Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

"The Celestial Demon Dog! I’ve been with the Lin family for decades, and I spent over ten of those years dealing with Celestial Demon Dogs. I watched many of the family’s Celestial Demon Dogs grow up. I couldn’t be more familiar with them," Yi Mingcheng said with a pleasant surprise.

Lin Hao pondered for a moment, then cautioned, "Perhaps ’a caterpillar becoming a butterfly’ isn’t the right analogy. If you think of the Divine Soul as a person, then the bloodline is the fetus..."

At that, Lin Hao abruptly stopped speaking.

At first, his brow was tightly furrowed, but it soon smoothed out. Finally, he snapped his head up, his eyes shining as brightly as stars.

He had thought of his own Divine Soul!

’Divine Souls come in all shapes and sizes. They can be any of the myriad things in the world, which means they can also be a person!’

’And who understands one’s own body better than oneself?’

Lin Hao’s eyes lit up, his gaze seeming to pierce through the void, as if he could see Lin Wu’s arrogant smile.

’Lin Wu, oh, Lin Wu... you stole my bloodline and left me with nothing. But soon, I will create a new "me"!’

Beneath the sky, with a single thought, Lin Hao had determined his Divine Soul!

"Uncle Cheng, I just had a thought. When it comes to familiarity, nothing is more familiar to you than your own body. Why not try making your Divine Soul a replica of yourself?"

Lin Hao didn’t keep the idea to himself and shared what he was thinking.

"Myself? Can that really be a Divine Soul?" Yi Mingcheng asked, looking lost.

"The Nirvana Sutra speaks of Four Virtues: Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity. The virtue of ’Self’ means that a Buddha has shed the ’false self’ of mortals and attained the ’true self’ of the ’Eight Great Freedoms.’ Therefore..."

Lin Hao’s voice trailed off. He suddenly remembered that this knowledge was from the Carefree Divine Monarch’s homeland. How could Yi Mingcheng possibly understand it?

Sure enough, Yi Mingcheng shook his head. "Young Master, what you said is too profound for me. I think I’ll stick with the Celestial Demon Dog."

"Alright! We don’t have a blood-swapping pool here, so swallow these Rejuvenation Blood Pills. They will help you restore your True Qi and regenerate your blood essence."

Lin Hao took out all the medicinal pills on his person. After swallowing two himself, he handed the rest over.

These Rejuvenation Blood Pills were worth a fortune, yet Lin Hao didn’t even blink. Yi Mingcheng’s lips trembled, but he ultimately remained silent. Right now, his duty was to help his Young Master prove that creating a bloodline was truly possible.

Seeing that Yi Mingcheng was ready, Lin Hao sat cross-legged behind him. He placed his palms on the man’s back, activated his Cultivation Technique, and began mending his sinews and bones.

"In a moment, carefully sense the flow of my energy. Then, visualize the Celestial Demon Dog and guide your blood essence toward your Dantian," Lin Hao instructed before beginning to channel his True Qi.

Yi Mingcheng shuddered as he felt a strange stream of energy enter his body. He immediately calmed his mind and focused his senses inward.

Although Lin Hao had experience reconstructing his own body, doing it for someone else was a far greater challenge.

Fortunately, the stream of energy generated by the Tai Chi Array Map in his Dantian was extraordinary. Wherever it flowed, Yi Mingcheng’s severed bones, sinews, and meridians instantly fused back together.

But even so, the process was anything but easy for Lin Hao.

Mending another’s body took a tremendous toll on him. Before long, his face was flushed bright red, and sweat poured from him like rain.

As he frantically circulated the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill, a cold wind began to howl around the cave, making the air itself seem to crackle and whip.

Fifteen minutes...

Half an hour...

One hour...

Steam billowed from Lin Hao’s body. The ground in a one-meter radius around him was soaked with his sweat, and his face had turned an unnatural, purplish red.

Even with the help of the Rejuvenation Blood Pills, the immense drain on his energy left him struggling to keep up.

Yet he didn’t dare relax in the slightest. The initial reconstruction of the bones and sinews was complete, but now came the most critical step.

