Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Everyone has a line that shouldn’t be crossed, and for Yang Peng, that line was Lin Hao, the man who had given him a new lease on life.

If Chang Bao hadn’t mentioned Lin Hao, Yang Peng wouldn’t have objected to anything he did, and he wouldn’t have even fought back.

Yang Peng knew Lin Hao’s character. If one of his own was being bullied, Lin Hao would step in, no matter who the opponent was.

Lin Hao had already made too many enemies. Yang Peng refused to cause him any unnecessary trouble.

But now, Chang Bao was actually trying to shift the target to Lin Hao. This instantly enraged Yang Peng.

"Heh heh, so what if I’m courting death? You think you can kill me? Kid, you’re just a Spirit Body at the peak of the Fourth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm. I could kill you with a single finger!" Chang Bao sneered at Yang Peng.

Yang Peng remained silent, his gaze turning to ice.

"Senior Brother Liu Feng, does the Saint Institute permit sparring?" At this, Chang Bao looked up and asked the man who had his back turned to them.

"Of course. As long as the other party agrees, it can be a fight to the death," Liu Feng’s cold voice rang out.

Hearing the name and taking in the situation, Lin Hao immediately understood.

’Liu Feng, Liu Tian’s brother. He must have come to this courtyard to get pills for Liu Tian, but he’s being used by Chang Bao and Ma Peng. They want to make a move against me.’

’Though they’re seemingly targeting Ling Xiao and Yang Peng, of course I know their real goal.’

But there was one thing Lin Hao couldn’t figure out.

’Chang Bao’s motive is understandable. After all, I killed several people from the Sanqing Sect, including their Sect Leader.’

’But Ma Peng... he’s a Danling Sect disciple. There’s no way he doesn’t know my standing in the sect. So why is he also...?’

Then it hit him. ’Perhaps Ma Peng is close to Third Master Hao and his brothers.’

But none of that mattered now.

Because down in the courtyard, after hearing Liu Feng’s words, Chang Bao was challenging Yang Peng.

"I know your name is Yang Peng. I feel there are too many disciples in this batch, so it would be best if you’d free up your spot. I’m challenging you to a fight to the death!" Chang Bao declared arrogantly, staring at Yang Peng.

"You’re a Prime Body at the peak of the Fifth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm, and you’re challenging my junior brother? Have you no shame?! You want a fight? Fine, I’ll fight you!" Before Yang Peng could speak, Ling Xiao stepped forward to confront Chang Bao.

"Are you sure you want to fight me?" Yang Peng stepped forward to stand with Ling Xiao.

"Junior Brother..." Ling Xiao looked anxious.

Among special physiques, a higher-grade body held an Innate suppression over a lower-grade one. Not only was Chang Bao’s physique superior to Yang Peng’s, but his cultivation realm was also higher.

Not everyone was as heaven-defying as Lin Hao, who possessed an Emperor Art.

How could Yang Peng possibly be a match for Chang Bao? Accepting the challenge was a death sentence.

"It’s fine. He’s just a Prime Body at the Fifth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm. I accept this challenge." Yang Peng’s voice was completely flat, as if he didn’t take Chang Bao seriously at all.

Hearing this, Chang Bao flew into a rage. "Good, good, good! Today, I’ll make sure not even your corpse remains intact!"

Liu Feng waved his hand, and everyone retreated.

Only Chang Bao and Yang Peng remained in the center of the courtyard.

"Today, I’ll show you that a Spirit Body is nothing but an ant before a Prime Body! I only need one move—no, ten moves to take your worthless life. Killing you in one move would be letting you off too easy." Chang Bao stared at Yang Peng with utter disdain, not taking him seriously in the slightest.

His meaning was clear: he could kill Yang Peng in a single move, but he wouldn’t. He was going to torture him to death.

"Heh. Ancestor Cang Yan showed the entire empire that a Spirit Body can stand against countless foes. And just yesterday, my Senior Brother Lin perfectly demonstrated what it truly means to slay those of a higher realm. I may be untalented, but I am more than enough to kill you." For the first time, the usually taciturn Yang Peng said more than a few words.

"Hmph! Cang Yan... Cang Yan was a senior, so it’s not my place to comment. But as for Lin Hao, even with his Emperor Art, if we fought, I’m confident that with my Fifth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm cultivation, I could take ten of his moves!"

"Brother Chang is definitely one of the top disciples of the Sanqing Sect’s younger generation. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it into the top ten candidates for the next Sect Leader. If you ask me, you could take twenty of Lin Hao’s moves," Ma Peng chimed in from the side.

"Are you ready?" Yang Peng, calm once more, simply asked.

"Come on, come on. I’ll give you a three-..."

Before he could finish the word "moves," Chang Bao’s body shot backward.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Even though the Saint Institute was protected by domain fields set up by powerful martial artists, the ground still trembled with every step Chang Bao took backward.

"Shameless boasting. With that level of cultivation, you dare claim you can take ten moves from my Senior Brother Lin?" Yang Peng’s cold voice rang out.

As his voice faded, Chang Bao’s eyes widened abruptly, and then his body burst apart!

Chang Bao, a Prime Body with a cultivation at the Fifth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm, hadn’t even been able to withstand a single move from Yang Peng!

A pin-drop silence fell over the courtyard, everyone stunned by the scene.

Many of them hadn’t even seen clearly how Yang Peng had attacked.

Even Liu Feng was shocked.

He had only seen a flicker of a shadow before Yang Peng was in front of Chang Bao, and then a fist struck Chang Bao’s chest.

With a single punch, a cultivator at the Fourth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm had destroyed one at the Fifth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm. Such combat power was truly terrifying.

However, up in the large tree outside, Lin Hao was frowning.

