Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

The half-demon fox was too fast. Before Lin Hao could even lower the wine jug from his lips, it was upon him again.

With a wall behind him, Lin Hao had nowhere to retreat. He stomped his right foot and shot into the air.

RUMBLE!

The half-demon fox’s strike slammed into the wall, letting out a deafening roar as the entire structure trembled.

SCREECH!

Suddenly, the half-demon fox shrieked, and the air filled with a sky full of its phantoms.

After so many failed attacks, Yunxi was done waiting.

Every second that passed lessened her chances of escape.

Besides, summoning the king of the half-demon foxes consumed a tremendous amount of Spiritual Power. With her cultivation sealed, her Spiritual Power was a shadow of its former self, and she couldn’t maintain the summoning for long. ’A decisive battle is the only way!’

In her mind, Yunxi commanded the king of the half-demon foxes to attack with its full strength.

Half-demon foxes were originally descendants of the Fox Race, but their bloodline had long since faded, reducing them to mere Tier Three Devil Beasts. This one, the king, was different. It had somehow grasped a sliver of a Fox Race Secret Skill—Illusion!

As it unleashed the skill, the sky filled with fox phantoms, each one radiating a terrifying aura.

Countless claws struck at Lin Hao from every direction, sealing off all his escape routes.

A roar erupted from within Lin Hao as his imperial art circulated. A mysterious True Essence manifested around his body as he threw a punch.

Thousand Hands Phantom Fist!

This fist was the perfect counter to the half-demon fox’s illusion skill—a true clash of titans.

VMMM!

As he unleashed the Thousand Hands Phantom Fist, what looked like a draconic creature materialized in the air.

BOOM!

Lin Hao’s fists and the half-demon fox’s claws collided, sending massive ripples through the air like collapsing clouds!

Lin Hao felt a sudden tightness around his legs—the half-demon fox had caught him.

Though his Thousand Hands Phantom Fist was astonishing, it was still a step below the half-demon fox’s illusion skill.

While he had managed to neutralize the attacks in front of him, he couldn’t counter the ones from below. After all, he had been fighting one-handed this entire time.

The half-demon fox grabbed Lin Hao by the legs, swung him around violently, and then slammed him toward the ground.

WHOOSH!

Though the half-demon fox wasn’t large, it was a Tier Three Devil Beast—and the king of its kind at that.

Its power was simply astonishing. A conservative estimate would put its strength at over two hundred thousand pounds.

If that blow landed, Lin Hao would be severely injured, if not killed outright.

The situation was critical.

Yet, Lin Hao showed no signs of panic.

Even now, he refused to let go of the wine jug.

As the half-demon fox slammed him toward the ground, he clutched the jug and chugged desperately.

Lin Hao guzzled the wine down. By the time he was just three feet from the ground, the entire jug was empty.

Just then, Lin Hao threw the empty jug aside. Then, he made his move.

His body contorted in an impossible arc, and he suddenly lashed out with both fists.

The two punches were blindingly fast, and in that instant, Lin Hao’s power surged.

Still, Lin Hao had underestimated a Tier Three Devil Beast.

The half-demon fox’s illusion skill manifested once more.

RUMBLE!

Lin Hao’s body was violently slammed into the ground.

The half-demon fox’s power was so immense that the entire mansion trembled.

Nevertheless, the Celestial Monarch’s Mansion remained unscathed by the blow.

After being slammed to the ground, Lin Hao lay silent and motionless, his fate unknown.

The half-demon fox, now utterly berserk, lifted Lin Hao’s body once more and slammed it back down onto the ground.

CRACK!

The sound of breaking bones echoed.

Although Lin Hao’s body was tough as tempered steel, the half-demon fox’s power was simply too astonishing. His body couldn’t withstand such force, and his bones began to snap.

Lin Hao remained motionless, as if he had truly been defeated.

Yet in the distance, Yunxi frowned. She felt that something was wrong.

RUMBLE!

Just then, to her astonishment, a tremendous, thunderous roar erupted from within Lin Hao’s body.

Not only that, but his entire body began to glow.

The half-demon fox suddenly picked up its pace, swinging and slamming Lin Hao’s body again and again.

But the sound from within Lin Hao’s body didn’t stop. Instead, it grew louder, and a faint, indescribable aura began to circulate around him.

Yunxi was aghast.

She realized Lin Hao’s aura had grown terrifyingly stronger.

"Stop! Stop it now!" Yunxi suddenly forgot to use her Spiritual Power to communicate and shrieked aloud in alarm.

She finally understood what was happening.

Lin Hao was using the half-demon fox’s power to temper his own body!

The divine brew contained immense energy. With his bones shattering from the violent impacts, he was trying to refine the Divine Power from the brew directly into his skeletal structure!

Breaking and reforging his bones—each time they reformed, they would be even stronger than before!

"Too late!" At that moment, a quiet voice spoke, but to Yunxi’s ears, it sounded like a clap of thunder.

It was Lin Hao. He had completed the tempering of his body.

Yunxi’s mind reeled, and the half-demon fox abruptly vanished.

Her Spiritual Power was too depleted. With her mind in turmoil, she could no longer maintain the fox’s manifestation.

Hearing his voice, Yunxi’s eyes shot toward Lin Hao, and she couldn’t help but gasp.

She saw that Lin Hao’s cultivation had advanced to the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Elemental Realm.

She had summoned a Tier Three Devil Beast, not only failing to capture Lin Hao but also pushing his cultivation to the Peak of the Elemental Realm. Yunxi was so frustrated she could cry.

He was already difficult to handle at the Eighth Layer of the Elemental Realm. Now that he had reached the Peak of the Elemental Realm, capturing him would be even harder.

’This is like lifting a rock only to drop it on my own foot!’

"Little maid, trying to kill your master... Tell me, how should I punish you?" Lin Hao’s voice sounded in her ear just as she was stewing in her frustration.

"You bastard! This princess is not your maid!" Hearing those two words always sent a surge of inexplicable rage through her.

Lin Hao smiled and spoke again. "Little maid, pour me some wine, and the rest of the jug is yours."

"You..." Yunxi was about to erupt in anger, but she hesitated when she remembered the wine’s effects.

A single small cup, and a Martial Artist at the Peak of the Fourth Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm still hadn’t finished refining it. One could only imagine how astonishing the energy contained within that wine was.

It was no exaggeration to say that if even a single cup of this wine were to be offered outside, every Martial Artist in the Mo Yun Kingdom would fight to the death for it.

Just for pouring a single cup, she could get an entire jug. No matter how she looked at it, the deal was more than worth it.

Moreover, seeing that Lin Hao had advanced and his cultivation had now caught up to her own, Yunxi felt an even more urgent need to advance within the Soul Gathering Realm.

"Hmph! Fine, I’ll pour it! I hope you drink yourself to death!" In the end, Yunxi gave a cold snort and went to pour the wine for Lin Hao.

’If I can get my hands on this divine brew, I might be able to break my seals and advance in the Soul Gathering Realm. My Spiritual Power would become several times stronger. Dealing with Lin Hao then would be no problem at all.’

Prying open a new jug, Yunxi smelled the rich aroma of the wine and felt the sealed True Essence within her body stir restlessly.

This filled Yunxi with infinite anticipation.

Just as she was pouring the wine, Chu Yanwu suddenly awoke from his meditation.

Chu Yanwu saw what Yunxi was doing, and after a moment of stunned silence, he spoke.