Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Chu Sheng, the Young City Lord of Red Beauty City.

Red Beauty City was famous across the continent for its Red Beauty Wine, and the finest variety, "Smiling in the Mortal Realm," was monopolized by the City Lord. As the Young City Lord of Red Beauty City, it was no exaggeration to say that Chu Sheng had been practically steeped in the exquisite vintage since birth.

If that were all, it would have been of no concern to Wu Kui. However, Chu Sheng had designs on Yingxue. To this day, Wu Kui was still thankful for his own quick thinking on one occasion; otherwise, that beast would have already lured Yingxue away.

Wu Kui, who inwardly regarded Yingxue as his private treasure, certainly didn’t want to see this beast now.

Because as long as Chu Sheng was willing, he could provide an endless supply of fine wine—an astonishing temptation for a wine lover like Yingxue.

That was why, by comparison, he would much rather see Yingxue stay with Lin Hao.

"Oh, it’s you. Got any wine?" In stark contrast to Wu Kui, Yingxue’s eyes lit up the moment she saw Chu Sheng.

A lecherous glint flashed in Chu Sheng’s eyes before vanishing. As if performing a magic trick, he produced an exquisite little bottle and dangled it in front of Yingxue.

Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed. He had spotted the spiritual storage ring on Chu Sheng’s hand.

Yingxue’s hand shot out like lightning, snatching the bottle in an instant. She uncorked it and was about to pour the contents into her mouth.

The corner of Wu Kui’s mouth twitched. He opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately said nothing.

However, Yingxue never got to drink the wine.

She was fast, but someone else was faster.

"What kind of wine is this? Not bad." Lin Hao had downed the bottle in one go. He licked his lips, adding, "I could go for more."

In truth, Lin Hao didn’t want to get involved in this mess. But having spent time with Yingxue, although he had no other intentions, he didn’t want to see her get hurt.

This guy had appeared out of nowhere with a smile on his face, but thanks to his cultivation of the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill, Lin Hao’s Spiritual Sense was exceptionally sharp. He had just managed to catch that lecherous glint in Chu Sheng’s eyes.

A second glance revealed his sunken eye sockets and pale complexion—the clear signs of excessive debauchery.

Such a man was a hundred times more dangerous than Wu Kui, and Lin Hao had no intention of letting Yingxue get mixed up with him.

But that silly girl Yingxue had no sense of caution at all. If the other party had put something in the wine, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Lin Hao was simply letting his concern get the better of him. In such a public place, Chu Sheng wouldn’t dare try anything, but that might not be true at other times.

Lin Hao’s action was undoubtedly like poking a hornet’s nest. A trace of malice flashed in Chu Sheng’s eyes, but his face was quickly wreathed in smiles again. He produced a folding fan from who-knows-where and snapped it open with a FWIP.

Fanning himself, he said, "I used to hear the saying ’like master, like servant,’ but I never truly believed it. Seeing this now, it really is true. Little Sister Yingxue, it seems your servant is also a connoisseur of fine wine. How could I not indulge him?"

As he spoke, Chu Sheng produced another bottle and tossed it over, announcing his identity at the same time. "I am Chu Sheng, Young City Lord of Red Beauty City. And the wine I offer is naturally the finest of them all: ’Smiling in the Mortal Realm,’ from the Red Beauty Wine collection."

With just a few words, he had demoted Lin Hao to a servant.

Lin Hao didn’t get angry at this. Instead, he gave Chu Sheng a strange look.

After catching the bottle, Lin Hao grinningly handed it to Yingxue. "My lady, your wine. I couldn’t help myself just now, I hope you can forgive me."

’Lin Hao is my lifesaver, yet he’s being belittled like this!’

Yingxue was annoyed, but she played along with a grin. "It’s fine. I’m in a good mood, so I’ll bestow this wine upon you as well. Hehehe."

After saying this, Yingxue found it so amusing that she started giggling.

