Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Just as Yunxi finished speaking, a turtle suddenly appeared by her side.

The Turtle Egg was also staring at Lin Hao, its eyes bulging so wide they looked ready to pop out.

But it quickly composed itself and nonchalantly remarked, "He’s decent enough."

Just then, Lin Hao’s voice drifted over casually. "Sigh, I guess I overestimated myself. I thought I wouldn’t need to advance to the Soul Gathering Realm to deal with the four of you. You all were pretty good."

Lin Hao had intended these words for the three headless corpses and Moshan on the ground.

But when the Turtle Egg heard this, it finally lost its composure and fell prostrate with a THUD.

Taking on four Martial Artists at the First Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm while still in the Elemental Realm, and not even planning to break through from the start... only a monster like Lin Hao would dare to think of—and then actually do—something so insane.

Yunxi and Chu Yanwu also felt their heads spin.

If anyone else had said such a thing, they would have thought the person was shamelessly bragging and looking for death. But since the one who said it was Lin Hao, they just felt utterly demoralized.

Unlike them, when Moshan heard this, he felt nothing but humiliation—a humiliation deeper than any he had ever known.

A single Elemental Realm Martial Artist had faced the four of them alone. He had killed three, spared his life, and now he was telling him that they were "pretty good."

This was an insult. A colossal, unprecedented insult! 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Slamming a hand on the ground, Moshan lunged up and kicked at Lin Hao.

The kick was so powerful that the very air seemed to freeze.

Lin Hao simply raised a hand and caught Moshan’s leg, stopping it dead in its tracks.

"I didn’t mean to insult you," Lin Hao said calmly, pushing Moshan’s leg away.

Then, Lin Hao turned and walked away, leaving his back completely exposed.

Behind him, Moshan’s expression shifted rapidly before a look of grim resolve flashed in his eyes. He attacked again.

Crossing his hands, he launched a fierce strike at Lin Hao’s back.

The move was both swift and vicious.

"Hmph!"

Lin Hao snorted coldly, spun around, and threw a punch.

RUMBLE!

Following the tremendous noise, Moshan’s large frame was sent flying backward like a sandbag. He soared for several hundred meters before crashing into a wall, then bounced off and fell to the ground, violently spewing blood.

Lin Hao, however, stood as firm as a mountain, only his robes rustling in the aftermath.

"Old Chu, he’s all yours," Lin Hao said, glancing at Moshan before heading for the exit.

"Master, what are you doing?" Chu Yanwu’s expression changed when he saw which way Lin Hao was headed.

"Going out to entertain our guests," Lin Hao’s voice was completely flat.

Chu Yanwu was horrified. "Master, you can’t! There are over a dozen people out there, all Soul Gathering Realm Martial Artists! And their leader, City Lord Mo Yantian, is at the Fourth Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm!"

"So what?" Lin Hao replied with just two words.

The two words were spoken plainly, yet they conveyed a sense of boundless arrogance.

He had only just entered the Soul Gathering Realm, yet he intended to face more than ten opponents alone. The thought was simply staggering.

Those two words left Chu Yanwu speechless. He turned and stared at the Turtle Egg, his eyes pleading for help.

’If Lin Hao insists on going out, he should at least take the Turtle Egg with him.’ Chu Yanwu hoped the turtle would follow.

However, what the Turtle Egg said next nearly made Chu Yanwu bite his own tongue off.

"Go on. If you die, this divine turtle will come collect your corpse." The Turtle Egg seemed completely unconcerned with whether Lin Hao lived or died.

But upon hearing this, Yunxi’s expression changed.

After a moment’s hesitation, she suddenly spoke up. "Lin... Lin Hao, I hope you’ll be merciful and spare my Royal Brother’s life."

Lin Hao turned back, stared at Yunxi for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Since you’re my head maid, I’ll grant you this request."

Yunxi couldn’t help but feel a surge of annoyance.

Meanwhile, Lin Hao laughed heartily and strode directly toward the main gate...

「On Yellow Springs Road」

Marquis Mo sat calmly outside the mansion’s main gate, accompanied by more than a dozen people.

"How much longer?" Marquis Mo asked.

Beside him, Mo Yantian answered respectfully, "Lord Moshan went inside an hour ago. And as for the matter Your Highness entrusted to this subordinate, it is done. The City Lords from the nearby cities will begin arriving in two hours at the earliest. By the time of your scheduled meeting with Mo Yanwu, everyone will be in position."

"Excellent. Whether Lin Hao is hiding in this mansion or lurking somewhere nearby, I will drag him out this time!" Marquis Mo’s face lit up with excitement.

The moment the words left his mouth, his body snapped upright. The gate before them had suddenly swung open.

Then, a figure strode out.

CRACK!

Seeing the person, Marquis Mo shot to his feet. The chair he had just been sitting on shattered into dust from the force of his hand.

"Lin Hao!" Marquis Mo snarled, his eyes blazing with hatred.

At the same time, countless pairs of eyes locked onto Lin Hao, all of them filled with utter shock.

’For him to appear alone at a time like this... is he suicidal, or does he have an ace up his sleeve?’

"Mo Yanwu has betrayed us!" Mo Yantian spat out, his gaze fixed on Lin Hao.

’Honestly, for Mo Yantian, this was absolutely good news.’

"No, he’s dead," Lin Hao said, shaking his head.

Mo Yantian froze, his pupils contracting slightly.

It was only then that he noticed Lin Hao’s cultivation had reached the First Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm.

It wasn’t just him; Marquis Mo had noticed as well.

This discovery left Marquis Mo completely stunned.

When he had last seen Lin Hao, he was merely at the Eighth Layer of the Elemental Realm. It had only been a few days, yet Lin Hao had actually advanced to the First Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm.

"No, that’s impossible! Are you a Sealed One?!" Marquis Mo couldn’t believe it. Only a Sealed One could explain this.

Hearing the term "Sealed One," everyone’s expression changed drastically.

A Sealed One’s true cultivation was infinitely close to the Soul Gathering Realm Peak. Once their seal was released, even if their opponents doubled in number, they would be no match.

"Just because you can’t do something doesn’t mean others can’t," Lin Hao replied.

"Advancing from the Eighth Layer of the Elemental Realm to the First Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm in less than ten days... It’s not just me; not even an ancient Emperor Venerable could do that! But none of that matters anymore! Today, you die!" Marquis Mo’s face twisted into a demonic snarl, his killing intent overflowing.

With a wave of his hand, Marquis Mo ordered everyone to attack. "Keep him alive, but otherwise, do as you please."

"Get him!" Mo Yantian added, standing beside Marquis Mo.

The others exchanged glances and then all charged forward.

’Even if he is a Sealed One, releasing the seal comes at a great cost. With so many of us, we can definitely capture him before he can finish the process.’

More than ten Soul Gathering Realm Martial Artists attacked at once. Innumerable massive palms descended upon Lin Hao, the force of their combined assault shaking the heavens and earth, blotting out the sky itself.

Lin Hao seemed to be scared stiff, standing frozen to the spot without moving a muscle.

BOOM!

One man’s palm hovered just above Lin Hao’s head, while others grabbed for his limbs.

But then, something bizarre happened. Lin Hao’s body seemed to become transparent. Several palms passed right through him, touching nothing at all.

PFFT!

But at the very same instant they attacked, a mist of blood erupted in the air.

In just the blink of an eye, two of the attackers had their bodies explode in mid-air!

While the others were still stunned by this bizarre phenomenon, two more men exploded into a bloody mist!