Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

These two were none other than Lin Tian and Lin Yuan.

Having not seen them for several months, they had grown more robust, and their cultivation had already reached the Third Layer of the Elemental Realm.

"Third Brother, Fourth Brother..." Seeing the changes in them, Lin Hao was genuinely happy for them.

And seeing Lin Hao, the two of them were even more excited.

Without Lin Hao, they would have remained cripples, forced to be cooped up in War Dragon City for the rest of their lives.

"Brother Hao..." Both their faces flushed red. After crying out his name, they were unable to say anything more.

They had a thousand things to say, but their minds went completely blank.

They were simply too overwhelmed with excitement at seeing Lin Hao.

"By the way, where’s Shenshan?" Lin Hao asked, having not seen him.

At the mention of his name, the two looked at Lin Hao with expressions of shame.

Finally, Lin Tian spoke up. "The Marshal gave him command of the Blood Camp. He’s a Captain now."

Hearing this news, Lin Hao was taken aback.

Back when he had created the bloodline for Shenshan, Lin Hao had discovered another power hidden within his body. He hadn’t been able to figure out what it was at the time, but now it seemed to be a good thing.

"What’s his cultivation level?" Lin Hao asked.

At this, both of them blushed before answering, "He’s already at the Peak of the Fifth Layer of the Elemental Realm."

After saying this, they both looked ashamed. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

They had received their bloodlines at the same time as Shenshan, yet his cultivation was now a full Two Layers ahead of theirs. And that was with them desperately trying to catch up.

Now that Lin Hao had asked, they felt extremely uneasy. Compared to Shenshan, they were just too far behind.

How could Lin Hao not know what they were thinking? He comforted them, "Don’t be discouraged. Your cultivation speed is already several times that of an ordinary person. As for Shenshan, I discovered a separate, mysterious power inside him back then. It’s not strange that his cultivation is so high."

’Surname Shenshan, from War Dragon City...’ Just then, a voice sounded from behind Lin Hao.

Lin Hao turned to see the turtle staring into space. The words had just come from its mouth.

A thought struck Lin Hao, and he asked, "Turtle, what did you just remember?"

"If I’m not mistaken, kid, you’ve hit the jackpot." The turtle looked up, staring at Lin Hao and speaking in a way that left him completely baffled.

SMACK!

"Stop speaking in riddles!" Lin Hao slapped the turtle on the head, and he didn’t hold back.

The creature had been acting crazy the whole journey, completely ignoring his commands and nearly throwing him off several times. Now that it was finally talking, Lin Hao certainly wasn’t going to be polite.

"You’re just getting petty revenge! This divine turtle won’t say a word!" the turtle declared with a look of righteous indignation.

"Third Brother, Fourth Brother, the army shouldn’t be short on large pots. Go boil some water for me. We’re having turtle soup tonight." Lin Hao gave a wicked smile.

"You got it. Brother Hao, you really should get a new mount. Who rides a turtle these days? It’s so beneath you. I think that dragon-horse in your group looks pretty good. We’re experts at making turtle soup," Lin Tian and Lin Yuan said, getting excited at Lin Hao’s words.

They had been in Jumo City for several months. While the beginning was fine, provisions had been scarce for the past month. They had been living frugally and hadn’t had a proper meat dish in a long time.

This turtle was plump and very nutritious.

The two of them stared at the turtle, their eyes gleaming with hunger.

The turtle tried to flee, but Lin Hao was quicker, grabbing its tail and lifting it upside down.

At that moment, the turtle’s body had shrunk to be as small as it could possibly get.

"This divine... I don’t have much meat on me! I don’t taste good!" the turtle yelled, its four limbs flailing wildly.

"The most concentrated parts are the best. Besides, you’ve eaten so much Spirit Medicine. Once you’re stewed, I bet the soup would be just as good as a Saint Medicine," Lin Hao said, handing it over to Lin Tian.

Seeing that Lin Hao was serious, the turtle got scared.

"I’ll talk! I’ll talk! In my inherited memories, War Dragon City was formed even before this continent existed. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it the greatest city in the world. It got its name because a quasi-Emperor slew an Evil Dragon in War Dragon City."

This was the first time Lin Hao had ever heard the claim that War Dragon City was the greatest city in the world.

Then, Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of shock in them.

’If my guess is right, this is astounding.’

"That quasi-Emperor lived an era before Emperor Hongtian and had a chance to attain the throne of a Great Emperor. But during the battle of War Dragon City, he was tricked by that Evil Dragon. Although he managed to kill the Evil Dragon in the end, he was left with a hidden injury, which ultimately paved the way for Emperor Hongtian."

The story coming from the turtle’s mouth was earth-shattering.

"Was that quasi-Emperor’s surname Shen?" Lin Hao asked.

"Correct."

Lin Tian and Lin Yuan looked at each other in disbelief. ’Shenshan is related to that quasi-Emperor!’

"Shenshan is his descendant."

"To be precise, the Shenshan you speak of is very likely that quasi-Emperor’s son!"

"What?!"

At these words, all three—Lin Hao, Lin Tian, and Lin Yuan—were stunned.

That quasi-Emperor lived ten thousand years ago. How could his son possibly be born now?

"Don’t be so quick to disbelieve. That quasi-Emperor was only a step away from the throne, but in the end, it was Emperor Hongtian who succeeded. How could he have been content with that? At his level of cultivation, he was fully capable of sealing his heir to be born ten thousand years later."

"When one person becomes a Great Emperor, the Great Dao is suppressed for ten thousand years. Are you saying he wanted Shenshan to fulfill his regrets and become the emperor of this generation?!"

Lin Hao spoke, his mind reeling.

To think a quasi-Emperor possessed such heaven-defying methods—Lin Hao was utterly shocked.

"That’s not right. Why didn’t he just seal himself?" Lin Tian asked, confused.

"In truth, it is incredibly difficult for a quasi-Emperor to seal himself. The required materials are nearly impossible to find in the entire world. Sealing an heir is far, far easier."

"I see." Lin Tian nodded, then quietly placed the turtle back on the ground.

’This turtle even knows about things from ten thousand years ago. Its background must be astonishing. How could I dare to stew it?’

"To think that Shenshan might actually be the son of a quasi-Emperor," Lin Yuan sighed in amazement.

"What’s the son of a quasi-Emperor? I’m sure the son of a true Great Emperor has already been born in the upper realms. Sigh, time is tight! I need to go eat some Spirit Medicine right away." As it spoke, the turtle vanished with a SWOOSH.

Lin Tian and Lin Yuan exchanged glances, then asked Lin Hao, "Brother Hao, if Shenshan really is the son of a quasi-Emperor, then he must have a seal inside him. Since you were the one who created his bloodline, could it be that..."

Lin Hao shook his head with a bitter smile. He didn’t know what would happen either.

Lin Tian pondered for a moment. "Should we report this to the Marshal and have him recalled?"

"Recalled? Where is he now?" Lin Hao asked.

"He’s fighting the Mo Yun Kingdom at Demon Cloud Ridge up ahead. Some time ago, an evil cultivation technique appeared among the Mo Yun Kingdom’s soldiers, and we suffered heavy casualties. Shenshan was the only one unaffected. He’s been fighting on the front lines for three days and three nights. The Marshal was just about to escort provisions to relieve him when you arrived."

Hearing Lin Yuan’s words, a glint flashed in Lin Hao’s eyes. He asked in a low voice, "Let’s go. Take me to see Brother Tianyu."

Lin Tian and Lin Yuan knew why Lin Hao and his group had come. They nodded and led the way.