Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

RUMBLE!

The next moment, a tremendous roar erupted from the dried-up man-made lake. The earth below churned as if something was about to break through the soil.

Dark clouds rolled across the sky, and an eerie silence fell over the world.

The terrifying phenomenon was world-shaking!

"Zhenlong Lake suppresses an evil dragon. Lin Hao, your time has come," Hu Rui whispered in the pavilion, his voice so low only he could hear.

And here, the host, Duan Xinyu, wore a strange, twisted smile.

"Mr. Yue, are you certain this is foolproof? Lin Hao’s combat strength is far greater than we imagined," Duan Xinyu secretly transmitted his voice to Yue Zhongyin.

Regarding the incident at Jumo City just now, Duan Xinyu hadn’t been lying. The one who attempted the sealing was also one of his men.

That person’s attempt had ultimately failed. To be honest, after what had happened before at the gates of Your Highness’ Mansion, he had grown numb to failure.

It was true he wanted Lin Hao dead, but that agent wasn’t his trump card.

His real trump card came from this very Zhenlong Lake.

Beneath Zhenlong Lake lay a great flood dragon. Had it not been suppressed, it would have likely already transformed into a true dragon.

Although it was just a flood dragon, it possessed certain draconic traits, including something exceptionally precious—dragon qi! 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

It was said that he who obtains the dragon qi shall rule Cangnan. Thus, Duan Xinyu had suppressed the flood dragon, using special methods to absorb the almost negligible amount of dragon qi it produced.

Earlier today, Yue Zhongyin had proposed letting the Old Flood Dragon devour a cultivator of imperial arts, which could instantly refine a massive amount of dragon qi.

Duan Xinyu was swayed, which led to him inviting Lin Hao to Your Highness’ Mansion.

Now, only Lin Hao’s life stood between him and success. Duan Xinyu couldn’t afford another mistake, so he questioned Yue Zhongyin.

"Rest assured, Your Highness. The Heaven-Sealing Array is active. Forget someone at the Seventh Layer of the Elemental Control Realm—even a Martial Artist at the Peak of the Elemental Realm would die here once the Old Flood Dragon emerges," Yue Zhongyin transmitted, his eyes flashing with a strange light as he stared at Lin Hao.

BOOM!

Just as Yue Zhongyin’s voice transmission ended, the Old Flood Dragon burst from Zhenlong Lake and shot into the sky.

Lin Hao, being closest to it, immediately became its primary target.

The Old Flood Dragon shot skyward, directly toward Lin Hao’s position. Without a second thought, Lin Hao leaped into the air.

POW!

However, an invisible wall of qi seemed to block the seemingly empty sky above. Lin Hao slammed into it and fell back down.

Below, the Old Flood Dragon had its cavernous mouth wide open, rushing upward. It was only inches away from Lin Hao.

In the pavilion, the faces of Wenren Yuxin and Chen Qian paled simultaneously.

The situation was far too dangerous.

SHHHHK!

In an impossible situation, Lin Hao’s body shifted sideways, and a piece of his clothing was torn off by the Old Flood Dragon.

BAM!

Lin Hao charged toward the pavilion, but the invisible wall of qi was still there. He couldn’t break through.

"The Heaven-Sealing Array!" Lin Hao muttered, his eyes filled with killing intent.

With just a single glance, Lin Hao had spotted the anomaly. A massive array had sealed him within the small area of the man-made lake.

’Every step in Your Highness’ Mansion is a death trap. This Duan Xinyu has prepared thoroughly, all for the sake of taking my life.’

Inside the pavilion, a hint of a smile flashed across Duan Xinyu’s eyes before vanishing.

’Just as I thought, Lin Hao can’t break out of the Heaven-Sealing Array.’

’As long as he’s trapped inside, there’s no way he can be a match for the Old Flood Dragon.’

Not only would Lin Hao be eliminated, but he would also obtain a massive amount of dragon qi. Duan Xinyu had to struggle to keep from smiling.

Lin Hao’s eyes swept over, catching Duan Xinyu’s expression.

"Hmph. If this were a complete Heaven-Sealing Array, it might have given me some trouble. But this one..." Lin Hao muttered to himself before shifting sideways again.

