Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

With a blur of motion, Lin Hao advanced again, his target this time the blood leopard.

The blood leopard moved almost the exact instant he did.

A Devil Beast’s Spiritual Sense was in no way inferior to a Martial Artist’s—in fact, it was often stronger. This blood leopard might have been miniature, but its combat prowess was absolutely astonishing, and it possessed a superb battle instinct.

Its small size made the blood leopard’s speed all the more ferocious. Its claws tore through the air, swiping at Lin Hao.

Having just witnessed the power of the blood leopard’s claw, Lin Hao naturally wouldn’t take it head-on.

In truth, the blood leopard had never been his target.

Lin Hao’s body came to an uncanny halt in mid-air before he lunged toward Yunxi.

The lunge was as fast as a striking thunderbolt, bringing him right in front of Yunxi in an instant.

Yunxi retreated a step, her eyes still betraying no hint of emotion.

But Lin Hao’s expression changed drastically once more.

The next moment, his palm collided with the claw of a Devil Beast.

The blood leopard had reappeared before Yunxi without any warning.

This was the terror of the Beast Taming Royal Physique’s Life Secret Skill.

This Secret Skill was remarkably similar to Lin Hao’s own body-double ability.

The single swipe from the seemingly miniature blood leopard contained incredible power.

SPURT!

As if struck by lightning, Lin Hao spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward like a limp sack.

RUMBLE!

Yunxi was standing in an undeveloped area above the Cangyun Battlefield. Lin Hao’s body slammed violently into the mountainside behind him with a deafening crash. Boulders dislodged from the impact rained down on him like hail.

The blood leopard gave Lin Hao no time to react, pouncing for the kill in the next instant. It paid no mind to the boulders tumbling down the mountainside.

The boulders struck the blood leopard’s body only to be deflected, shattering into pieces. Not only was the leopard completely unscathed, but its claws were also still aimed squarely at Lin Hao.

The combat prowess of this miniature blood leopard was truly astonishing.

Lin Hao had now experienced its might firsthand.

’Under any other circumstances, I would have taken it on, but now is clearly not the time.’

With a flash of movement, Lin Hao dodged aside.

Under the blood leopard’s claws, the mountainside was as fragile as tofu, crumbling at the slightest touch.

Lin Hao locked onto Yunxi’s figure and lunged for her again.

This time, a hazy mist swirled around Lin Hao’s body, and a rumbling began within him.

Lin Hao activated an Imperial Art, frantically channeling his True Essence.

’There isn’t much time left.’

Because in his peripheral vision, Lin Hao saw Marquis Mo rampaging across the Cangyun Battlefield. Many had already fallen, and now the Marquis had once again unleashed his blood pool.

The moment the blood pool appeared, Martial Artists near Marquis Mo simply collapsed and were sucked inside, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

Clearly, Marquis Mo knew Yunxi couldn’t maintain her state for much longer and was trying to rescue her. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Meanwhile, on the Cangyun Battlefield, the Cangnan soldiers who saw Lin Hao’s move erupted with unimaginable strength, desperately holding back all the Mo Yun Kingdom soldiers—including the giants.

They knew who Yunxi was and what it would mean if Lin Hao could capture her.

For that outcome, they had to buy Lin Hao time.

Lin Hao lunged at Yunxi, and just as expected, the blood leopard reappeared.

But this time, a smile touched the corners of Lin Hao’s lips.

The next moment, Lin Hao’s body collided with the blood leopard’s, and he was sent flying again.

But at the same time, Yunxi’s body swayed, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

’My guess was right. Summoning this blood leopard has consumed too much of her spiritual energy.’

Previously, summoning the blood leopard would have been effortless for Yunxi, but the energy she had just expended mutating the giant tiger and the Demon Wolf had been far too great.

Suddenly, Yunxi’s expression froze, and for the first time, a change flickered in her beautiful eyes.

Because Lin Hao had appeared right in front of her.

’He’s too fast!’

’So fast I can’t even track his movements.’

’I saw it clearly! The blood leopard just sent him flying.’

’Forget an Elemental Realm Martial Artist; even a Soul Gathering Realm expert couldn’t have appeared before me in such a near-imperceptible instant.’

She wasn’t the only one with a Secret Skill; Lin Hao had one as well. This time, he had used his body-double Secret Skill.

He had used it with exceptional cleverness this time. The instant the first Lin Hao vanished, the second one manifested, creating a seamless transition.

At a glance, it was impossible to tell he had used a Secret Skill. It looked for all the world like extreme speed.

Lin Hao smiled at Yunxi and sealed her major acupoints with a lightning-fast strike.

But the blood leopard was still materializing, lunging to attack once more.

Without a word, Lin Hao brought the edge of his hand down in a swift chop.

Yunxi’s body went limp and she fainted in Lin Hao’s arms.

The blood leopard in the air vanished instantly.

"Princess! Release Princess Yunxi!" Moshan’s furious roar echoed, shaking the very mountains.

’Princess?’ Lin Hao glanced at Yunxi in his arms, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

But in the next instant, Lin Hao’s expression changed dramatically. He shot into the air, carrying Yunxi, and fled toward the far side of the Cangyun Battlefield.

Just as he leaped away, the ground where he had been standing abruptly collapsed. The patch of earth, which had been several meters higher than the rest of the battlefield, disintegrated, instantly becoming level with the Cangyun Battlefield.

Simultaneously, two terrifying auras surged forth, instantly blanketing the entire Cangyun Battlefield.

Everyone discovered to their horror that they were completely paralyzed; even their blood felt as if it were beginning to congeal.

It was a horrifying sight.

The Cangyun Battlefield was vast, capable of holding tens of thousands of combatants at once.

Yet now, this entire expanse was completely enveloped by those terrifying auras—a feat impossible even for a peak Soul Gathering Realm expert!

Peerless experts of the Spirit Transformation Realm had arrived, and two of them at that!

’It made sense, when you thought about it. Both Marquis Mo and Yunxi possessed Royal Physiques. It was impossible for talents as rare as one in ten thousand to be without hidden protectors.’

It was just unclear why the two of them had arrived so late.

"Ancestor, save my royal sister!" Marquis Mo’s face lit up with joy as he cried for help.

’With the Ancestors here, it’s not too late.’

As soon as Marquis Mo’s voice fell, two tall old men landed on the Cangyun Battlefield.

Both men had white hair and beards. As one of them opened and closed his eyes, a Thunder Sea materialized within his gaze. The Thunder Sea churned, as if a heavenly tribulation were brewing.

The other’s eyes were blood-red, and within them, a sea of blood gathered, roiling like Purgatory itself.

The moment these two appeared, a bone-deep chill washed over everyone from the Cangnan Kingdom.

These were peerless experts of the Spirit Transformation Realm. The phenomena within their eyes were as if born of nature itself, a clear sign they had been in the Spirit Transformation Realm for a very long time.

If such peerless experts wished to kill, they wouldn’t even need to lift a finger. A single thought, a single glance, and everyone here would be reduced to ash.

However, the two clearly had no intention of killing them. Otherwise, they would all be corpses by now.

Ignoring everyone else present, the two Spirit Transformation Realm experts fixed their gazes on Lin Hao.