Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

"How did you just do that?!" Liu Feng stared at Lin Hao, demanding an answer. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Lin Hao knew exactly what he was asking but feigned ignorance. "What?" he asked, feigning confusion.

Liu Feng’s Palm Skill couldn’t escape Lin Hao’s Eyes of Golden Flame.

It was an extremely powerful Palm Skill called the Misty Palm.

But for the Misty Palm to unleash its true power, it had to be paired with a matching Cultivation Technique.

That Cultivation Technique was called the Carefree Skill.

It was a Quasi-Saint Level Secret Skill. If Liu Feng had cultivated it, then Liu Tian surely had as well.

If Liu Tian had used the Misty Palm in his duel just now, Lin Hao was certain that Pan Yun would have been no match for him.

After three days of effort, Liu Tian was just one step away from leaving his name on the Holy Stele, yet he hadn’t used the technique. ’There must be a reason for that.’

Everyone had been saying how calculating Pan Yun was, but in Lin Hao’s eyes, Liu Tian was the truly terrifying enemy.

Lin Hao wanted to enter the upper division, and Liu Tian was an unavoidable obstacle. For that reason, Lin Hao would never reveal that he had seen through the Palm Skill.

"You’re only at the Seventh Layer of the Elemental Realm, yet you can fight me at the Eighth Layer. How do you do it?" Seeing that Lin Hao’s confusion seemed genuine, Liu Feng breathed a sigh of relief and rephrased his question.

Lin Hao smiled and retorted, "Is the Eighth Layer of the Elemental Realm really that strong?"

Liu Feng froze. His face flushed red with embarrassment, which was quickly replaced by rage.

"Lin Hao, I challenge you to a duel! A fight to the death!" Liu Feng’s face twisted with aggression, looking as if he wanted to tear Lin Hao to shreds.

Although Lin Hao’s combat record was impressive, Liu Feng was fully confident in his own abilities.

He believed that once he used that Palm Skill, Lin Hao would certainly die filled with regret!

A flicker of movement crossed Lin Hao’s eyes.

To be honest, this Liu Feng was completely different from the one he had seen at Woniushan. The current Liu Feng was like a brainless, rabid dog, biting at anything and everything.

But a rabid dog like this was always the biggest headache.

"Are you sure?!" Lin Hao asked in a low voice.

The Misty Palm combined with the Carefree Skill was a Quasi-Saint Level Secret Skill. Although it would be tricky to deal with, Lin Hao was confident he wouldn’t be the one to die.

"Hahaha, you’re scared! Today, I’ll show everyone that you, Lin Hao, are no myth! I am sure!" Liu Feng enunciated each of his final words.

Just as Lin Hao was about to nod, footsteps approached from outside the courtyard, and a voice called out, "I deeply apologize for my elder brother disturbing you all."

As the voice faded, a knock came from the courtyard gate.

That’s right, you didn’t mishear. The person who had just spoken was knocking.

Although he couldn’t see them, Lin Hao already knew who had arrived.

Liu Tian was a prized disciple of the Saint Institute’s upper division, a hair’s breadth away from being one of the top ten masters on the Holy Stele. For him to visit the courtyard of new disciples in the middle division and actually knock so politely...

In an instant, Lin Hao’s appraisal of Liu Tian’s danger level skyrocketed a hundredfold!

Aside from Lin Hao and his two companions, the others all stared at each other in confusion.

When Liu Feng arrived earlier, he had made his intentions clear, so they naturally knew who was knocking at the gate.

A disciple from the Saint Institute’s upper division, a genius among geniuses, was not only free of arrogance but was even knocking politely. They were all stunned.

Ma Peng was the first to snap out of it. He scurried over and opened the gate.

Outside the gate, Liu Tian had changed out of his battle armor and into a set of green robes.

He stood there with a sunny smile on his face, his bearing exceptionally graceful.

