Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

"The Sanqing Sect? You’re thinking of going after the Art of One Into Three?" Lord Lingdi asked as soon as it heard Lin Hao.

Lin Hao’s eyes lit up. It seemed he had asked the right person... no, the right cat.

However, before Lin Hao could get excited, Lord Lingdi’s tone shifted. "I’d advise you to give up."

"Why?"

"The Art of One Into Three was lost thousands of years ago. No one even knows if it still exists. Finding it would be just as difficult as finding Emperor Hongtian’s inheritance, if not more so."

But upon hearing this, Lin Hao didn’t look discouraged at all. Instead, he grew even happier.

Its rarity only made the Cultivation Technique that much more precious.

Its rarity also meant it was more likely buried in the river of time, rather than held by some major power.

"Sister Ling, tell me about this Sanqing Sect," Lin Hao asked with a wide smile.

Every little bit of information he could get about the Sanqing Sect was one step closer to finding the Art of One Into Three.

However, Lord Lingdi wasn’t falling for his act. "I don’t know anything. If you want to find it, go look for it yourself. And don’t bother me again. I’m going to the peak of Forbidden God Mountain to heal."

After saying its piece, it ignored Lin Hao and walked straight away.

"That damn dead turtle! All it knows is how to eat and sleep!" Lord Lingdi grumbled as it walked off.

No wonder he hadn’t seen Turtle Egg in the Saha World just now. So it had gone off to sleep.

But hearing Lord Lingdi mention Turtle Egg gave Lin Hao an idea: he should take a trip.

His destination, of course, was the Sanqing Sect.

Now that his cultivation had advanced to the Fourth Layer of the Elemental Realm, there were many more things Lin Hao could do.

Take the Array Pattern Skill, for example.

After he broke through to the Elemental Realm, the seal in his mind regarding the Array Pattern Skill had been released.

The Array Pattern Skill was incredibly profound, and Lin Hao had always wanted to master it.

But things were different now.

As wondrous as the Array Pattern Skill was, what Lin Hao wanted most right now was to raise his own cultivation level.

In the Divinity Realm, Lin Hao had learned that Lin Wu had already surpassed the Blood Coagulation Realm two years ago—and that was after cultivating the Blood Coagulation Realm to its Extreme Realm.

At the time, Lin Hao hadn’t shown much of a reaction, but the pressure in his heart had suddenly skyrocketed.

Lin Wu was his lifelong rival, so Lin Hao desperately needed to increase his cultivation.

And the Art of One Into Three was the strongest Elemental Realm Cultivation Technique Lin Hao knew of. He was determined to find it!

In the past, Lin Hao would have definitely set out alone. But he hadn’t forgotten that the mysterious Netherworld Hall was now waiting for him out there.

And Turtle Egg’s incredible power in Celestial Jade City was still fresh in his mind. He needed a partner like that.

"Sister Ling, after Turtle Egg takes you to Forbidden God Mountain, have it wait for me at the base," Lin Hao called out to Lord Lingdi’s retreating back.

"Are you really going?" Lord Lingdi stopped and turned to ask.

Lin Hao nodded, his gaze firm.

Lord Lingdi said no more and walked away.

Lin Hao, in turn, headed toward Heaven-Stepping Peak.

As he prepared to leave, Lin Hao vowed not to return until he had achieved his goal.

He had no idea how long this trip would take, so before he left, he decided to do everything he could for the sect.

When Lin Hao reached Heaven-Stepping Peak, he learned that Wu Taichu and Elder Gu were in the assembly hall.

And when he went to the assembly hall, he found that not only were they there, but so was Lian Lanxin.

’Well, that saves me some trouble.’

"Martial Ancestor, you’ve returned!" Before Lin Hao could even speak, Wu Taichu, who had been sitting in the main seat, shot to his feet with an excited expression.

At that moment, he didn’t look anything like the leader of a sect.

Elder Gu and Lian Lanxin were only a step behind Wu Taichu.

They stood respectfully, as if facing a king for inspection.

"Master, Elder Gu, Lan Xin, hello." Lin Hao declined the main seat Wu Taichu offered him and sat down opposite Lian Lanxin.

"Martial Ancestor, your timing is perfect. There’s a matter I’d like your decision on," Wu Taichu said after they were all seated.

"The matter of the Spiritual Artifacts?"

Wu Taichu was taken aback, then nodded.

Lian Lanxin and the ten people she was leading had already refined several batches of Tier One Spiritual Artifacts for the sect, but their distribution had been a constant headache for Wu Taichu.

After all, there were far too many Sect Disciples.

"Just pretend I’m not here. You can decide this yourself," Lin Hao said with a casual smile after hearing Wu Taichu’s report.

Lin Hao could already tell that Wu Taichu had a plan in mind; he was just waiting for Lin Hao to give the word.

And that was precisely what Lin Hao didn’t want.

"My idea is to store the Spiritual Artifacts for now and let the disciples exchange Contribution Points for them," Wu Taichu said, glancing at Lin Hao with a very anxious expression.

Seeing this, Lin Hao sighed inwardly.

’My presence is seriously affecting Wu Taichu’s state of mind.’

This strengthened Lin Hao’s resolve to leave.

Lin Hao didn’t offer an opinion, not wanting to get bogged down in such a trivial matter.

"Master, you are the Sect Leader of the Heaven-Stepping Sect. You are now, and you will be in the future. I came here this time to say goodbye," Lin Hao said, getting straight to the point when he saw Wu Taichu was still waiting for him to speak.

"What? G-Goodbye?!" The moment Lin Hao spoke, all three of them lost their composure.

"That’s right. I’m leaving the sect, and I don’t know when I’ll be back."

As soon as these words left his mouth, panicked expressions appeared on all three of their faces.

