother truly was.

A Martial Artist in the Blood Coagulation Realm possessing a staggering fifty thousand jin of strength... it was simply unheard of. If Ling Xiao hadn’t experienced it firsthand, he would never have believed it.

Now, the fact was right before his eyes. Ling Xiao believed it, but this phenomenon that completely shattered the common sense of martial arts made him feel as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat. He couldn’t rest until he understood.

"What is the Blood Coagulation Realm?" Lin Hao asked in return, instead of answering.

Ling Xiao replied, "The Blood Coagulation Realm is the initial realm of the martial path. It’s for tempering the human body, unearthing potential, and communing with profound mysteries."

"The human body is profound and unfathomable, the most mysterious thing of all," Lin Hao replied.

Ling Xiao truly was worthy of his former title as the number one genius. From Lin Hao’s single sentence, he already understood what he meant.

Ling Xiao stared at Lin Hao, his eyes wide with shock, and cried out, "You want to explore the ultimate secrets of the human body and see what its true limits are? You’re trying to reach the Extreme Realm of the Blood Coagulation Realm?"

Lin Hao nodded. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"So that’s it... so that’s it... Why didn’t I ever think of that? Why didn’t I think of that?" Ling Xiao murmured, his voice filled with regret.

"After reaching the Ninth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, I tried all sorts of methods but am still at a standstill. Reaching the Extreme Realm is incredibly difficult. You can’t force things on the martial path; it’s best to let things happen naturally. Besides, it’s not too late for you. I’ve heard that Emperor Hongtian was invincible when he was in the Soul Gathering Realm," Lin Hao consoled him.

Ling Xiao’s head snapped up, a brilliant light flashing in his eyes. Then, he said excitedly, "That’s right! I can focus on a single realm and cultivate it to its absolute peak. Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

After speaking, Ling Xiao gave a deep, profoundly respectful bow.

Lin Hao pulled him up, smiling. "We’re fellow disciples. There’s no need for such formalities. Now, let’s see what’s waiting for us up ahead."

Lin Hao looked ahead.

Not far ahead, in the gently curving passage, a jutting rock blocked their view.

Lin Hao was about to step forward but was stopped by Ling Xiao.

"Senior Brother, we’re still on the second level of the passage. I can handle it. Let me go first," Ling Xiao said.

Even though his cultivation had advanced to the Elemental Realm and his physical strength far surpassed Lin Hao’s, Ling Xiao didn’t believe for a second that Lin Hao was weaker than him, which was why he made the offer.

"The second level?" Lin Hao asked, confused.

Lin Hao only knew of the Demon Suppression Cave through Chu Tiandu’s memories.

However, Chu Tiandu’s memories of this place were scant. Lin Hao only knew that Chu Tiandu had entered it before; as for what was inside, there was a bizarre gap in his memory.

"I’ve read the sect’s secret archives. Every passage in the Demon Suppression Cave has three levels. That pool we just passed connected the first and second levels of this passage. We’re on the second level now," Ling Xiao explained.

Lin Hao nodded.

Perhaps sensing that Lin Hao didn’t know much about the Demon Suppression Cave, Ling Xiao grew more talkative.

"Senior Brother, do you know who first discovered the Demon Suppression Cave?" At the end of the day, Ling Xiao was still young. Discovering an area where he knew more than Lin Hao made him feel quite pleased with himself.

But he wasn’t asking to show off; he was eager to share what he knew, like presenting a treasure.

It was a complex psychological need for acknowledgment.

Of course, Lin Hao was oblivious to this and simply shook his head upon hearing the question.

"He was our sect’s greatest benefactor, but also its greatest sinner. It’s because of him that the Heaven-Stepping Sect fell from its former position as the number one sect," Ling Xiao said.

The moment he said that, Lin Hao knew exactly who he was talking about.

Chu Tiandu.

Sure enough, Ling Xiao continued, "His name was Chu Tiandu. Within the Heaven-Stepping Sect, that name is taboo. But he was also the one who discovered the Demon Suppression Cave. And it’s because of this cave that the Heaven-Stepping Sect, even after its decline, has managed to survive for thousands of years without being wiped out by other factions."

Ling Xiao didn’t elaborate on other matters, keeping his focus on the Demon Suppression Cave.

Coincidentally, while Lin Hao’s understanding of Chu Tiandu was more thorough than anyone else’s, the Demon Suppression Cave was the one subject he had questions about. This was exactly what he wanted to know.

"Back then, Chu Tiandu was still the Sect Leader. After he discovered the Demon Suppression Cave, he left behind a single sentence: ’For those who enter the Demon Suppression Cave, opportunities are limitless. Anyone who passes through successfully can become the Sect Leader.’"

Lin Hao furrowed his brow. He hadn’t found that sentence anywhere in Chu Tiandu’s memories.

’For him to have no memory of words he supposedly spoke... that’s truly bizarre,’ he thought.

