Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Chang Youde’s right arm suddenly swelled, striking down at Lin Hao’s head.

When a Soul Gathering Realm Martial Artist made a move, there was no earth-shattering fanfare, only an utterly terrifying pressure.

It wasn’t just Lin Hao; the entire plaza was enveloped and suppressed by his power.

Even though Lin Hao was now at the peak of the Fourth Layer of the Elemental Realm, in the eyes of a Soul Gathering Realm expert, he was still nothing more than an ant.

The two were simply not on the same level.

But even so, Lin Hao remained completely unruffled, his expression as calm as still water.

Just as Chang Youde’s palm was about to descend, Lin Hao spoke. "You should go find your Sect Leader."

His voice was soft, yet it carried clearly into Chang Youde’s ears.

Moreover, those words were like a clap of thunder exploding in Chang Youde’s mind, stunning him and making his head spin.

"What did you say?!" The next moment, Chang Youde’s figure blurred. He seized Lin Hao by the collar and lifted him into the air.

"Was I not clear enough?" Lin Hao remained calm.

"Impossible! The Sect Leader would never treat my Bao like that! You dare lie to me!" Chang Youde’s face twisted viciously, his eyes radiating a murderous glint. It looked as if he was about to crush Lin Hao with his palm at any second.

"Hmph! Do you think Sect Leader Ning doesn’t know about all the ’good deeds’ Chang Bao committed in Cyan Rock Town? He used to be unruly, but he never crossed the line. Now, he’s getting more and more outrageous! Have you forgotten the original intentions of the Sanqing Sect’s founder?" Lin Hao met Chang Youde’s gaze without a trace of fear, his words utterly unrestrained.

Chang Youde’s expression froze, then began to shift unpredictably.

Seeing this, Lin Hao couldn’t help but breathe a small sigh of relief.

He was just bluffing—using the Sect Leader’s name to intimidate Chang Youde.

And it seemed to be working.

Some might think Lin Hao’s actions were unnecessary. Couldn’t he have just denied everything when Chang Youde asked if he was the one who did it?

But that wasn’t the case. This was where Lin Hao’s cleverness lay.

The very fact that Chang Youde had asked meant he already suspected Lin Hao.

Even if Lin Hao had vehemently denied it, Chang Youde, who was fuming and looking for an outlet for his rage, would have likely pinned the blame on him anyway out of sheer malice.

But by admitting it freely and using Sect Leader Ning as a shield, the perceived truth of Lin Hao’s words was magnified immensely.

At the very least, Chang Youde was no longer doubting its authenticity.

However, after his expression shifted a few more times, it suddenly turned ferocious. He stared at Lin Hao, making no attempt to hide his killing intent.

The hatred for his son’s killer was absolute. Chang Youde wanted to ensure Lin Hao would die without even a burial place.

"Go on, do it. You’ll fall right into that old Taoist Ning’s trap, giving him a reason to kill you and that other old fossil. Old Taoist Ning, get your ass out here! This young master is about to kick the bucket!" Lin Hao first smirked at Chang Youde with an air of someone ready to face death, then suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.

He channeled True Essence into his last words, sending them echoing across the Sanqing Sect in the silent night sky.

At that, the dormant Sanqing Sect erupted into chaos.

In the Sanqing Sect, only the Sect Leader had the surname Ning.

The Sanqing Sect had always maintained a low profile, honoring the wishes of its founder. Although it was one of the four major sects of the Southern Border Prefecture, it had remained aloof from worldly affairs for many years, rarely engaging in conflict. Naturally, no one dared to cause trouble within its grounds.

But now, someone actually dared to call him "Old Taoist Ning" and tell him to "get his ass out here" right within the Sanqing Sect. What kind of nerve did that take?

Countless disciples looked toward the source of the voice, while the sect’s important figures rushed to the scene.

Before long, several figures had appeared in the inner sect plaza.

There were old men and middle-aged men among them.

"Youde, what are you doing?" one of the old men asked with a frown upon seeing Chang Youde holding Lin Hao.

"Father, he killed Bao!" Chang Youde’s fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

This old man was, of course, Chang Qianxun, one of the four core elders of the Sanqing Sect.

"What!" Chang Qianxun’s eyes widened in fury, and a terrifying aura erupted from his body.

The Chang family line had only one son for three generations, so Chang Bao had been deeply spoiled. This was evident from the fact that Chang Qianxun was preparing to ask the Sect Leader to procure a medicinal pill for him.

Now, upon suddenly hearing this terrible news, Chang Qianxun was enraged.

"It was the Sect Leader’s order," Chang Youde secretly transmitted to Chang Qianxun via voice projection.

The pain of losing his son had not made Chang Youde lose his mind. The Sect Leader’s involvement probably meant he intended to make an example of them.

As for the reason, Chang Youde was well aware of it.

Hearing Chang Youde’s transmission, the furious flames in Chang Qianxun’s eyes gradually faded.

’If it really was the Sect Leader’s order, then not only can I not kill this person, I must protect him to prevent him from being silenced.’

"Is every word you just said true?" Chang Qianxun gestured for Chang Youde to put Lin Hao down, then asked him softly.

"Of course it’s true," Lin Hao replied.

A different kind of fire flickered in Chang Qianxun’s eyes.

"Youde, go and invite the Sect Leader," Chang Qianxun said, his voice sounding unnatural.

Chang Youde was about to move but then froze.

A smile appeared on Lin Hao’s lips. The Sect Leader of the Sanqing Sect had arrived.

He was still dressed in a Taoist robe, looking exactly the same as when Lin Hao had seen him at the Danling Sect, only this time he was not holding his duster.

Sect Leader Ning was slightly taken aback when he saw Lin Hao, and his next action stunned everyone.

