Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

A sudden chill washed over the crowd. Their scalps tingled, and a cold dread ran down their spines.

On the Saint War Platform, Lin Hao’s movements froze. He had already thrown Wang Jianglin away a moment earlier.

His Spiritual Sense was astonishing, and being so close to Wang Jianglin, he had naturally detected the anomaly long before.

Taking several steps back, Lin Hao secretly raised his guard.

’This Wang Jianglin is definitely about to use a Forbidden Secret Skill.’

Sure enough, Wang Jianglin’s hair flew about in disarray. His pupils first turned blood-red, then quickly shifted to gray, and finally became pitch-black, as if transforming into two black holes.

A gale suddenly whipped across the Saint War Platform, and dark clouds even began to churn above the Saint Institute.

The scene was both bizarre and terrifying.

The spectators felt a chill seep into their bones and instinctively drew back.

"What’s happening?!" a disciple cried out in terror.

"This must be a Forbidden Secret Skill! Once it’s unleashed, it will be earth-shattering! We need to fall back, quickly!" Even some disciples from the upper courtyard had grave expressions as they retreated.

At that very moment, a sinister wind howled across the Saint War Platform!

Wang Jianglin looked at Lin Hao, his eyes dark and profound, as the sinister wind swept toward him.

BOOM!

Lin Hao’s body was abruptly pulled forward. He immediately sank into a low horse stance and stomped his foot, making the entire Saint War Platform tremble.

Although Lin Hao had steadied himself, the Martial Artists watching from his side of the platform weren’t so lucky.

Despite retreating again and again, when the sinister wind arose, several people were caught in its pull and dragged straight toward the Saint War Platform.

"AH... Help..."

They screamed in terror.

No one who could enter the Saint Institute was weak. The ones watching up close weren’t new disciples either; they were from the middle courtyard, and even the weakest among them was at the Seventh Layer of Elemental Control Realm!

Their cultivation was on par with the two on the platform, yet from dozens of meters away, they were still being pulled by that bizarre power. One could only imagine the terror of Wang Jianglin’s Forbidden Secret Skill.

In the distance, Duan Mushuang waved her fair hand. The several disciples who had been pulled to within a meter of the Saint War Platform were instantly freed.

Without a second thought, they fled frantically, as if they had seen a ghost.

’That power is too terrifying! It was trying to devour our essence, qi, and spirit!’

The rest of the crowd retreated even further, not wanting to make the same mistake.

At the same time, all of them turned their gazes back to the Saint War Platform.

Even Martial Artists dozens of meters away were being pulled by that strange power. Could Lin Hao withstand it?

At this point, no one was thinking about what kind of Secret Skill Wang Jianglin had used; they only cared about the final outcome.

And on the Saint War Platform, Lin Hao’s body was being dragged closer and closer to Wang Jianglin.

The scene was utterly strange.

Wang Jianglin stood motionless, only his eyes, like black holes, were manifesting an astonishing power that sought to devour Lin Hao.

Lin Hao, on the other hand, was resisting with all his might, on the verge of being dragged into a dark abyss.

"Master Wang is terrifying. He’s at the Seventh Layer of Elemental Control Realm right now, but from so far away, he’s unleashing an aura that makes even my heart palpitate," a disciple at the Peak of the Elemental Realm exclaimed in awe.

"Master Wang’s Secret Skill touches upon a forbidden domain. Lin Hao is finished," a disciple at the Soul Gathering Realm sneered from the upper courtyard.

More or less all of the upper courtyard disciples had some connection to the four great families or the royal family, and many of them disliked Lin Hao.

But just then, Lin Hao’s body tilted on the Saint War Platform, and he suddenly shot toward Wang Jianglin.

His speed was incredible, like a meteor hurtling toward the earth.

BOOM!

Just as Lin Hao leaped up, about to crash into Wang Jianglin, a massive gate suddenly appeared in front of the latter!