"My apologies for the intrusion." Liu Tian’s gaze swept over the crowd, not lingering on Lin Hao for more than a moment. Then he looked at Liu Feng and said, "Brother, it’s so late. You really shouldn’t be disturbing our junior brothers’ rest."

"No disturbance at all! For Senior Brother Liu Feng to visit, we’re all overwhelmed by the honor," Ma Peng piped up again, a look of delight on his face.

After that, everyone except Lin Hao’s group chimed in with agreement.

"Lin Hao, this is Senior Brother Liu Tian. Drop the attitude." Seeing that Lin Hao and his friends remained unmoved, Ma Peng’s eyes darted about as he tried to borrow Liu Tian’s authority.

Lin Hao’s guess had been correct. Ma Peng was indeed a close relative of the Danling Sect’s Third Master Hao.

He was Third Master Hao’s son.

Although the Danling Sect didn’t forbid marriage, the elders almost never accepted disciples who had families, so that they could focus wholeheartedly on cultivating the Alchemy Dao.

Third Master Hao had already taken a wife and had a son, so in order to become an elder’s disciple, he had forged his identity.

Only after he finally succeeded did he send his son into the sect, changing his name to Ma Peng.

During the Danling Sect’s assembly, after Third Master Hao stole the medicinal pills, he had already sent Ma Peng away from the sect. Therefore, Ma Peng only had a vague idea of what had truly happened. The only thing he could confirm was that his father was dead because of Lin Hao.

The feud for a slain father is irreconcilable.

Ma Peng’s desire to see Lin Hao dead was incredibly strong.

That was why he had quickly sought out Liu Feng after Liu Tian was injured and led him here.

Now, with Liu Tian present, how could he possibly let such a perfect opportunity slip by?

They say your enemy is the one who knows you best, and Ma Peng knew Lin Hao very well.

He knew that with Lin Hao’s personality, he would never compromise.

However, Lin Hao’s reaction was completely unexpected.

"Senior Brother Liu Tian, your presence truly overwhelms me with honor. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming. My apologies, my apologies." Lin Hao’s face was a mask of excitement. He stared at Liu Tian, his eyes shining with exhilaration and fervor.

’It’s just an act. Anyone can do it.’

Liu Tian’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he put on a surprised expression. "So you are Lin Hao? This humble brother has long heard of your great name. I thought we might never have the chance to meet, but I never expected it to happen today. Meeting you in person is even better than hearing the rumors. You truly are as handsome as jade."

After a pause, Liu Tian suddenly sighed. "Alas, upon meeting you, this humble brother should be sharing a drink and good conversation with you. Unfortunately, I am injured, and you are weary from your journey. It is truly a great pity."

Liu Tian was only fifteen or sixteen, not much older than Lin Hao, but with every "this humble brother," he was putting Lin Hao at a disadvantage.

Liu Tian’s cunning was beyond what Lin Hao had imagined.

"The moment I entered the Saint Institute, I heard the senior brothers talking about Brother Liu. In just three days, you defeated all sorts of experts on the Saint Institute battlefield, coming within a single step of the top ten masters on the Holy Stele. Brother Liu, you’re practically a figure of myth."

Lin Hao showered Liu Tian with praise, then abruptly changed his tone. "Brother Liu, we hit it off right away. Why don’t we become sworn brothers?"

Liu Tian’s expression stiffened slightly.

’Everyone knew Lin Hao had offended the Lin and Hu families, as well as the royal family. He’d made so many enemies. Getting involved with him would be suicide!’

This was a classic case of being hoist by his own petard.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You think you’re worthy?!" Liu Feng, who had been standing to the side, burst out, his face beet-red with anger.

’This Lin Hao is too shameless!’

He now understood Lin Hao’s goal.

Liu Feng was actually a clever person, but whenever Liu Tian was involved, he would stop thinking. That was why he had been manipulated by Ma Peng into coming here to demand medicinal pills.

But with Liu Tian’s arrival, Liu Feng had realized his mistake.

Now that the image Liu Tian had worked so hard to maintain was about to be shattered by Lin Hao, Liu Feng felt it was his duty to step forward.