She might love wine, but she had her standards. She wouldn’t just drink wine from anyone. Clearly, Chu Sheng had just been blacklisted.

But Chu Sheng was completely oblivious and continued to ramble, "It’s nothing, it’s nothing! I may not have much else, but I have plenty of ’Smiling in the Mortal Realm.’ Drink up, drink up."

"The first sip wasn’t bad, but that’s all. I’m not interested in a second," Lin Hao said, shaking his head. He then muttered under his breath, "That old fart Cang Yan really has terrible taste. Not much different from this beast."

He had suddenly remembered that Cang Yan loved this wine and couldn’t help but make a snide remark.

「Thousands of miles away」

Cang Yan sneezed and muttered, "Don’t tell me that little brat is cursing me. By my calculations, he should have reached the Heaven-Stepping Sect by now. Sigh, now that I think about it, I kind of miss him."

If Cang Yan knew that Lin Hao was comparing him to a beast, who knows if he’d die of anger.

「Back at the Heaven-Stepping Sect」

Lin Hao looked up, intending to toss the wine to Wu Kui.

But when he turned his head, Lin Hao was dumbfounded. He was surrounded by people staring eagerly at the bottle in his hand. As for Wu Kui, he was long gone.

Behind a wall of people, Wu Kui had slipped away faster than a rabbit, a wide grin on his face. ’Haha! That rascal Lin Hao actually managed to provoke Chu Sheng. This is great! Now I don’t have to worry about Yingxue anymore.’ 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

With Wu Kui gone, Lin Hao had to settle for the next best thing and gave the bottle to the person closest to him who looked relatively agreeable.

He didn’t expect this to trigger a massive brawl.

’Smiling in the Mortal Realm’ was priceless and impossible to find on the market. If not now, when would they ever get a chance to snatch it?

Lin Hao’s action finally sent Chu Sheng into a rage.

’How outrageous! How dare a mere servant like you make a fool of me time and time again!’

’If this weren’t the Heaven-Stepping Sect, I’d strike you down on the spot.’

’But for now...’

Although furious, Chu Sheng hadn’t lost his reason.

"Sigh, a servant will always be a servant. Even if you dress him in dragon robes, he’ll never be able to appreciate the finer pleasures of this world."

Since he couldn’t use his fists, Chu Sheng had to resort to using his words.

Yingxue’s eyes widened in anger.

Just as she was about to speak, Lin Hao stopped her and, without another word, pulled her away.

Chu Sheng froze for a moment, then a smile spread across his face. Just as that smile was about to widen, he heard Lin Hao’s voice drift back: "Arguing with a beast is beneath our status."

Immediately after, he heard Yingxue’s delicate laughter.

Chu Sheng felt blood rush to his head. A metallic, sweet taste filled his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood with a "PUH!" His face twisted into a snarl, making him look very much like the beast he’d been called.

Watching the two of them walk further and further away, Chu Sheng’s eyes filled with venomous hatred, and murderous intent surged in his heart. He was about to take a step in their direction when the doors of the hall to the left of the square suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man strode out.

A flicker of apprehension showed in Chu Sheng’s eyes, and he halted.

Lin Hao’s gaze, however, was immediately drawn to the open hall behind the middle-aged man.

Inside the hall stood twenty massive Crystal Stone pillars. Each one was five feet five inches tall and as thick as a water bucket, filled with a red powder—the crystallized form of Fire Crystal Stone used in Alchemy, ground to dust.

This was the preliminary strength test, a great chasm that stood before the three main entrance examinations of the Heaven-Stepping Sect.

The Heaven-Stepping Sect had a rule: the first requirement for entry was to be at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm.

In the past, to meet this requirement, many disciples from various families would consume medicinal pills to forcefully raise their cultivation level.

The first three layers of the Blood Coagulation Realm were the very foundation of the martial path. To achieve greatness in martial arts, the foundation was paramount. A ten-thousand-foot tower rises from level ground; if the foundation is unstable, all is in vain.

