Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Although it was called the Saint Institute, danger lurked in every corner. Who knew how many people were watching Lin Hao from the shadows, ready to strike.

However, Lin Hao slept exceptionally soundly on his first night in the Saint Institute.

The next morning, it was Chen Qian who woke Lin Hao up.

After leaving Lin Hao the previous day, Chen Qian had received a letter from his family. The letter contained only two words: Befriend him.

The calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, so forceful it seemed to pierce the paper, and it emanated a grim, murderous aura.

Although the letter was unsigned, Chen Qian knew at a glance who had written it.

In the Chen family, only one person possessed such skill—Chen Yan!

Chen Yan, who single-handedly founded the Crimson Flame Army and elevated the Chen family to the ranks of the four great families, was an immortal legend in the clan!

The number of people in the Chen family who had been honored with a personally written letter from him could be counted on one hand!

Upon suddenly receiving the letter, Chen Qian was so excited that his entire body trembled.

But immediately after, he was shocked by another thought.

The two words were without context, but Chen Qian knew exactly who they were referring to.

That Lin Hao alone was taken so seriously by the Old Master left Chen Qian speechless. Lin Hao’s status in his mind soared higher and higher.

Last night, all thoughts of sleep had vanished. After carefully putting away the thin sheet of paper, he had sat in a daze all night.

As soon as dawn broke, Chen Qian couldn’t sit still any longer.

’He’s killed several members of the Lin family right after entering Imperial City,’ he thought. ’Lin Hao should be on high alert right now.’

However, when he found Lin Hao, Chen Qian was dumbfounded.

Lin Hao was fast asleep, snoring away without a single precaution.

At first, Chen Qian thought Lin Hao was putting on an act to bait and kill those who were after his life.

Because of this, Chen Qian quickly announced who he was.

However, after calling out several times, Lin Hao still didn’t react.

At this, Chen Qian’s admiration for Lin Hao was absolute.

’To be able to sleep so soundly after killing members of one of the four great families... I’m afraid only Lin Hao could do that.’

He wanted to wake Lin Hao, but then he remembered the Old Master’s two words. He retreated to the doorway and began to act as a door god for Lin Hao...

Many of the new disciples were too excited to rest much on their first night in the Saint Institute.

But when they got up, they witnessed a strange sight.

A young man was standing in front of a room, looking for all the world like he was serving as a door god for the person inside.

"That’s Lin Hao’s room," a disciple whispered.

The living conditions at the Saint Institute were quite good. Lower Court Disciples shared a room with eight people, Middle Court Disciples had four to a room, and Upper Court Disciples had single rooms.

Outside each room was a wooden plaque engraved with the names of its occupants.

Lin Hao was a Middle Court Disciple, so his room was originally for four people. However, once the other three found out Lin Hao was moving in, they refused to set foot inside again, no matter what.

’Are you kidding me? If I suffered an undeserved death and got killed in my sleep, I wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.’

"What a show-off. He just got to the Saint Institute and he already has a bodyguard. Isn’t that the guy from last night who—" a disciple muttered, but his mouth was quickly covered by the person next to him.

"Shh, are you blind?! Didn’t you see he’s the senior brother who was in charge of the assessment yesterday?"

Everyone looked, and sure enough, it was him.

Although they didn’t know Chen Qian’s name, they all knew he was an Upper Court Disciple. At this realization, everyone’s eyes went wide.

An Upper Court Disciple acting as a bodyguard for Lin Hao? It was an absolutely jaw-dropping sight.

After a moment’s thought, the crowd shook their heads.

’That’s impossible.’

Just then, two people passed through the crowd and walked toward Lin Hao’s room. It was Ling Xiao and Yang Peng.

"Brother Lin is resting. Who are you?" While the two were still some distance away, Chen Qian held out a hand, signaling for them to stop, and asked.

"Greetings, Senior Brother. We are from the Heaven-Stepping Sect," Ling Xiao replied with a smile.

Although Chen Qian’s tone was neutral, Ling Xiao could feel an invisible pressure.

’This senior brother’s cultivation is terrifyingly high.’

"Oh, so you’re Brother Lin’s fellow sect disciples. A pleasure to meet you. I’m Chen Qian." Hearing them state their origin, Chen Qian immediately came forward with a smile, his imposing aura vanishing without a trace.

"Dare I ask, Senior Brother, are you from the Chen family?" Ling Xiao asked tentatively, startled.

Chen Qian nodded.

HISS!

The sound of sharp intakes of breath instantly filled the air.

A disciple from the Chen family, one of the four great families, was acting as a free bodyguard for Lin Hao. If word of this got out, it would absolutely make everyone’s jaw drop.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Chen Qian just smiled and didn’t explain.

In fact, in Chen Qian’s heart, he felt he wasn’t even qualified to be a bodyguard for someone the Old Master valued so highly.

"S-Senior Brother Chen, are you here to see Senior Brother Lin? I can go get him for you." As soon as Ling Xiao heard that Chen Qian was from the Chen family, his mind started racing.

’Senior Brother Lin has already made enemies of two of the four great families. Now that a disciple from the Chen family has shown up, we have to build a good relationship with him.’

Behind Ling Xiao, a faint smile appeared on Yang Peng’s icy face.

When he and Ling Xiao first met, Lin Hao hadn’t yet appeared on the scene. Ling Xiao had been the high and mighty senior brother, the number one genius of the sect, a person from a completely different world. But because of Lin Hao’s arrival, even someone as proud as Ling Xiao had long since shed his arrogance.

