Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

The Zhengyang Sect disciple could swear to the heavens that this was, without a doubt, the most arrogant boast he had ever heard.

A mere Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm gets lucky and kills one Martial Artist at the Fifth Layer, and suddenly he’s this lawless? He actually dared to make such an outrageous claim, saying he could slaughter them like dogs.

"I’m here. Standing right here. Today, I’d like to see just who the dog is, and who’s the butcher!"

He stepped out, coming to a stop not far behind the other Zhengyang Sect disciple.

There was no response.

"That kid is incredibly cunning. Who knows what trick he’s pulling now!" said the other disciple as he backed away, his back turned to his companion.

"Sun Xiao fell for his trick and got himself killed. Now the kid is hiding again. What should we do?" the disciple asked as he retreated further.

He was now only a few steps away from his fellow disciple.

Hearing this, the disciple frowned, lowered his head slightly, and sank into thought.

Just then, the retreating Zhengyang Sect disciple suddenly spun around and threw a punch!

"PFFT!"

The Zhengyang Sect disciple never imagined he would be ambushed by one of his own and was struck instantly.

However, his reflexes were incredibly fast. He hastily threw up his arms to block, deflecting some of the force.

"CRACK!"

Even so, he suffered a grievous injury. Both of his arms were dislocated, and he was sent flying backward like a burlap sack, spraying a mist of blood into the air.

The attacker, refusing to show mercy now that he had the upper hand, surged forward and unleashed another killing blow.

Only then did he get a clear look. The one wearing the Zhengyang Sect disciple’s robes was none other than Lin Hao!

His pupils blew wide, as if he were seeing a ghost.

’If killing one person was luck, then killing two must be a testament to his true strength.’

The force of Lin Hao’s fist was a raging gale. Any leaves caught in its path were instantly pulverized!

The Zhengyang Sect disciple felt the looming threat of death.

With his arms temporarily useless, he knew that if he didn’t flee, he would soon share the fate of his two comrades.

He dug his heels into the ground and shot backward, pouring all his True Essence into his legs as he fled for his life.

"You’re not getting away!" Lin Hao would never let him escape. He executed the Ghostly Divine Step and relentlessly pursued him.

Normally, there was no comparison between the Fifth Layer and the Third Layer. A master of the former wouldn’t even spare a glance for someone at the latter level; it was the difference between heaven and earth.

But today, a Martial Artist at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm had not only killed two at the Fifth Layer, but had also sent a third fleeing for his life. If word of this got out, it would absolutely stun the world.

The threat of death pushed the Zhengyang Sect disciple to his absolute limit, and a faint red glow began to flash beneath his feet.

Faced with Lin Hao’s relentless pursuit, he decisively activated his Bloodline Power!

He certainly knew how to weigh his options.

Activating his Bloodline Power would only cause his cultivation realm to drop, but if he didn’t, only one fate awaited him: death!

However, as fast as he was, Lin Hao was faster.

Lin Hao pushed the Ghostly Divine Step to its absolute limit, covering ten meters in a single stride!

Afterimages lingered in his wake as the gale he generated swept up the forest’s fallen leaves, forming a long, churning dragon behind him.

Ten meters!

Eight meters!

Five meters!

The distance between them rapidly closed.

’He couldn’t escape even after using his Bloodline Power. He was utterly terrified.’

"Junior Sister Wu, help me!" The Zhengyang Sect disciple was scared out of his wits, his voice thick with terror.

His only hope now was Wu Sipei. He prayed she would appear in time.

"Hah!" A sharp cry rang out from the distance.

The Zhengyang Sect disciple was overjoyed.

"Die!"

Lin Hao achieved the impossible, his speed suddenly accelerating once more. He leaped high into the air, bringing a palm down toward the disciple’s head.

The disciple was already paralyzed with fear. As Lin Hao’s palm descended, a terrifying aura washed over him, causing him to freeze for a split second.

In a clash between Martial Artists, life and death are decided in an instant.

In that moment of hesitation, Lin Hao’s palm reached the disciple’s head.

Then, Lin Hao unleashed his Palm Force. The disciple’s head was driven down into his own neck before it burst apart.

The disciple’s headless body staggered forward several meters before it began to topple.

But Lin Hao closed the distance, snatching the headless corpse before it could fall and carrying it with him as he retraced his steps.

As Lin Hao passed the creek, he collected Sun Xiao’s body as well.

Although the last person’s cultivation was stronger, in Lin Hao’s eyes, she was an easier opponent. Because she was a woman!

From the way the last disciple had cried out while fleeing, Lin Hao had already devised a plan to deal with her.

Just as Lin Hao vanished from the creekside, Wu Sipei’s figure appeared at the spot where the last disciple had died.

Unlike the other three, Wu Sipei had grown up in War Dragon City and felt a certain reverence for these mountains.

So, even though she had been in the area for a while, she proceeded with extreme caution.

Now, seeing the bloodstains on the ground, her expression soured.

She had heard the cry for help, but she didn’t believe Lin Hao was capable enough to be a real threat.

’Could their fight have disturbed a powerful Devil Beast from deep within the mountains?’

At the thought, Wu Sipei became even more cautious.

A full fifteen minutes passed before she reached the creekside.