"After so many years, for another master from the Heaven-Stepping Sect to grace my Sanqing Sect truly makes our humble abode shine with brilliance." Sect Leader Ning took a single step and was already in front of Lin Hao, smiling as he spoke.

His words left everyone dumbfounded.

Afterward, the older elders of the Sanqing Sect began to look at Lin Hao differently. Even Chang Qianxun’s pupils constricted.

"Venerable Taoist, you flatter me." This old Taoist didn’t play by the book, and his words left Lin Hao completely baffled.

"Forty-five years ago, your grandmaster’s senior, Cang Yan, came to my Sanqing Sect for the same reason you have." Sect Leader Ning explained, clearing up Lin Hao’s confusion.

Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly. "You know why I’m here?"

"Of course I know. Unfortunately, I’ve searched for what you seek for over a hundred years and have never found it. If you can find it, however, I’d be willing to give it to you," Sect Leader Ning replied.

At that, Lin Hao knew. This old Taoist truly knew what he wanted.

Moreover, the old Taoist’s attitude was too good—so good that Lin Hao felt a pang of guilt.

"My apologies, Venerable Taoist. Just now, in order to save my own skin, I may have inadvertently tarnished your reputation a bit."

Sect Leader Ning laughed heartily. "I’m an old man. What use do I have for a reputation?"

"You dared to lie to me!" Chang Youde snapped back to his senses, glaring at Lin Hao with hatred.

But he didn’t dare to act rashly.

Chang Youde had practically grown up in the Sanqing Sect. The Sect Leader looked the same now as he did when Chang Youde was a child; he hadn’t changed a bit in decades.

At first glance, he was just an ordinary old Taoist, but it was precisely this ordinariness that made him seem all the more mysterious and unfathomable.

"Qianxun, I told you to discipline Chang Bao strictly, or he would be unable to escape his fated calamity. Alas..." At this, Sect Leader Ning let out a sigh.

Only then did Chang Qianxun recall that the Sect Leader had said this more than once.

’Could it be... the Sect Leader foresaw this day long ago?’

The moment that thought arose, Chang Qianxun’s agitated heart turned to ice.

"Youde, you have failed in teaching your son and your disciples. From this day forward, you are stripped of your position as an inner sect elder. Qianxun, you too should reflect on your actions. Of course, the grudge for a son’s murder is absolute. If you want revenge, you can have a fair fight on the Cyan Cloud Platform," Sect Leader Ning said calmly.

"Yes." The Chang father and son replied in unison, not daring to object.

Lin Hao’s eyes widened in awe.

’This old Taoist is incredible!’

From the moment he appeared, he had unknowingly seized control of the situation, leaving the Chang father and son no opportunity to even challenge him.

Moreover, he had a strange aura about him—mysterious and profound.

’A true master. This old Taoist is a true master.’

’But how come I didn’t notice it back at the Danling Sect?’

Then it dawned on Lin Hao: the old Taoist was simply too low-key.

"Lin Hao, the feud over my son’s murder is irreconcilable! Cyan Cloud Platform, a duel to the death!" While Lin Hao was still sizing up Sect Leader Ning, the flames of battle had already reached him. Chang Youde’s eyes were bloodshot, practically bursting from their sockets with rage.

Lin Hao looked at the old Taoist Ning, his lips twitching slightly.

’So the most devious one here is this old Taoist. He plotted against me without me even realizing it.’

"I refuse!" Lin Hao snapped.

The moment Lin Hao spoke, a powerful aura erupted from Chang Youde, instantly enveloping him.

"In the Sanqing Sect, there is an unwritten rule: a challenge on the Cyan Cloud Platform must be accepted. If you refuse, and he kills you right now, I can only stand by and watch," the old Taoist Ning said. Lin Hao could see a cunning smile in his eyes.

Lin Hao gritted his teeth in frustration and squeezed out two words: "I’ll fight!"

"I’ll be waiting for you on the Cyan Cloud Platform!" Chang Youde declared, then shot up into the air.

Chang Qianxun gave Sect Leader Ning a slight bow and chased after Chang Youde.

"Sect Leader, I will take him there," another elder said with a bow to Sect Leader Ning, before starting to lead the way for Lin Hao.

"Old Taoist, didn’t you just call me a master? Is this how you treat your guests?" Lin Hao was fuming.

He had come looking for a Cultivation Technique, only to be used by this old man as his hired muscle.

"Weren’t you looking to vent some anger? Killing is permitted on the Cyan Cloud Platform. I hope to see you alive in a little while," the old Taoist Ning said suddenly.

’Those words don’t seem like something a Sect Leader should say, especially to an outsider like me.’

This gave Lin Hao a strange feeling.

However, Lin Hao didn’t have time to dwell on it, as the elder was already leading him away.

Before long, they stopped at the edge of a cliff.

"Go on, the Cyan Cloud Platform is down below. It was carved out by our sect’s founder. Although it can’t compare to your sect’s God-Proving Platform, any Martial Artist from this continent who enters will have their cultivation suppressed to the same realm," the elder explained, pointing downward, before turning and leaving.

Lin Hao peered over the edge and saw a flat, open space not far below. In the center of this space were two large characters: Cyan Cloud.

At that moment, Chang Youde was standing beneath the character for "Cloud."

Unafraid, Lin Hao leaped down.

In the Blood Coagulation Realm, he had been invincible among his peers. He could be the same in the Elemental Realm.

However, this time, Lin Hao was overconfident.

The Blood Coagulation Realm focused on tempering the physical body, while the Elemental Realm focused on mastering True Essence.

Once one’s mastery of True Essence reached a certain level, their combat power would still be far superior to others of the same rank, even if their cultivation realm was suppressed.

Furthermore, Chang Youde’s Element Transformation Skill was on a completely different level from the likes of Chen Xing and the others.