Next, Lin Hao had to create a bloodline for Yi Mingcheng!

Lin Hao perceived droplets of blood essence within Yi Mingcheng’s body transforming into the head, ears, legs, and tail of a Celestial Demon Dog...

From all the different meridians, they spontaneously surged toward the same destination—Yi Mingcheng’s Dantian!

Then, piece by piece, they began to connect.

A hint of a smile touched Lin Hao’s young face, but it vanished in an instant, replaced by alarm.

Yi Mingcheng’s Dantian was too small to contain the nearly complete form of the Celestial Demon Dog.

If this continued, there was only one possible outcome for Yi Mingcheng: his body would explode, and he would die!

The situation was dire!

"Back to its origin! In the beginning, the Celestial Demon Dog is no bigger than the tip of a needle, like a newly formed embryo. Picture its most primitive state now!" Lin Hao sent the thought directly into Yi Mingcheng’s mind.

By mending his body and creating his bloodline, Lin Hao essentially had control over Yi Mingcheng’s physical form, but not his mind. At this moment, Yi Mingcheng’s own thoughts were the key.

Everything depended on this.

Yi Mingcheng’s body convulsed, and he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Lin Hao felt every last wisp of the mysterious True Qi in his body get sucked away. Already a spent force, he no longer had the strength to even circulate his Cultivation Technique.

He was running on nothing but sheer, unyielding willpower.

When Yi Mingcheng coughed up blood, Lin Hao’s spirit was willing, but his body was weak. The rest was up to Yi Mingcheng himself.

Feeling Yi Mingcheng’s body trembling uncontrollably, and sensing the qi and blood roiling within him, Lin Hao was initially alarmed, but then his eyes widened, and a smile spread across his young face.

He had gone through this himself three years ago. It was the sign of a bloodline awakening!

Sure enough, in the next moment, Yi Mingcheng’s robes were quickly soaked in a tide of blood red.

A pool of red began to spread across the ground beneath him.

This was a classic precursor to a bloodline awakening: Blood Renewal!

But this time, it was happening to someone with a mortal body.

If word of this got out, it would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the world!

Creating a bloodline for a mortal... forget the Cangnan Empire, even the Li Long Dynasty that ruled the continent would covet such an ability.

Lin Hao clenched his fists, his expression one of pure, unadulterated excitement.

Another hour passed.

During that time, Lin Hao’s attention was completely fixed on Yi Mingcheng. If this worked, every single physical change would be critically important data for him.

Several times, seeing Yi Mingcheng on the verge of collapse, Lin Hao’s heart leaped into his throat. He was terrified that Yi Mingcheng wouldn’t be able to endure.

"PFFT..."

Ten minutes later, Yi Mingcheng abruptly spat another mouthful of blood and collapsed.

Alarmed, Lin Hao reached out to check Yi Mingcheng’s pulse...

The next moment!

Lin Hao clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms, but he didn’t seem to feel it.

Yi Mingcheng’s vital signs were stronger than ever before!

Suppressing his excitement, Lin Hao closed his eyes.

The process had consumed a vast amount of his essence, energy, and spirit. If he didn’t meditate and recover now, he would suffer lasting damage.

Time flowed on. The sky began to lighten; the night was almost over.

Lin Hao entered a deep meditative state, unmoving as a mountain. Meanwhile, Yi Mingcheng, who had been completely still, suddenly stirred.

After looking around in a daze, Yi Mingcheng’s senses snapped back. He let out a visible sigh of relief when he saw Lin Hao.

Only then did he remember to check his own body.

Peering inward at his Dantian, Yi Mingcheng’s face was first a mask of disbelief. Then, his lips trembled, and tears streamed down his face.

There, in his Dantian, a blood-red object the size of a grain of rice floated silently. It hadn’t been there before.

And though the object was tiny, Yi Mingcheng could feel power radiating from it!

’Is this a bloodline? Did I awaken a bloodline? No, this is the bloodline the Young Master created for me. Did he... did he really succeed?!’