The gate materialized out of thin air. Behind it was pure darkness, with black mist churning violently, a horrifying sight to behold.

Without any suspense, Lin Hao’s body was swallowed whole by the gate.

Then, the gate slammed shut and vanished from the void.

Lin Hao’s body disappeared along with it.

This bizarre scene made everyone’s eyes go wide.

Was Lin Hao dealt with just like that?

"Quick, look at Master Wang’s eyes!" a disciple exclaimed.

Everyone looked and saw specks of brilliant light begin to shine within Wang Jianglin’s pitch-black, hole-like pupils.

"What is that?" someone asked, confused.

"Is this all you’ve got?" At that moment, Lin Hao’s voice suddenly echoed through the void.

Wang Jianglin burst out laughing. "Lin Hao, you’re still so brazen at a time like this! You’ve been sealed by the Gate of Prohibition. Without my permission, you will be banished forever! And with but a thought from me, I can turn you to ash!"

His laughter was maniacal, which, combined with his current appearance, made him look exceptionally sinister.

"Is that so?" Lin Hao’s response to Wang Jianglin was only three words.

"Hahaha! Even a Soul Gathering Realm Martial Artist couldn’t hope to escape once sealed, let alone you! You’re far from that level." Wang Jianglin laughed, then turned toward Duan Wushuang and said, "Vice Dean, Lin Hao is stubborn and unrepentant. I have decided to banish him to the void."

The Saint Institute had a rule against killing on the Saint War Platform. So, he wouldn’t kill Lin Hao. Letting him exist in this state would bring him far more pleasure than simply killing him.

’A dignified Saint Master like myself was nearly defeated by Lin Hao and treated like a punching bag! If I don’t torture him a few times a day, I’ll never be able to quell the hatred in my heart!’

"If you can truly seal him, I have no objections," Duan Wushuang said.

After all, what Wang Jianglin was doing didn’t violate the rules.

"Sigh. There are always people who love to be self-righteous," Lin Hao’s voice sounded again, his tone calm and unperturbed.

Wang Jianglin was just about to speak when a brilliant light erupted in one of his eyes.

"AH..."

A pained scream escaped Wang Jianglin’s lips as his glowing pupil suddenly burst.

HISS!

The crowd couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air.

This Lin Hao was too formidable! To still possess such power even after being sealed by a Forbidden Secret Skill.

Others had a glint in their eyes as they muttered under their breath.

Among them was Liu Tian. His eyes twitched, and in a voice only he could hear, he spoke two words: "Emperor Art!"

It had to be said, Liu Tian’s guess was correct.

Although it was unclear what Wang Jianglin’s Forbidden Secret Skill was, it was certainly an evil one. Lin Hao possessed an Emperor Art and had undergone Body Refinement with the essence of the sun; no evil entity could harm him.

"Wang Jianglin is finished." Sighing softly, Liu Tian had already foreseen Wang Jianglin’s fate.

However, on the Saint War Platform, Wang Jianglin’s hair whipped about as he descended into madness. "Lin Hao, if you have the guts, destroy my other eye too!"

Wang Jianglin said this with utter confidence, because if Lin Hao destroyed his other eye, he would never be able to get out.

POOF!

The moment the words left his mouth, his other eye burst as well.

"You’re too confident," Lin Hao’s voice rang out. The next moment, he materialized in the void.

After a shudder ran through his body, Wang Jianglin stood frozen on the spot.

At this moment, Duan Wushuang flicked his sleeve, and the Saint War Platform slowly descended, eventually settling flush with the upper courtyard’s plaza.

Wang Jianglin’s eyes were hollow, and his entire being was listless. If not for the slight movement of his head and the fact he was still breathing, people would have mistaken him for a corpse.

"What happened to Master Wang?" a disciple asked.

"From now on, there is no Master Wang. Wang Jianglin has become an imbecile," a disciple said, casting a complicated look at Lin Hao.

