Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Lin Hao guessed that the turtle egg’s condition was likely related to what it had just done.

Lin Hao was very curious about what the turtle egg and Lord Lingdi had done to trigger a heavenly punishment.

"Listen to yourself. We’re one and the same. What’s mine is yours, right? It would have been a waste anyway, so it was better to give it to you. I wasn’t trying to do anything," the turtle egg said, being evasive.

The corner of Lin Hao’s mouth lifted. "Yes, I quite agree with that."

’In any case, I’ve already reaped the benefits. Since it won’t talk, I’m perfectly happy with that.’

The turtle egg remained silent, but Lord Lingdi, who was standing to the side, spoke up.

"That Saint Medicine holds unimaginable benefits for you. You need to raise your cultivation level quickly and strive to find Emperor Hongtian’s inheritance as soon as possible. As long as you cultivate to the Peak of the Elemental Realm, you’ll be able to get close to that Saint Medicine."

"Hmm?" Lin Hao was taken aback. He didn’t know why Lord Lingdi would suddenly say something like that.

While Lin Hao was still stunned, Lord Lingdi continued, "You don’t have much time. The Saint Medicine has already matured. If you don’t harvest it soon, it will wither and fall. Once it loses its nourishment, its potency will diminish with every passing minute."

Hearing the gravity in Lord Lingdi’s voice, Lin Hao put all other thoughts aside and simply nodded.

He had already cultivated to the Blood Coagulation Extreme Realm and could step into the Elemental Realm at any moment. And with the Saha World, reaching the Peak of the Elemental Realm was not a difficult task for him.

"Alright, I’ll enter the Saha World to cultivate immediately," Lin Hao said.

In truth, even without this Saint Medicine, Lin Hao needed to accelerate his cultivation. Because deep in his heart, he had never, ever forgotten one person!

Lin Wu!

’After my bloodline was stolen, I fell a full three years behind Lin Wu. I also spent a great deal of time in the Blood Coagulation Realm. By now, Lin Wu’s cultivation is probably earth-shattering. If I don’t cultivate faster, how can I possibly contend with him?’

Of course, that was only one of the reasons.

From Chu Tiandu’s memories, Lin Hao knew that the Heaven-Stepping Sect still had seven great secret realms yet to be unearthed. To explore even the easiest of these realms required a cultivation at the Third Layer of the Elemental Realm.

This was yet another reason for Lin Hao to quicken his pace.

However, upon hearing that Lin Hao was about to enter the Saha World, Lord Lingdi suddenly asked him, "Do you remember that great tree in the Saha World, and that Celestial Gate?"

"You want me to go inside?" Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed as he asked in a low voice.

Of course Lin Hao hadn’t forgotten. Lord Lingdi had once said that he might encounter Lin Wu if he entered the Celestial Gate.

"That’s right. The time has come. The world within the Celestial Gate is bizarre and fantastical. That is your true battlefield," Lord Lingdi said with a nod.

"I’ll take you back to the sect," the turtle egg said. It then carried Lin Hao and Lord Lingdi on its back and sped down from Forbidden God Mountain.

Its speed was terrifyingly fast. In no time at all, they had reached Heaven-Stepping Peak, the very place where Lin Hao had first entered the Saha World.

With a mere thought from Lin Hao, the man and two beasts entered the Saha World.

The towering tree swayed gracefully. Everything in the Saha World was just as it had been.

Lord Lingdi walked straight to the towering tree. He knocked on it as a person would a door, chanting, "One knock to pave the spirit path. A second to send Hongtian’s call. A third to open the Celestial Gate."

After the third knock, the great tree began to glow. A door appeared, wreathed in swirling mist, looking mysterious and profound.

A few steps were faintly visible, leading ever upward into the unknown.

"It is a world unto itself in there, mysterious and unpredictable. Go on in," Lord Lingdi said to Lin Hao, standing to the side.

Lin Hao nodded and stepped inside.

BOOM!

The moment he entered, Lin Hao froze.

He felt as if something had just left his body.

When he turned to look back, he was even more astonished.

Outside the great tree stood another Lin Hao, identical to him in every way, but completely motionless, like a statue.

"What is this?" Lin Hao asked, looking at Lord Lingdi in confusion.

"That is your physical body outside. What you see as ’you’ right now is merely your consciousness."

Consciousness—the core of one’s heart, the core of one’s awareness, the core of one’s thoughts... It is the core of everything.

"The world you are about to enter is called the Divinity Realm. Only the consciousness of a Martial Artist can enter. However, every experience within it will feel as if your physical body is there. If your consciousness perishes, your physical body won’t die, but it will suffer a devastating blow. Of course, any insights your consciousness gains will also be absorbed by your physical body."

"Can I meet Lin Wu inside?" Lin Hao asked.

This was what he cared about most.

"Do you know the origin of the Divinity Realm?" Lord Lingdi countered with a question of his own.

Lin Hao shook his head. It was the first time he had ever heard of the Divinity Realm, so of course he didn’t know its origin.

"The Divinity Realm is a world created by the collective consciousness of countless Emperor Venerables. It is vast and boundless, just like a real world. By traversing the Divinity Realm, one can attain a connection to the divine and achieve the rank of Emperor Venerable," Lord Lingdi explained.

Lin Hao was utterly dumbfounded. This was too astonishing.

"And besides powerful Martial Artists, there is one other type of person most commonly able to enter the Divinity Realm."

"Those with special constitutions!" Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed as he uttered the four words.

Now he understood why Lord Lingdi had said he might encounter Lin Wu inside.