Driven by the questions in his heart, Yi Mingcheng began to circulate his Cultivation Technique.

A moment later, Yi Mingcheng’s eyes flew open. He stared blankly for a second, then dropped to his knees and performed a grand kowtow to Lin Hao, bowing his head to the ground nine times.

As he circulated his Cultivation Technique just now, he had distinctly felt the power of the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer!

Reaching the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer was the hallmark of a bloodline awakening! 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

And with an awakened bloodline, he was no longer a mere mortal. He was, at the very least, a Spirit Body.

’A Spirit Body! I could become an expert in the Elemental Realm, or maybe even reach the Soul Gathering Realm!’

And all of this had been granted to him by Lin Hao.

To create a bloodline for a mortal—this was an unprecedented miracle.

And he, Yi Mingcheng, was the first beneficiary of this miracle.

Other than kowtowing, Yi Mingcheng could think of no other way to express the depth of his gratitude.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The sound roused Lin Hao from his meditation. By then, Yi Mingcheng had just completed his kowtows.

"Uncle Cheng, how do you feel?" Lin Hao asked, smiling.

Yi Mingcheng, a man well into his forties, dropped to his knees before Lin Hao once more. "Young Master," he answered, tears streaming down his face, "I... I’ve reached the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer!"

"So, I succeeded!" Hearing Yi Mingcheng confirm it himself, Lin Hao could finally relax.

Yi Mingcheng nodded vigorously, his voice filled with excitement. "Yes! Yes! Young Master, you’ve performed a miracle unprecedented on this continent!"

The thought that he was the very first witness and beneficiary of this miracle made Yi Mingcheng’s spirit soar.

"Who says the heavens are immutable! I, Lin Hao, will make heaven and earth bow before me!" Lin Hao rose to his full height, clasped his hands behind his back, and gazed out from the mouth of the cave at the vast sky.

High in the sky, the face of the Carefree Divine Monarch seemed to materialize for a moment before vanishing.

Back then, on this very mountain, Lin Hao had been arrogant and defiant, making wild claims. Though the Carefree Divine Monarch had never said so outright, Lin Hao knew he hadn’t believed it was possible.

Now, Lin Hao had answered him with his actions.

Behind Lin Hao, Yi Mingcheng stood hunched over, his face a mask of shock. Lin Hao was doing nothing at all, yet Yi Mingcheng had the distinct impression that he was witnessing the rise of a Great Emperor.

"Uncle Cheng, we’re going back to the Lin family now!" Too much time had been wasted. With Yi Mingcheng out of danger, thoughts of Yan’Er resurfaced in Lin Hao’s mind.

Yi Mingcheng remembered as well.

He knew exactly what Lin Hao had risked staying in the Lin family for. When he thought about how Lin Hao had set aside even Yan’Er’s urgent situation for his sake, Yi Mingcheng felt he could die from shame.

"Don’t blame yourself. When I left the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, I left a message for the Pavilion Master in your name. I expect he’s already at the Lin family by now."

Lin Hao, knowing exactly what he was thinking, said reassuringly.

"Let’s go. We have some time now. Uncle Cheng, I’ll teach you a Cultivation Technique."

He’d waited ten days already; what was a little more time? Lin Hao made the sudden offer as they began to walk.

This was a carefully considered decision on Lin Hao’s part.

Now that Yi Mingcheng had a bloodline, he would be a powerful ally to Lin Hao in the future. Teaching him a proper Cultivation Technique would only benefit Lin Hao.

Yi Mingcheng could hardly believe his ears at Lin Hao’s casual words.

A Cultivation Technique!

On this continent, while Cultivation Techniques weren’t officially ranked, they were far more precious than any martial arts skill.

The Lin family, for instance, had only three Cultivation Techniques, compared to dozens of martial skills.

A Cultivation Technique was the foundation of all martial arts. With a powerful enough Cultivation Technique, once a cultivator reached a high enough realm, their every move would be as deadly as a formal skill!

And now, the Young Master was actually offering to teach him a Cultivation Technique. Yi Mingcheng was so overcome with emotion he could barely stand.