"Master Wang has given many years of service to our Saint Institute. Go and make arrangements. Buy him a residence in the city and find someone to care for him until the end of his days," Duan Wushuang instructed an elder before walking away.

The elder agreed, his gaze toward Wang Jianglin filled with pity.

"You are very impressive," the elder said to Lin Hao as he led Wang Jianglin away.

He was more than just impressive.

The gazes of the other Saint Masters on Lin Hao were strange, even holding a trace of fear.

They could naturally tell that the Forbidden Secret Skill Wang Jianglin had just used had, strictly speaking, already surpassed the power of the Seventh Layer of Elemental Control Realm.

This was because the Secret Skill was activated with soul power. Wang Jianglin’s true cultivation was at the Soul Gathering Realm Peak, so his soul power was naturally immense.

And yet, Lin Hao had destroyed it without the slightest effort. This was somewhat terrifying.

In fact, the moment he chose to use soul power, Wang Jianglin’s defeat was sealed.

Back in Red Beauty City, after Lin Hao obtained the sheepskin scroll from the Chu family, he was once imprisoned by Chu Tiandu’s soul power, only for it to be burned to nothing by his Flowing Light Divine Flame.

Chu Tiandu was incredibly powerful, yet his soul had been annihilated by Lin Hao. A mere Wang Jianglin paled in comparison.

If the Saint Masters knew that Lin Hao had once devoured even Chu Tiandu’s soul power, who knows what they would think.

’From now on, it’s best not to provoke Lin Hao. Even if we get the urge, we can’t fight him at the same realm, and we definitely can’t use soul power against him.’ This was the thought that crossed the minds of several Saint Masters.

The same thought also flashed through the minds of many talented disciples in the upper courtyard.

In a battle between peers, even a Saint Master was no match for Lin Hao. They stood even less of a chance.

Of course, there were also a few who stared at Lin Hao with soaring battle intent in their eyes.

Those disciples whose names were carved on the Holy Stele were very much hoping Lin Hao would grow stronger quickly.

They were the true geniuses of the Saint Institute. Their state of mind was as incomparably powerful as their cultivation, and such people naturally did not fear a challenge.

"Hahaha, Brother Lin, you’re really something else! Did you know, with that battle just now, you’ve created an unprecedented miracle!" As Lin Hao stood on the plaza, Chen Qian walked over, laughing as he clapped him on the shoulder.

Chen Qian had of course been watching the battle as well. The fact that Wang Jianglin was almost completely suppressed by Lin Hao had raised Chen Qian’s estimation of him to a new level.

Lin Hao just smiled, unfazed by honor or disgrace.

"Young Master Lin, I never imagined that after only a few months, you would have grown to such a height. Yuxin is deeply impressed," Wenren Yuxin also walked over, saying with a smile.

The first time she met Lin Hao, he was only at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm. Now, after just a few months, his cultivation had reached the Seventh Layer of Elemental Control Realm, and he could even defeat a Saint Master in a battle of peers.

On the surface, Wenren Yuxin was smiling, but inwardly, she was shocked beyond words.

Wenren Yuxin was the only young mistress of the Wenren family. Her looks, status, cultivation, and so on were all exceptional; she was a goddess-tier figure.

A few months ago, even Lin Wu of the Lin family had once entertained the thought of forming a lifelong union with Wenren Yuxin. It was only later, due to the release of a certain pill from the Wenren family, that Wenren Yuxin took a firm stand against the Lin family, and the idea was dropped.

Daring to openly challenge Lin Wu and the Lin family, Wenren Yuxin’s fame in Imperial City was not much less than Lin Wu’s.

Normally, while she wasn’t as cold as ice, her smiles always carried a clear sense of distance. It was nothing like now, where her smile clearly came from the heart.

Seeing this, countless disciples burned with jealousy.

However, something that would make them even more jealous was yet to come.