And the primary way to verify if that foundation was solid was through a test of strength.

On the Crystal Stone pillars, every inch represented one hundred jin of force, and every foot represented one thousand jin.

Examinees were forbidden from using martial skills. They had to strike the Crystal Stone pillar with a single punch, leaving a mark in the red powder. A mark at three feet three inches was a passing grade. Only those who passed could participate in the subsequent three main examinations; all others would be eliminated.

Three feet three inches meant a force of three thousand three hundred jin. Each layer of advancement in the Blood Coagulation Realm added a thousand jin of strength. To produce a force of 3,300 jin, one had to be at least at the mid-stage of the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm.

The middle-aged man scanned the crowd before speaking slowly. "Greetings, everyone. I will be in charge of this assessment. Now, would all examinees who have reached the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer please step forward and stand before the hall on the right."

As his voice fell, only about ten people out of the several thousand in the square stepped out. With their heads held high and chests puffed out, they stood before the hall on the right.

The rest of the crowd looked at those ten or so individuals with eyes full of envy.

Most of them were Martial Artists at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm who had failed to awaken their bloodline’s power and were not yet over the age of sixteen.

On the Celestial Yang Continent, for those who failed to awaken their bloodline, the last chance at life was to enter a sect before the age of sixteen.

This was because sects possessed more miraculous Cultivation Techniques. By practicing a sect’s technique and then entering the sect’s Regeneration Pool, there was a roughly thirty percent chance of revitalization, allowing them to awaken their bloodline once more.

A Martial Artist who awakened in the Regeneration Pool was in no way inferior to a Martial Artist who had awakened their bloodline earlier.

Furthermore, Martial Artists who awakened their bloodline within a sect would feel a deep sense of reverence and belonging towards it. This was one of the main reasons why sects held power over family clans.

That only ten or so people out of several thousand were exempt from the strength test was clearly a familiar outcome for the middle-aged examiner.

He spoke again: "The rest of the examinees will face the hall and form columns. Twenty people at a time will strike the Crystal Stone pillars. Remember, you only get one chance, so give it your strongest blow!"

"Lord Examiner, didn’t we used to get three chances?" As soon as the examiner finished speaking, the crowd erupted in an uproar. A bold Martial Artist who had taken the test before raised a question.

The middle-aged man’s expression was grave as he replied slowly, "In a life-or-death battle, your enemy will never give you a second chance!"

After saying this, the man gave the examinees no time to discuss, continuing, "After passing the strength test, you may participate in the entrance examinations. Once all three examinations are passed, the examiners will select the top ten based on their results from the three rounds to receive the assessment rewards."

At this, the crowd fell silent, everyone waiting with bated breath for the middle-aged man to announce what the rewards were.

’The old carrot-and-stick approach. Clever,’ Lin Hao muttered, pursing his lips.

"What’s the matter? Feeling nervous?" Yingxue tilted her head, her big, sparkling eyes fixed on Lin Hao, as if waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Lin Hao just smiled noncommittally.

’If I can’t even pass the preliminary strength test, what hope do I have of entering the sect? Besides, strength tests are my specialty.’

After reversing the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill and serendipitously forging the Tai Chi Array Map in his Dantian, a casual punch from Lin Hao now packed more than three thousand jin of force.

’And they said no using martial skills, but they didn’t say no circulating a Cultivation Technique.’

Stroking his chin, Lin Hao grinned happily. He wasn’t just going to pass; he was going to aim for first place in the preliminary strength test.

Although this preliminary test wasn’t part of the three main examinations and its score wouldn’t be counted, taking first place here would drastically increase his chances of getting into the Heaven-Stepping Sect.

As for the wooden token Cang Yan had given him, Lin Hao had been carrying it with him along with the two letters, but for now, he had no intention of using it.