Yang Peng’s world revolved solely around Lin Hao. This change in Ling Xiao thrilled him.

"No, no, I’m not here for anything important. He hasn’t had a moment’s rest since arriving in Imperial City. Let him get some proper sleep," Chen Qian once again stopped Ling Xiao, shaking his head and refusing his offer.

Ling Xiao smiled and stepped back.

And so, the three of them stood silently before the door, waiting quietly for Lin Hao to wake up.

"Crap!" An hour later, Chen Qian slapped his forehead and exclaimed.

Then, he spun around abruptly.

But when his hand touched the door, his movements became very gentle.

"Brother Lin, wake up." Seeing that Lin Hao was still sound asleep, Chen Qian spoke again, this time infusing his voice with a sliver of True Essence.

Lin Hao’s eyes snapped open, and a powerful aura erupted from his body, an aura that made even Chen Qian’s heart palpitate.

This horrified Chen Qian.

He was only a step away from the Soul Gathering Realm, yet the aura erupting from Lin Hao was enough to make his heart pound. He was stunned.

The moment he saw it was Chen Qian, the aura around Lin Hao vanished completely.

"Brother Chen, what brings you here?" Lin Hao asked.

"No time to talk, the Saint Institute’s morning assembly is about to start," Chen Qian said as he grabbed Lin Hao’s outer robe for him.

The morning assembly at the Saint Institute was a major event because it included a pilgrimage ceremony. Lateness was absolutely forbidden.

Anyone who was late would be severely punished.

"You guys go ahead. I’ll be right behind you," Lin Hao said, starting to hurry as well.

Lin Hao had no desire to become a celebrity.

"The assembly is held in the Upper Court plaza. We’ll go on ahead," Chen Qian replied and turned to leave.

He even used a Body Technique.

Ling Xiao and Yang Peng glanced at Lin Hao’s room and followed close behind.

Lin Hao was not slow either. Not long after they left, he shot out of the room...

By the time Lin Hao arrived at the Upper Court plaza, the vast square was already packed with a dense, silent crowd.

At the very edge of the plaza, Lin Hao saw Ling Xiao and Yang Peng.

It was only natural for new disciples to stand at the edge.

As soon as Lin Hao walked over, many people immediately made way for him.

Lin Hao naturally knew why, but he wasn’t annoyed. He just smiled and said, "Thank you."

The others stared at Lin Hao with strange expressions.

Just then, Ling Xiao whispered to Lin Hao, "Senior Brother, why haven’t you changed your clothes?"

Lin Hao looked around and saw that everyone in the plaza was wearing a uniform—the outfits that had been distributed last night.

"Is there a rule that we have to change?" Lin Hao asked, confused. No one had told him about this rule.

"Senior Brother, every room has a copy of the Saint Institute’s rules. It says that all disciples must wear the Saint Institute uniform during the morning assembly because a grand pilgrimage ceremony is held every time," Ling Xiao explained.

Ever since entering Imperial City, Lin Hao had been fighting one battle after another, walking the line between life and death. He had been under immense pressure, especially when the Spirit Transformation Realm expert appeared. As a result, he had fallen asleep the moment he got to his courtyard, with no time to look at any rules.

Now, hearing Ling Xiao’s explanation, Lin Hao frowned. "What a hassle."

Lin Hao was someone who disliked being constrained. To him, these rules were simply cruel.

"The rules also say that morning assemblies are actually rare. They’re only held when new disciples join or when there’s a major announcement. The rest of the time, the Saint Institute doesn’t care about what you wear," Ling Xiao further explained.

Lin Hao nodded, intending to go change his clothes.

Lin Hao’s Spiritual Sense was astonishing. In just a short time, he could already feel countless gazes converging on him.

However, it was already too late.

Several figures appeared above the Upper Court. Lin Hao saw the Saint Master from yesterday, the four elders who had been in charge of opening the Trial Forest, and a few others. Even Vice Dean Duan Wushuang had appeared.

This lineup left Lin Hao secretly dumbfounded. ’It seems this morning assembly really is something special.’

Duan Wushuang stood above, took a step forward, and swept her gaze across the entire plaza, her authority instantly palpable.

Her gaze was serene, yet no one dared to meet it.

A Spirit Transformation Realm expert, if they so wished, could annihilate a huge swath of them with a single glance.

Duan Wushuang’s eyes lingered on Lin Hao for a moment before moving on.

Lin Hao knew about her and Cang Yan, so he naturally felt no fear toward her. But when he met her gaze, he still offered an apologetic look.

At the same time, Lin Hao secretly sent a telepathic message, explaining why he hadn’t changed his clothes.

If it were anyone else, Lin Hao certainly wouldn’t have done this. He had, after all, fused with Chu Tiandu’s memories. He felt no reverence for the Dean of the Saint Institute.

But this morning assembly was clearly being presided over by Duan Wushuang, and Lin Hao wanted to show her sufficient respect.

Before he could receive a reply from Duan Wushuang, someone from above pointed at Lin Hao and declared, "Dean, that disciple is not wearing the Saint Institute uniform on such an important occasion. He clearly has no respect for the Institute. According to the rules, a person like this should have their cultivation crippled and then be expelled from the Saint Institute!"

The one who spoke was none other than the Upper Court Saint Master with the surname Wang, who had clashed with Lin Hao the day before.

BOOM!

The moment these words were spoken, they were like a clap of thunder exploding over the plaza.