"Brother, have you been drinking on the sly again?" Liu Tian asked out of the blue.

Lin Hao sneered inwardly. ’His trick to divert attention isn’t very clever.’

SHHH!

Liu Feng put a finger to his lips, looked around for a moment, and then said, "It’s not like you don’t know I have a taste for it. Drunken Red Dust is hard to find, but thank goodness for ’Breaking Soul’. This wine might seem colorless and odorless, but it’s mellow on the palate with a long-lasting aftertaste. The best part is, no matter how much you drink, you won’t smell of alcohol."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Feng giggled and started to fall over.

Liu Tian quickly caught him. "See, I knew something was off with you today. Let’s get you home! My apologies, everyone, for disturbing you."

After apologizing, Liu Tian supported Liu Feng and began to leave.

"Senior Brother Liu Tian, let me help you," Ma Peng said, and without waiting for an answer, he supported Liu Feng’s other side. Then, they quickly departed.

"Breaking Soul... he must have really wracked his brain to come up with a name like that." After Liu Tian and the others left, Ling Xiao sneered.

With Liu Tian’s group gone, the other disciples also began to leave hastily. By now, everyone knew that Lin Hao had an unimaginable number of enemies. Associating with him could be a death sentence at any moment.

However, upon hearing Ling Xiao’s words, one disciple stopped and turned back. "Senior Brother," he said, "that wine really does exist in the Imperial City. It’s from the neighboring Mo Yun Kingdom. Senior Brother Liu Feng wasn’t lying."

After saying his piece, the disciple quickly left.

In the vast courtyard, doors were shut and bolted, leaving only Lin Hao and his two friends.

"’Breaking Soul’... so there really is such a strange wine. A product of the Mo Yun Kingdom... Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Ling Xiao murmured, stunned.

The Celestial Yang Continent was ruled by the Li Long Dynasty, which governed six major vassal states and countless smaller kingdoms. The Mo Yun Kingdom was not one of the six major states, but it was very powerful. Due to its border with the Cangnan Empire, the two nations often had conflicts.

The Mo Yun Kingdom wanted to replace Cangnan and become an empire itself.

Now that fine wine from the Mo Yun Kingdom was flowing into Cangnan, it was no wonder Ling Xiao’s thoughts were running wild.

"The world is in a constant state of flux, of division and unification. For us martial artists, the pinnacle of the martial way is the only ultimate pursuit," Yang Peng’s voice came from behind.

He was naturally talented but had once nearly lost his connection to the martial path. Now that he had the chance to ascend to the peak, he naturally wouldn’t let himself be distracted by matters that didn’t concern him.

"Junior Brother, that’s where you’re wrong." Ling Xiao shook his head. "The Heaven-Breaking Pavilion only recruits disciples from the six great Saint Institutes. Do you think the Mo Yun Kingdom wouldn’t fight for such an opportunity? If my guess is correct, the Mo Yun Kingdom will soon launch a massive invasion of Cangnan."

Yang Peng’s expression changed.

Just as Ling Xiao said, if the Mo Yun Kingdom became an empire, it would naturally establish its own Imperial Saint Institute. Only then would it have the chance to send disciples to the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion.

For that reason alone, the Mo Yun Kingdom would go berserk.

Lin Hao was also surprised. He hadn’t expected Ling Xiao to deduce so much just from those two words, "Breaking Soul."

This was the difference between a disciple from a great family and an ordinary person.

Although it was just a hypothesis, the probability of it coming true was almost one hundred percent.

"Let’s rest. We might not be staying at the Saint Institute for long." Lin Hao’s gaze was fiery as he looked up at the sky, where dark clouds were rolling in.

In Lin Hao’s eyes, the Saint Institute was nothing more than a cage. From the very beginning, he had never planned to stay for long.

If a war really did break out, it would be the perfect opportunity to temper himself.

To be honest, Lin Hao was even looking forward to it.