Lord Lingdi nodded. "The Divinity Realm is home to geniuses from a hundred different races, disciples from Holy Lands, and even some who are no weaker than you."

"I understand." After speaking, Lin Hao turned abruptly and ascended the stairs.

The path was wreathed in mist, and the number of steps seemed endless. Lin Hao moved faster and faster until, finally, the view before him opened up.

When Lin Hao got a clear look at what lay ahead, he was utterly shaken.

Ahead of him, mountain ranges stretched across the land, but they all looked as if they had been sliced in half, presenting a scene of utter ruin.

Between two of the great mountains, Lin Hao saw crumbling walls and dilapidated structures.

Judging by the scale of the ruins, it had once been a vast complex of palaces.

But now, it had been rent asunder right down the middle.

Lin Hao stepped forward, his feet making crunching sounds on the rubble.

Everything here felt incredibly real.

He looked all around. There was nothing but desolation.

The palace, split down the middle, now formed a long corridor.

Lin Hao walked toward the corridor.

At last, Lin Hao passed through the corridor and once again found himself enveloped in mist.

He didn’t know how long he’d been walking. He couldn’t see anything ahead, but he could hear a clamor of voices.

Listening closely, he realized it was the sound of merchants hawking their wares.

’Just as Lord Lingdi said, the Divinity Realm really is like a real world.’

A hint of excitement stirred within Lin Hao, and he couldn’t help but quicken his pace.

Gradually, the scene ahead began to reveal itself.

The first thing he saw was, surprisingly, two armored guards holding great-sabers.

After a moment of surprise, Lin Hao’s eyes began to gleam as he looked at their armor and great-sabers.

The reason was simple: Lin Hao recognized that the materials used to make the armor and great-sabers were incredibly rare.

Furthermore, the refining technique was exceptionally advanced. Even if he could find the materials, he wasn’t confident he could successfully replicate the process.

’This armor and these great-sabers would be perfect for my third and fourth brothers.’ Lin Hao rubbed his hands together and walked straight toward the two guards.

His two older brothers had followed Chen Tianyu into the army and needed exactly this kind of equipment.

"Hello there, my good sirs," Lin Hao said with a cheerful grin as he approached the two armored guards.

The moment he spoke, the merchants’ calls from up ahead all ceased.

Countless gazes turned toward Lin Hao, all of them filled with an odd expression.

These armored guards were the Law Enforcers of the Divinity Realm’s starting area. Their expressions were eternally stoic, and they had never been known to utter a single word.

If it weren’t for the fact that they were breathing, anyone would mistake them for statues.

’Could it be this kid, having just arrived, is already trying to bribe them?’

"Little brother, give up on that idea. If you’re looking for a score, come to my stall. I’ve got a Profound Level Cultivation Technique that’s perfect for you."

"Over here I’ve got a quick-start guide for Alchemy Masters! One read and you’ll be putting Pill Kings to shame!"

"And I have a secret Artifact Refiner’s manual! With this, you could blast the Jinglian Saint Institute to smithereens!"

Immediately, three shady-looking characters swarmed him, each holding a thin booklet and staring at Lin Hao with hungry eyes.

"Not interested." Lin Hao waved his hand impatiently and went back to trying to cozy up to the guards.

"My good sirs, that armor looks awfully heavy. Doesn’t it get tiring? Why don’t you take it off?" Lin Hao asked with a wide smile.

The two guards, naturally, did not oblige.

"Since you’re not saying no, I’ll take that as a yes," Lin Hao declared, then began to act.

"What do you think you’re doing?!" Before Lin Hao’s hand could make contact, someone grabbed his wrist.

Lin Hao turned his head and saw that it was a person with wings.

"Er, this winged... gentleman, could you please let go?" Lin Hao didn’t sense any malice from him, so his tone was still polite.

"Do you want their armor?" the winged man asked without letting go.

Lin Hao was about to nod when he realized a large crowd of bizarre "people" had surrounded them. Some had human heads on snake bodies, others had the faces of lions on human torsos...

Looking around, he saw their numbers were no fewer than the normal-looking humans.

Moreover, Lin Hao was shocked to discover that the vital energy and blood flowing within every single one of them was astonishingly powerful.

Of course, Lin Hao wasn’t afraid. What he couldn’t stand, however, was the strange way they were all looking at him.

"No, no, no, I just wanted to... study it," Lin Hao quickly denied, shaking his head. Although he knew that the great universe was filled with myriad races, this was his first time seeing such creatures up close, and their stares made him a little uncomfortable.

"Curb your curiosity, unless you want to be punished. It’s not easy to get into the Divinity Realm, and being kicked out right after you arrive isn’t worth it."

The winged man released his grip and offered a kind warning.

"The Divinity Realm has rules and punishments?" Lin Hao asked.

’Lord Lingdi never mentioned any of this.’

The winged man’s face darkened with exasperation upon hearing Lin Hao’s question. "Where are you from that you don’t even know that?"

"The Southern Border Prefecture," Lin Hao answered truthfully.

The winged man and the others shook their heads. The place was too obscure; none of them had ever heard of it.

"Forget it. This one is in a good mood today, so I’ll tell you. The people, beasts, and what-have-you in the Divinity Realm... if you see someone you don’t like, feel free to beat them up. But *they* are Law Enforcers. You absolutely cannot get any ideas about them," the winged man said, finally lowering his voice to a whisper.

Lin Hao’s gaze continued to wander over the guards’ armor.

Seeing that Lin Hao still hadn’t given up, the winged man continued, "I remember one time, someone tried to take off one of their helmets. After using an immense amount of effort, he finally got it off. Guess what happened then?"

At the critical moment, the winged man actually left him hanging.