Ling Xiao didn’t notice Lin Hao’s strange reaction and continued, "And that statement was proven true shortly after. The sect’s archives record that after Chu Tiandu perished, an ordinarily unremarkable disciple managed to emerge from the Demon Suppression Cave. His cultivation soared, and he eventually became the Chief Disciple, and finally, the Sect Leader."

At this point, Ling Xiao paused for a moment. Seeing that Lin Hao’s expression remained neutral, he went on:

"After that, the Demon Suppression Cave’s fame exploded. Sect Disciples entered it in endless waves. But many of them never came back out. Typically, only one person from each group that entered would make it through. Eventually, the Demon Suppression Cave became the trial for selecting the sect’s leader. To pass through the Demon Suppression Cave was to become the Sect Leader."

Hearing this, Lin Hao’s expression changed drastically. He asked Ling Xiao, "Are you saying that over thousands of years, tens of thousands of Heaven-Stepping Sect disciples have perished in the Demon Suppression Cave?!"

Ling Xiao nodded and replied, "That’s right. This situation didn’t end until Ancestor Cang Yan appeared. He entered the Demon Suppression Cave twice, narrowly escaping death both times. After he got out, he ordered the Demon Suppression Cave to be designated a forbidden zone. That was over forty years ago."

A chill ran down Lin Hao’s spine.

He finally understood why there were no scenes from inside the Demon Suppression Cave in Chu Tiandu’s memory.

It was because the memories of the Demon Suppression Cave had been erased from Chu Tiandu’s sea of consciousness!!

The thought made Lin Hao’s scalp tingle with fear.

Back then, Chu Tiandu’s cultivation was at the Spirit Transformation Realm. For his memories to be erased without a trace... it was a terrifying thought.

Moreover, the one who had erased his memory had also used him as a mouthpiece to spread a message: pass through the Demon Suppression Cave, and your cultivation will soar, allowing you to become the Sect Leader.

And so, countless Martial Artists of the Heaven-Stepping Sect had thrown themselves into the Demon Suppression Cave one after another...

At this point, Lin Hao already knew who the culprit was.

It was undoubtedly the being that lurked in the deepest part of the Demon Suppression Cave.

"Only one person makes it through each time... This is clearly deliberate," Lin Hao murmured, horrified.

The being in the depths of the Demon Suppression Cave had expertly exploited human weakness. It was playing the long game, casting a long line to catch a big fish.

"Senior Brother, what are you talking about? Who is doing it deliberately?" Ling Xiao asked, confused.

Lin Hao shook his head, took a deep breath, and stared ahead, his gaze burning with intensity.

The unknown being deep within the Demon Suppression Cave was terrifying beyond imagination. Over thousands of years, who knew how much True Essence it had absorbed from Martial Artists, or how much essence blood from Devil Beasts.

"Remember, no matter what, do not use your True Essence. And you absolutely cannot shed any blood," Lin Hao warned Ling Xiao gravely.

Ling Xiao nodded. Although Lin Hao hadn’t explained why, his tone was enough to make Ling Xiao take the warning seriously.

"Come on. Let’s take on this Demon Suppression Cave together," Lin Hao declared, his voice ringing with heroic spirit.

Despite knowing the odds were stacked against them and that this venture was a brush with death, Lin Hao remained fearless.

The two of them walked forward together, stopping behind the jutting rock.

Peeking his head out, Lin Hao’s eyes immediately narrowed.

He saw Martial Artists—a great many of them—all wearing the attire of the Heaven-Stepping Sect.

The fact that there were people in the Demon Suppression Cave made Lin Hao question his own deductions for the first time.

But he immediately noticed something was wrong.

Those Martial Artists had no aura of life about them. They were simply wandering around aimlessly.

Seeing them reminded Lin Hao of the Martial Artists from the Lin family that Lin Tianhao had refined into death warriors.

Lin Hao let out a slow breath, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

’This being in the depths of the Demon Suppression Cave is truly abominable,’ he thought. ’It wouldn’t even let these disciples rest after they died.’

"Senior Brother, they..." Ling Xiao whispered to Lin Hao, also stunned by the scene before him.

Lin Hao knew what Ling Xiao was asking and shook his head.

"What do we do?" Ling Xiao asked.

These had once been real people; they certainly wouldn’t just vanish like the Devil Beasts from earlier.

"We’ll ’spar’ a bit with our predecessors," Lin Hao replied with a relaxed smile.

Lin Hao’s mood was infectious, and Ling Xiao replied with a single word: "Alright."

Then, Ling Xiao took the lead and charged out.

Without a word, he threw a punch.

A bizarre thing happened. The living-dead warrior he had targeted swayed to the side, actually dodging his fist, before throwing a punch of its own.

Caught off guard, Ling Xiao was struck squarely. He was sent flying backward, landing at Lin Hao’s feet and coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed as he strode forward.

"Senior Brother... be careful... Its strength... is immense," Ling Xiao managed to force out, his body arched in pain.