THUD!

The Old Flood Dragon’s body also slammed viciously against the qi wall. The immense force sent its entire body rebounding back.

VMMMM!

The Old Flood Dragon seemed to have encountered this situation many times. Its massive body paused for a moment before diving toward Lin Hao once more.

A smile touched Lin Hao’s lips, and then his figure flickered...

"Ah!"

A startled cry rang out in the pavilion. The voice belonged to Duan Xinyu.

’This spot is outside the Heaven-Sealing Array’s range! If Lin Hao can appear here, then that Old Flood Dragon...’

Just thinking about the Old Flood Dragon sent a chill down Duan Xinyu’s spine.

The Old Flood Dragon’s power was greatly diminished inside the Heaven-Sealing Array. But if it broke through, its strength would be on par with the peak of the Soul Gathering Realm.

If a creature of that cultivation level got out, all of them would die.

Thus, the moment Lin Hao appeared, Duan Xinyu cried out and scrambled backward in panic.

The Old Flood Dragon was clearly intelligent. Seeing Lin Hao suddenly appear in the pavilion, it halted behind the qi wall and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Your Highness, looks like we’re having meat tonight. Can’t have dragon meat, but an old flood dragon isn’t a bad substitute. Just you wait..." As Lin Hao spoke, he charged out again.

Seeing Lin Hao re-enter the Heaven-Sealing Array without any obstruction, Duan Xinyu ignored his earlier embarrassment and quickly sent a voice transmission to Yue Zhongyin. "Mr. Yue, what’s going on? Did the Heaven-Sealing Array fail?"

Yue Zhongyin’s expression was grim. He simply stared at Lin Hao, not answering Duan Xinyu’s question.

When the Old Flood Dragon saw Lin Hao leave and then return, it became enraged.

BOOM!

Its tail swept out, instantly sending Lin Hao’s body flying.

SMACK!

He slammed viciously against the qi wall before ricocheting back.

Phew...

In the pavilion, Duan Xinyu let out a breath of relief, a smile returning to his face.

’It seems the array hasn’t failed after all.’

’Trapped in the Heaven-Sealing Array, there’s no reason for Lin Hao to survive.’

’A strike like that, with its terrifying force, should have broken a few of his bones, if not killed him outright.’

"Hahaha! That was great! Again!" However, before the thought had even faded, Duan Xinyu heard Lin Hao’s laughter.

The laughter was wild and unrestrained, full of vigor. He didn’t sound injured in the slightest.

This made Duan Xinyu feel several times worse than if he’d swallowed a handful of flies.

’Damn it! Is there any justice in this world? How could he be completely unscathed by that kind of power?’

However, what came next was even more outrageous.

Lin Hao’s body ricocheted off the qi wall. The Old Flood Dragon swung its head, intending to finish him off, but Lin Hao was as slippery as an eel. He not only zipped past its side but also slapped a palm down on it as he passed.

RUMBLE!

Lin Hao’s strike packed well over a hundred thousand jin of force. The Old Flood Dragon’s massive body immediately swelled, and the impact rippled down its length.

POP!

A section of its tail exploded, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

At the same time, the Old Flood Dragon’s enormous body crashed to the ground, shaking the earth.

"Mr. Yue, this is bad! The Old Flood Dragon can’t handle Lin Hao! Think of something, quick! The Old Flood Dragon can’t be destroyed. And we absolutely cannot let Lin Hao leave here alive," Duan Xinyu transmitted anxiously to Yue Zhongyin from the pavilion.

Lin Hao was even more ferocious than the Old Flood Dragon. If this continued, the creature would likely be killed by him.

At that point, it would be a total and utter loss.

"Your Highness, please be patient. The Old Flood Dragon is a being on the verge of attaining the Dao; it still has many tricks up its sleeve. Lin Hao has successfully enraged it. Just wait and watch the show," Yue Zhongyin said to Duan Xinyu with certainty, though a trace of worry flickered in his eyes.

As if in response to his words, the moment Yue Zhongyin finished speaking, the Old Flood Dragon actually began to transform...