The Heaven-Stepping Sect’s current success was entirely due to Lin Hao’s efforts. If he left...

The three of them didn’t dare to think any further.

"Martial Ancestor, you... you’ve advanced to the Elemental Realm?" At that moment, Wu Taichu finally noticed the change in Lin Hao.

"Yes. That’s why I’ve decided to go out and find a Cultivation Technique suitable for my Elemental Realm," Lin Hao nodded.

Wu Taichu let out a very obvious sigh of relief.

’Just looking for a Cultivation Technique? That’s simple. Not to mention, the Danling Sect, which is trying all sorts of ways to curry favor with us right now, has many precious Elemental Realm Cultivation Techniques. It shouldn’t take much time at all.’

"Very well, Martial Ancestor. I wish you success in your endeavor." Wu Taichu didn’t know which Cultivation Technique Lin Hao was looking for, so he felt relieved, assuming Lin Hao would be back in the sect before long.

Lin Hao nodded, then said, "Master, there are some things I need to tell you before I leave."

Wu Taichu straightened up, looking ready to listen with rapt attention.

Meanwhile, Elder Gu and Lian Lanxin prepared to take their leave.

Lin Hao smiled and said, "There’s no need. We’re all family here."

The two sat down again, their faces filled with gratitude.

Then, Lin Hao began to speak, telling Wu Taichu the general locations of several major secret realms and the methods to open them.

Including the secret realm that produced the Flowing Light Divine Stone, there were a total of nine major secret realms within the Heaven-Stepping Sect, located among the sect’s nine peaks, including Heaven-Stepping Peak.

The moment Lin Hao spoke, Lian Lanxin’s reaction was mild, but Wu Taichu and Elder Gu were so shocked they fell to the ground, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

The Heaven-Stepping Sect possessed a total of nine major secret realms! The news was earth-shattering!

"N-Nine... Nine major secret realms..." Wu Taichu and Elder Gu stammered, their bodies trembling.

In the past, the Suo Demon Sect had obtained a single secret ore-vein realm, which allowed them to grow from a third-rate sect into one that posed a threat to the Heaven-Stepping Sect. Now, Lin Hao was telling them that the Heaven-Stepping Sect had nine secret realms—and divine-demonic ones at that. One can only imagine their shock.

"Master, the legends of the nine secret realms are ancient. It’s unknown if they’re even real. I will now tell you their locations and how to open them." Lin Hao infused his words with True Essence.

He had no other choice.

If he didn’t use his True Essence, he wasn’t sure if Wu Taichu would even be able to snap out of his shock.

Jolted by Lin Hao’s voice, Wu Taichu and Elder Gu scrambled to their feet and listened attentively to what he had to say.

Secret realms were far too important to a sect.

Next, Lin Hao relayed the detailed records of the secret realms from his memory to them.

"Martial Ancestor, rest assured! By the time you return, I will definitely find one of the secret realms!" Wu Taichu finally promised Lin Hao.

He only said "one" not just because the secret realms were incredibly well-hidden, but also because each realm had its own cultivation requirements.

For example, in the Tongming Sea on Celestial Dui Peak, one’s cultivation would be suppressed to the Blood Coagulation Realm.

And the secret realm on Celestial Gen Peak only permitted Martial Artists at the Elemental Realm to enter.

In the entire, vast Heaven-Stepping Sect, after the eight Peak Masters had left, there were only a few hundred Martial Artists at the Elemental Realm, and only Wu Taichu and Elder Gu had reached the Soul Gathering Realm.

Therefore, Wu Taichu didn’t even dare to think about the higher-level secret realms for now.

For a moment, after the initial excitement, Wu Taichu was overcome with deep shame.

The sect possessed secret realms, but even if they found them, they didn’t have the strength to open them.

This filled Wu Taichu’s heart with extreme shame.

Lin Hao saw Wu Taichu’s expression and understood completely, but he said nothing. Pressure created motivation. Lin Hao believed that after he left, Wu Taichu would develop the sect even better.

Secret realms were resources. The reason the Heaven-Stepping Sect had declined was because its secret realms had withered away. Now that he had told Wu Taichu about them, Lin Hao was no longer worried about the sect’s development.

After that, Lin Hao picked up a nearby brush and paper and began to write and draw.

He had given Lian Lanxin the refining methods for Tier One Spiritual Artifacts, and she had done an excellent job. Now, it was time to give her the methods for Tier Two and Tier Three Spiritual Artifacts.

He wrote and drew for several full hours.

During this time, Wu Taichu, Elder Gu, and Lian Lanxin did not leave. They all stared at Lin Hao, their faces showing no impatience, only deep respect.

When Lin Hao finally stopped his brush, he had already filled a thick stack of paper.

"Lan Xin, this is for you. Master, please give these to Martial Brother Wu Kui."

Pills and Spiritual Artifacts were the two great pillars of support for a sect, able to make it even more powerful. Lin Hao had written down a great many things.

Lian Lanxin accepted the papers with both hands, biting her lip without a word. She no longer knew what to say.

Although her memories of the Jinglian Saint Institute were hazy due to her young age at the time, she knew that within the Jinglian Saint Institute, the methods for refining Spiritual Artifacts were an absolute secret!

This was the very foundation of the Jinglian Saint Institute’s power.

And now, Lin Hao had just casually handed something so important to her.

Lian Lanxin felt the papers in her hands were impossibly heavy.

Wu Taichu felt the same.

He naturally knew what Lin Hao was entrusting to Wu Kui.

"Martial Ancestor, rest assured, we will not fail to live up to your expectations!" Holding the stack of papers, Wu Taichu bowed ninety degrees, his voice resounding and powerful.

His words were his vow.