Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

HISS!

Hearing this, Duan Wushuang couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.

Lord Chen had lived in seclusion for decades, rarely venturing out. He hadn’t left the Chen family grounds in years, even refusing invitations from the Monarch with polite excuses.

Whenever a truly critical matter arose, the Monarch himself would leave the royal palace and personally visit the Chen Mansion to seek his counsel.

And now, Lord Chen had graced the Saint Institute with his presence, all for Lin Hao. He had even used a term of great respect—a "formal visit"!

For a moment, Duan Wushuang’s mind went blank.

But then she remembered what Lin Hao had done for the Crimson Flame Army, and it all began to make sense.

In fact, although Duan Wushuang was in the Imperial City, she had been secretly monitoring the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s every move ever since Cang Yan’s disappearance.

Then, when Lin Hao burst onto the scene, Duan Wushuang had specifically investigated his background.

The investigation revealed the vast majority of Lin Hao’s activities.

And when Ninety-Five of the Wenren family personally went to the Crimson Flame Army, bringing a certain Saint Medicine, Duan Wushuang made the connection to Lin Hao.

Like everyone else, Duan Wushuang believed that an incredibly powerful, mysterious figure was backing Lin Hao.

Thinking of this, Duan Wushuang began to understand why Lord Chen had come.

"Where is Lord Chen now? I’m going to find Lin Hao." Duan Wushuang pulled the door open and said to the person outside.

"I’ve already welcomed Lord Chen into the Saint Institute. I was going to invite him to rest while I brought Lin Hao to him, but he insisted on finding Lin Hao himself."

Duan Wushuang paused. After a moment of thought, she smiled and said, "I understand. You can go about your business."

"But what about Lord Chen...?"

"Lord Chen came to visit Lin Hao. It’s not our place to get involved." After saying this, Duan Wushuang went back into her room.

A look of sudden understanding dawned on the person’s face, and they quickly withdrew.

Meanwhile, within the Saint Institute, a tall, gray-haired yet remarkably vigorous elder was striding with a powerful and majestic gait toward the new disciples’ courtyards.

This elder was none other than Chen Yan.

"Young man, might the new disciples’ residences be up ahead?" a disciple was approaching, and Chen Yan asked kindly.

As he spoke, Chen Yan reached the disciple’s side.

Suddenly, the disciple felt a murderous aura crash over him, making his blood run cold.

The disciple was aghast.

He was, after all, an upper-class disciple of the Saint Institute whose cultivation had reached the Peak of the Elemental Realm. The elder had a kind and gentle expression and wasn’t releasing his aura at all. What the disciple felt was simply the natural pressure the man had accumulated over a lifetime, manifesting unconsciously.

To command such pressure without any deliberate effort... this elder was terrifying beyond belief.

In the elder’s presence, the disciple found he couldn’t even think of resisting.

"Y-Yes..." The disciple’s breathing was ragged. Though he tried his best to control it, the single word still came out trembling.

"Thank you," Chen Yan said politely before continuing on his way.

The disciple didn’t dare to breathe a sigh of relief until the elder was far in the distance. It was only then that he realized his back was completely drenched in sweat.

’How terrifying.’ A flicker of terror crossed the disciple’s eyes, and he quickly hurried away.

As for Chen Yan, he entered one of the courtyards.

The moment he stepped into the courtyard, his eyes narrowed slightly.

A youth suddenly burst out, his speed astonishingly fast.

Chen Yan smiled. "Hello, Lin Hao."

"War God, an honor," the youth across from him replied.

"Hahaha, interesting. You’re even more surprising than I imagined." Chen Yan laughed heartily, his magnanimous spirit on full display.

Lin Hao tilted his head and smiled back. "And you are younger and more formidable than I imagined."

Lin Hao was telling the truth. The Chen Yan before him was ruddy-faced and full of vigor. If not for his full head of gray hair, one would guess from his features that he was in his early forties at most.

Moreover, Lin Hao could sense a powerful aura emanating from him.

It wasn’t just the air of a General who had been through countless life-or-death battles, but also the fluctuating aura of a peerless expert.

A conservative estimate would place Chen Yan’s cultivation at the Eighth Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm or above.

"I’m old. The world belongs to you young people now," Chen Yan sighed. Then his tone shifted. "There is something I’ve long wanted to do but never had the chance. Now that I’ve met you, I can finally see it through."

Having said that, Chen Yan bent at the waist before Lin Hao, then lowered himself to one knee, about to kneel completely.

Thankfully, Lin Hao had quick reflexes and caught him, holding him up.

But Chen Yan seemed determined to kneel, and an immense force surged from his body.

Lin Hao immediately felt immense pressure on his arms.

Circulating his Imperial Art, Lin Hao’s body rumbled as he resisted the pressure.

"General, you mustn’t!" Lin Hao’s face flushed as he struggled to speak.

The expert’s pressure was overwhelming, making it extraordinarily difficult for Lin Hao to speak.

Chen Yan shook his head. "The Saint Medicine you provided can save the lives of millions of soldiers. You deserve this bow from me."

He answered to neither monarch nor king.

And now, this pillar of the empire’s security was about to kneel to Lin Hao. If anyone had seen it, they would have been shocked beyond measure.

He had performed legendary deeds for the empire yet refused the title of king; even the Monarch showed him the utmost deference. Yet for the sake of millions of soldiers, he was willing to kneel before a teenager.

Such was Chen Yan, the one and only War God of the Cangnan Empire.

Hearing Chen Yan’s words, Lin Hao was filled with solemn respect. But Lin Hao was determined not to let Chen Yan kneel.

"General, you serve the nation and its people—you are a true hero. My offering the medicine was a trivial matter. If anyone is to kneel, it should be me kneeling to you!" As Lin Hao spoke, a rumbling thunderclap echoed from within his body, and he pulled Chen Yan back to his feet.

Chen Yan stared at Lin Hao, stunned. He had never imagined Lin Hao would say such a thing.

And then there was Lin Hao’s cultivation.

He had just used the full force of a Peak Elemental Realm expert, yet even then, he hadn’t been able to gain the upper hand against Lin Hao.

And his Cultivation Technique was unique, making him far stronger than any ordinary expert at the Peak of the Elemental Realm.

Finally, Chen Yan sighed and uttered four words: "The young are truly formidable."

Lin Hao knew Chen Yan would not try to kneel again, so he let out a breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The pressure Chen Yan had just exerted on him had been immense.

If it had been anyone else, Lin Hao might have returned the compliment, but facing Chen Yan, he said nothing.

’Chen Yan wouldn’t appreciate false modesty.’

"There are still two or three hours until dawn. General, I was wondering if I might have the honor of visiting the Chen family now?" Lin Hao suddenly asked, proposing a visit to the Chen family home at such an hour.

Chen Yan was taken aback, then uttered two words: "Thank you."

Lin Hao’s astuteness was beyond his imagination.

"The honor of visiting the Chen family is all mine. General, please, after you."

"You..." Chen Yan shook his head with a smile. He was starting to like this young man more and more.

It was a pity the Chen family had far more men than women, and none of the right age were a suitable match for Lin Hao. Otherwise, Chen Yan would have been sorely tempted to play matchmaker.

"Ahem, General, my preferences are perfectly normal, so please don’t look at me like that." Seeing Chen Yan’s expression, Lin Hao put on a look of mock terror.

Chen Yan blinked, then retorted, "My preferences are normal, too."

After a beat, he burst out laughing.