When she saw the creek water stained red with blood, Wu Sipei’s face went pale, a flicker of fear in her eyes.

Part of her wanted to retreat, but thinking of her companions compelled her to press on.

After crossing the creek, Wu Sipei felt an eerie strangeness in the gloomy forest.

It was too quiet.

The silence only made her more cautious.

At home, she was the pampered young miss of the Wu family. In the sect, thanks to her incredibly talented older brother and her own considerable beauty, she was always the center of attention. She had barely experienced any real combat.

Here in the jungle, the fear that was a part of her feminine nature grew stronger.

"CRACK!"

A twig snapped underfoot. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Wu Sipei jumped. Just as she was about to let out a sigh of relief, a dark shape suddenly dropped from above, dangling right in front of her.

"Ah!"

She took a step back, and when she saw what the dark shape was, a high-pitched shriek tore from her throat.

It was a headless corpse!

Wu Sipei stumbled back and turned to flee, but another dark shape dropped from the sky.

Another headless corpse!

With her path forward and backward now blocked, Wu Sipei tried to retreat to the right.

The result was predictable. A third corpse appeared.

Wu Sipei completely forgot she was a Martial Artist. Her mind went blank, and she instinctively dodged to the left.

Another one!

But this "corpse" suddenly reached for her at incredible speed.

"Got you!"

With a soft cry, Lin Hao’s finger struck Wu Sipei.

Wu Sipei’s body froze. Lin Hao had struck one of her pressure points, immobilizing her.

With the last one dealt with, Lin Hao dusted off his hands, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

"Lin Hao! You killed them?!" Seeing Lin Hao, Wu Sipei instantly understood everything. Her eyes, already wide with fear, bulged even more.

Three Martial Artists at the Fifth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, all killed by Lin Hao alone in such a short time... Even a Martial Artist at the Sixth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm couldn’t do that, let alone someone who was only at the Third Layer!

"You should be grateful your surname is Wu. Otherwise, you’d be dead right now," Lin Hao said, his gaze ice-cold. His words were an indirect answer to her question.

Meeting Lin Hao’s gaze, Wu Sipei’s heart trembled. Suddenly, she saw them overlayed with the memory of his eyes from three years ago.

Wu Sipei’s face twisted in a snarl. "Lin Hao, I hate your eyes! If I ever get the chance, I’ll carve them out!"

’This woman’s full of venom,’ Lin Hao thought, baffled. Her words were far more vicious than they had been back in War Dragon City.

"Lin Hao, do you really not recognize me?" Seeing his reaction, Wu Sipei knew he didn’t consider her important at all. This drove her into a greater frenzy, and she seemed to have no awareness that she was now his prisoner.

"Should I know you?" Lin Hao frowned, watching as Wu Sipei’s once-passable face twisted into an ugly mask.

"Lin Hao, three years have passed, and not only has your cultivation failed to improve one bit, you’re still as self-righteous as ever! Nongren Lane, three years ago. You remember that, don’t you!" Wu Sipei glared at Lin Hao, her face contorted with hatred.

’Three years ago, Nongren Lane, surname Wu...’

As Lin Hao’s mind connected the dots, his eyes grew even colder. "So it was you," he said flatly. "Four years ago, a three-year-old girl accidentally dirtied the hem of your skirt, and you slapped her! When her mother knelt and begged for mercy, you were unmoved! You even struck her again!"

Wu Sipei was startled. Now she finally understood why Lin Hao had looked at her with such eyes three years ago.

But she didn’t believe she had done anything wrong. She sneered, "So what? They were just peasants!"

"’Just peasants!’" Lin Hao repeated, his killing intent surging. "I truly hope you’re reborn into a wealthy family in your next life!"

Only then did Wu Sipei seem to grasp her situation. She quickly backed down. "Fine, I’ll go and apologize to them."

"Hahaha! Apologize? You can apologize in Hell! Did you know that after you slapped her, that little girl went home, started coughing up blood, and died from her injuries? Her mother couldn’t take the shock and killed herself! And damn me for not paying closer attention back then, or this tragedy might have been averted!"

The memory filled Lin Hao with a boundless, savage fury.

A flicker of surprise crossed Wu Sipei’s eyes before her expression returned to one of calm indifference.

Seeing her expression, Lin Hao’s fists tightened with a loud CRACK. He suddenly lashed out, slapping her across the face.

"SLAP!"

The sound was crisp and sharp. Five crimson finger marks instantly appeared on Wu Sipei’s cheek.

"You truly are a venomous viper! The girl’s mother left a dying wish, asking me not to cause you trouble. Thinking back now, I was so naive. A woman like you doesn’t deserve to live! That slap was for the poor little girl!"

But one slap wasn’t enough to quell Lin Hao’s rage. He struck her again with the back of his hand.

"And that one was for her honorable mother!"

"You dare to hit me?!" The first slap had left Wu Sipei completely stunned; the second one finally snapped her back to her senses.

The fiery sting on her cheeks was unbearable. Wu Sipei couldn’t believe that she, of all people, would ever be slapped.

"SLAP!"

Another slap was his only reply.

"I’m not just going to hit you. I’m going to kill you!" Lin Hao’s eyes were glacial, and his voice seemed to erupt from the depths of the Nine Netherworld Hell.