Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

The girl was very close to Lin Hao. She was drenched in a fragrant sweat from being chased by the Celestial Demon Pig, and now, a tempting scent wafted straight into Lin Hao’s nostrils, causing his heart to inexplicably race.

Staring at the Celestial Demon Pig, Lin Hao didn’t turn his head. His earlier question was purely to make small talk.

Speaking of which, the young girl was quite furious.

Lin Hao heard her huff, then say angrily, "That stinky pig is despicable! Just now, I saw it pinning a pet dog to the ground and poking it with an ugly stick from its body. I threw a rock at it and told it to let the dog go, but then it went crazy and started chasing me."

Lin Hao broke out in a cold sweat.

On the Celestial Yang Continent, a fourteen-year-old could already be married, yet this girl didn’t even understand the simplest facts of life. ’Where did this silly girl come from?’ Lin Hao wondered. ’So silly, so naive!’

"That stick of its was really ugly, it was right..." Seeing Lin Hao remain silent, the silly girl thought he didn’t believe her and took a step forward, preparing to point out the offending weapon.

"I know, I know." Lin Hao wiped away a bead of sweat, his patience completely gone. He quickly cut the silly girl off.

’To be interrupted at such a critical moment... Forget the Celestial Demon Pig, even I would expl—’

’Pah! Pah! Pah!’

Before the word "explode" had even fully formed in his mind, Lin Hao quickly stopped himself, wishing he could slap his own face a few times. ’Stupidity must be contagious!’

"Watch out!" The silly girl’s cry pulled Lin Hao back to reality.

Seeing the Celestial Demon Pig charging wildly toward them, Lin Hao threw another punch.

This time, after retreating several steps, the Celestial Demon Pig roared and charged again.

Lin Hao circulated the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill and was about to punch when a small, soft hand suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.

Then, Lin Hao heard the silly girl’s words.

"Stop fighting! Even I can’t beat it, and you’re only at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm. We should run! Let’s wait for Brother Wu Kui to come deal with it."

Lin Hao stumbled, nearly struck dead by the silly girl’s words.

’You were so busy running, how do you know you can’t beat it?!’ Lin Hao roared internally. He immediately yanked his hand free from the silly girl’s grasp, spun around, and threw a punch.

"If you want to run, then run. I, Lin Hao, can’t afford the shame of fleeing from a single Celestial Demon Pig." As he spoke, Lin Hao charged forward, fists flying.

The silly girl froze, then stomped her foot hard and stopped running as well.

Lin Hao paid her no mind, circulating the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill and continuously punching out. Sand and stones flew through the air as explosive cracks echoed, creating a startling scene.

Watching Lin Hao’s sudden violent outburst, the silly girl’s cherry-red lips parted slightly. She was stunned.

Not far away, another person was equally stunned.

Wu Kui had originally been sent down the mountain on a sect mission to recruit disciples. But after he met this young girl in Red Beauty City, who called herself Yingxue, he changed his mind.

Fourteen-year-old Yingxue was innocent and guileless, completely without guard against others. Coupled with her world-shocking beauty at such a young age, Wu Kui was instantly infatuated, his Divine Soul thrown into turmoil.

After observing for a long time, Wu Kui finally decided to make his move once he confirmed Yingxue was alone.

Of course, as a disciple of a prestigious sect, Wu Kui wouldn’t do something as crude as kidnapping and assaulting her. He only wanted to trick Yingxue into joining the sect. For one, it would be a prime opportunity to get close to her; for another, he could complete his mission.

However, what seemed like a simple task ended up costing Wu Kui dearly to convince Yingxue, because the little lass loved to drink.

The mere thought of her demand for a jar of "Smiling Red Dust" wine every day made Wu Kui shudder.

On the way, Wu Kui feigned a casual compliment, telling Yingxue that someone as beautiful as her would surely find a handsome man for a husband.

Who would have known that Yingxue would seriously tell him that her husband had to be a peerless hero.

This put Wu Kui, who prided himself on being a handsome man, in a difficult position.

However, as they passed through a forest, inspiration struck Wu Kui, and he had an idea.

When coming down the mountain, Wu Kui had once encountered a Tier One adult Devil Beast in the forest. He had ignored it at the time, eager to continue his journey, but now it would come in handy.

In his plan, the two of them would pass through the forest, he would go off to "find a water source," and Yingxue would "happen" to encounter the Tier One Devil Beast. Then, at the critical moment, he would descend from the heavens and take the Devil Beast’s head with a single sword strike...

The first part of the plan went smoothly. Hearing Yingxue’s cries, Wu Kui, who was hiding nearby, was about to make his move. But when he saw the Devil Beast was a Celestial Demon Pig, he weighed the sword in his hand and hesitated.

His specialty was Swordsmanship. Swordsmanship was about using skill to overcome brute force, but this Celestial Demon Pig had no discernible weak spots. With its rough, thick hide, it was like a walking meat shield.

This Celestial Demon Pig was already an adult, and it was currently in a frenzied rage. Wu Kui had no confidence he could actually kill it if he went out there.

But he never expected that his moment of hesitation would allow an unexpected interloper to spoil his plans.

When he saw Lin Hao appear, Wu Kui grew anxious, afraid that all his efforts would be for someone else’s benefit. However, once he saw that Lin Hao’s cultivation was only at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm, he relaxed.

But now, seeing Lin Hao battering the Celestial Demon Pig with his bare fists, giving it no chance to fight back, Wu Kui was dumbfounded.

Forget a cultivator at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm; even a Martial Artist at the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer wouldn’t dare to clash head-on with the nigh-unkillable Celestial Demon Pig. ’What kind of monster is this kid?’

However, what would shock Wu Kui even more was yet to come...