Others might not have seen it clearly, but Lin Hao had seen everything perfectly.

The result just now was a combination of the Great Roc King Fist and the Golden Roc Soaring technique. But Lin Hao wasn’t satisfied.

’It took seven steps to destroy a mere Fifth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm cultivator. Looks like I’ll have to delay his breakthrough to the Fifth Layer for a bit,’ Lin Hao thought.

In fact, Yang Peng could have broken through to the Fifth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm long ago. But after witnessing the True Essence of an elder from the Sanqing Sect and obtaining the Secret Skill for an external avatar, Lin Hao had deliberately made Yang Peng suppress his realm. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Down in the courtyard, Yang Peng looked at his own fist and shook his head. "Seven steps. It still took seven steps. I’m still a long way from the goal."

PFFT!

Yang Peng’s words almost made everyone spit up blood.

He was at the Fourth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm and had just destroyed a Fifth Layer cultivator with one punch, yet he was still unsatisfied.

’Is he fucking doing this on purpose?!’

"Good, good. So that’s why you’re so fearless! But don’t forget, this is the Saint Institute! The two of you, are you going to hand it over or not!" A murderous intent filled Liu Feng’s voice.

SHH! SHH! SHH!

Countless leaves on the large tree where Lin Hao was hiding were pierced through.

Lin Hao’s expression changed. ’This Liu Feng’s cultivation is at least at the peak of the Eighth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm. Forget Yang Peng, even Ling Xiao is probably no match for him.’

As expected, down below, Yang Peng bore the brunt of it. His body trembled, and a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.

Just from the release of his aura, Yang Peng was already injured. A disciple of the Saint Institute was far stronger than an ordinary cultivator at the Eighth Layer of the Elemental Control Realm.

Ling Xiao stepped forward to support Yang Peng, secretly on his guard.

His cultivation was at the Seventh Layer of the Elemental Control Realm, but even he could feel the immense pressure from Liu Feng. ’This man is strong.’

"I’ll ask one last time. Are you handing it over or not!" Liu Feng seemed to have lost his patience. He took a sudden step forward and thrust out a palm.

The palm strike seemed light and floaty, devoid of any force.

However, Ling Xiao’s expression changed drastically. He shot out a palm of his own to meet it.

Then, something strange happened. Ling Xiao’s palm never even connected with Liu Feng’s.

Just as their palms were about to meet, Liu Feng’s hand bizarrely changed direction, ultimately landing on Ling Xiao’s right shoulder.

Then, Liu Feng’s shoulder twitched.

A blast of astral wind shot straight toward the large tree outside the courtyard.

The powerful astral wind sliced the treetop clean off, turning the leaves to dust and shattering the trunk!

’I didn’t expect Liu Feng to have a martial skill like this. Liu Tian is his brother; there’s no reason he wouldn’t know it too. It seems there was something fishy about Liu Tian’s defeat.’

At that moment, Lin Hao was in that very tree, but he didn’t think for a second that Liu Feng had discovered him. He recognized this martial skill.

And in the courtyard, Liu Feng stood motionless while Ling Xiao, along with Yang Peng, was sent flying backward.

PFFT!

Ling Xiao landed and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"If I had used my full strength, neither of you would have survived that palm strike. Now, are you handing it over or not?" Liu Feng’s voice wasn’t loud, but it sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

"Never!" Ling Xiao snarled, his eyes bloodshot with hatred.

And he had every reason to be.

In a normal fight, he would never have been defeated so completely.

Liu Feng’s Palm Skill was simply too bizarre and unpredictable.

"You refuse? Then I’ll kill one of you first!" Liu Feng said as he moved his palm again.

Ling Xiao and Yang Peng tensed, as if facing a great enemy.

They could both see that Liu Feng’s Palm Skill was incredibly powerful, and neither of them had any way to counter it.

Seeing their expressions, Liu Feng smiled, a brilliant, cruel smile.

"Yang Peng, you are strong. But to kill you, I also only need one move. And I guarantee, no one here can save you!" Liu Feng declared with supreme arrogance.

"Now, die!"

The feeling of holding life and death in his hands made Liu Feng’s eyes narrow, his face breaking into a wide grin.

As his voice fell, the palm strike appeared above Yang Peng’s head.

Using the Golden Roc Soaring Body Technique, Yang Peng was absolutely confident he could dodge this palm. But just as his body moved, he came to an abrupt halt.

BOOM!

A hand met Liu Feng’s palm squarely. A deafening roar erupted, and the powerful astral wind sent everyone nearby flying.

If not for the domain fields of the powerful martial artists protecting the Saint Institute, the courtyards behind them would have been obliterated.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Liu Feng was forced back step after step. When he finally stopped, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Everyone saw that Ling Xiao and Yang Peng were standing still. In front of them, a young man had appeared.

"Lin... Lin Hao!" Ma Peng cried out, stumbling backward in utter terror.

"It’s you! If I had known that day, I would have killed you then and there!" Liu Feng recognized Lin Hao.

He and another disciple had been ordered to the Southern Border Prefecture to find a Saint Institute disciple. As a result of a tip they received, they had made a trip to the Sanqing Sect.

At the Sanqing Sect’s Woniushan, he had met Lin Hao and mistaken him for a sweeper.

He hadn’t known who Lin Hao was back then. And when Lin Hao caused a huge disturbance in the Imperial City last night, he hadn’t been able to leave because of the Saint Institute’s strict rules. Now that Ma Peng had shouted his name, he finally realized this was the Lin Hao who was turning the empire upside down.

"A pity you missed your chance," Lin Hao said with a smile.

Liu Feng was about to speak, but he suddenly seemed to remember something, and his face changed drastically...