After the wild kid furiously threw several dozen punches, the Celestial Demon Pig let out a final, mournful howl, crashed to the ground with a THUD, and never got up again.

’Dead?!’

’The supposedly unkillable Celestial Demon Pig was beaten to death by a guy at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm?!’

Wu Kui craned his neck, his eyes wide, as if he’d seen a ghost in broad daylight.

He wasn’t the only one. The silly girl, Yingxue, who was closest to Lin Hao, also couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Her bright, large eyes went wide as she asked in astonishment, "You... you beat the stinky pig to death?"

Killing a Celestial Demon Pig was nothing special in Lin Hao’s eyes. He nodded, his mind already on the Demon Pill inside its body.

A Tier One adult Devil Beast would form a Demon Pill within its body. To others, a Demon Pill might be of little use, but to Lin Hao, this thing was a treasure.

It was a material for Alchemy, as well as an indispensable material for Artifact Refining.

"This thing’s hide is really thick. Hey, silly girl, do you have a weapon?" After circling the Celestial Demon Pig’s corpse once, Lin Hao found he had no way to cut into it and asked Yingxue.

Yingxue shook her head like a rattle-drum. Then she pouted, a wronged look on her face. "My name is Yingxue. Why do you keep calling me silly girl?"

Yingxue’s subconscious expression made a sense of guilt rise in Lin Hao’s heart, as if he had become an unpardonably evil villain.

’This silly girl’s charm is really something!’ After a moment of shock, Lin Hao quickly snapped out of it and hurriedly shifted his attention back to the Celestial Demon Pig’s corpse.

’Without a sharp blade, getting its Demon Pill is going to be really tricky.’

"Sister Yingxue, hang in there! Your brother is here!" A voice called out, growing closer.

The next moment, Lin Hao saw a panting man appear before him. He was dressed in white, wore a fine sword at his waist, and had a handsome face.

Lin Hao’s eyes lit up when he saw the sword at the man’s waist. ’This guy showed up at the perfect time.’

"Brother, could I borrow your sword?" Lin Hao asked the handsome young master with a sincere smile on his face.

His perfectly good plan had been ruined, and Wu Kui felt extremely aggrieved. Although what was done was done, he was filled with resentment, which was why he faked being out of breath.

Who knew that the moment he arrived, before he could even speak, this wild kid who had appeared out of nowhere would ask to borrow his sword.

Wu Kui barely managed to stop himself from cursing out loud.

’Forget it. I won’t stoop to his level.’

Wu Kui unwillingly unfastened his sword and handed it over.

Even with a fine sword that could cut through iron like mud, Lin Hao had to expend a great deal of effort to cut open the Celestial Demon Pig and retrieve the Demon Pill from within.

After wiping it on his clothes again and again, the thumb-sized Demon Pill finally revealed its true appearance.

Meanwhile, watching Lin Hao treasure the grimy, unremarkable Demon Pill and tuck it away, the corner of Wu Kui’s mouth twitched fiercely. ’Country bumpkin,’ he cursed in his heart.

"Thanks, brother. Here’s your sword back. I’ll be taking my leave. Your sister is too... too adorable. You shouldn’t let her out by herself in the future."

With the Demon Pill in hand, Lin Hao prepared to slip away. Before leaving, he remembered Yingxue’s actions and couldn’t resist giving a well-intentioned warning.

Wu Kui was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. "Of course, of course. Take care."

In his eyes, Lin Hao was a plague god. Now that he was leaving, Wu Kui wanted nothing more than to give him a couple of kicks to make him disappear faster.

However, someone else wasn’t happy about it. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Brother Hao, where are you going?" Her savior was about to leave, and Yingxue felt a deep reluctance to let him go.

"I’m going to the Heaven-Stepping Sect. I’ll be on my way now. Silly girl, go home with your brother." Lin Hao waved his hand without turning back.

Heaven-Stepping Sect. Hearing this all-too-familiar name, Wu Kui knew he was in trouble.

Sure enough, Yingxue’s eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. "Brother Hao, we’re going to the Heaven-Stepping Sect too! We can go together!"

Lin Hao’s footsteps faltered. He turned around, pleasantly surprised. ’Having a pretty, silly girl to look at along the way wouldn’t be boring.’

However, when he saw Wu Kui’s face turn green as he glared viciously at him, Lin Hao swallowed the "Okay" that was on the tip of his tongue.

"I’m in a hurry to get to the entrance assessment, so I’d better go on ahead," Lin Hao politely declined.

"Brother Hao. I heard the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s assessment is really strict! You’re only at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm, and you have a mortal body. Your chances of passing aren’t high. Brother Wu Kui is the Sect Leader’s disciple, you should just have him get you in through the back door."

Yingxue’s large eyes were shining astonishingly bright. Although her words weren’t pleasant to hear, her face was open and innocent, with no trace of looking down on Lin Hao. In fact, she spoke of using connections as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Before Lin Hao could answer, Yingxue had already turned to Wu Kui beside her and said, "Brother Wu Yong, you promised me a jar of Smiling Red Dust every day to get me to go back to the Heaven-Stepping Sect with you. I’m changing the terms now. Let Brother Hao into the Heaven-Stepping Sect too, and as for the Smiling Red Dust... well, a jar every two... no, three days will be fine."

Hearing Yingxue’s words, Lin Hao’s expression turned odd. ’So they aren’t siblings. It seems this well-dressed fellow is trying to trick a young girl.’

’Also, if the Sect Leader’s disciple is such a joke, it seems this Heaven-Stepping Sect might not be such a great place after all.’

Yingxue’s words, combined with Lin Hao’s expression, made Wu Kui want to die of shame. His face turned as red as a monkey’s backside.