Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

The wall in the middle of the great hall opened again, and Chu Sheng’s figure slowly emerged from within.

He was arrogant and condescending, looking down on all life.

His was the best result in the assessment so far. With Chu Sheng’s personality, how could he possibly not come out to show off?

Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm—the only one with superior aptitude thus far.

In an instant, everyone’s gaze fell upon Chu Sheng.

At that moment, Chu Sheng wore a haughty expression as his eyes landed on Lin Hao, his provocation blatant.

During the pre-assessment strength test just now, even though it was ultimately proven that Lin Hao had simply gotten incredibly lucky and shattered the Crystal Stone pillar, the earlier incident still made Chu Sheng hold a grudge.

If he didn’t seize this opportunity now, he wouldn’t be Chu Sheng.

He was about to walk toward where Lin Hao was standing when he saw the test-taker at the very front. Chu Sheng suddenly froze, because that person was Yingxue.

A smile spreading across his face, Chu Sheng prepared to go hit on Yingxue. But who would have thought that Yingxue would suddenly turn her head to ask Lin Hao, "Brother Hao, which door are you going to choose later?"

At this moment, Yingxue seemed to have fully recovered. Her face was full of innocent charm, her large, sparkling eyes staring at Lin Hao with anticipation.

In front of her, Chu Sheng, who had just opened his mouth, found his smile frozen on his face. It was an incredibly ugly sight.

"Uh... that... let’s talk about it later..." Lin Hao hadn’t expected Yingxue to ask him before making her choice.

’I’ve already guessed her intentions. Wherever I choose, this silly girl will choose the same.’

Yingxue’s beauty was the kind that caused trouble. Wherever she went, characters like Chu Sheng were sure to be drawn to her, and Lin Hao had no desire to make enemies throughout the sect because of her.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of trouble, but rather that his time was too tight. He had to resolve the issue with his bloodline as quickly as possible. ’I don’t want to become the public enemy of all men. How could I focus on my cultivation then?’

Hearing this, Yingxue pouted and walked straight toward the center.

’I’ll choose the hardest one first. If Brother Hao doesn’t choose this one later, I’ll just go and take the test at the Crystal Stone door he picks.’

From beginning to end, Yingxue completely ignored Chu Sheng, treating him as if he were thin air.

Chu Sheng’s expression was unsightly. He couldn’t do anything to Yingxue, but he could certainly take his anger out on Lin Hao.

"If you have any guts, choose the middle Crystal Stone door. If you have any guts, absorb one foot and four inches of vital energy. Otherwise, get the hell away from Yingxue!"

Chu Sheng walked over and whispered in Lin Hao’s ear.

Lin Hao shot Chu Sheng a single, icy glare but didn’t answer.

Because he didn’t consider Chu Sheng an opponent in the slightest.

For this trial, even without Chu Sheng’s taunts, he would have chosen the middle Crystal Stone door anyway.

Lin Hao wasn’t confident about other things, but when it came to absorbing the vital energy of heaven and earth, he feared no one.

After all, the Cultivation Technique he practiced was a Body Refinement technique of an Emperor Venerable, one that absorbed the essence of the sun and moon for his own use.

The essences of the sun and moon were the ultimate forms of energy between heaven and earth. In comparison, worldly vital energy was like a mere grain of rice.

If he could only absorb a paltry one foot and four inches of vital energy using the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill, the Profound Emperor would probably be angry enough to rise from his grave.

Lin Hao’s gaze wounded Chu Sheng more than any verbal reply ever could. Seeing Lin Hao’s reaction, Chu Sheng trembled with rage.

His fists clenched, knuckles CREAKING, Chu Sheng desperately wanted to throw a punch.

"Ahem!" The middle-aged man standing in the corner coughed.

Everything happening in the great hall was within his perception. Since Lin Hao and the others were his primary focus, he paid them extra attention.

He had of course heard Chu Sheng’s words, but after the incident with the pre-assessment strength test, he knew not to jump to conclusions before the final results were out. Thus, he chose to remain neutral.

Right now, compared to the friction between the two young men, he was more concerned about Yingxue, who had already entered the central wall.

Seeing that Chu Sheng looked like he was about to get violent, the middle-aged man coughed as a warning.

His cough drew both of their gazes toward the central wall.

"Time’s up! Miss Yingxue, three feet, nine... nine inches! Aptitude: Abso... Absolute!"

After ten minutes had passed, a trembling voice suddenly came from within the central wall.

The middle Crystal Stone door was twice as difficult as the other eight, yet Yingxue had absorbed three feet and nine inches of vital energy. At any of the other eight doors, that would be equivalent to seven feet and eight inches!

More than half of the five hundred-plus examinees had been tested, yet only Chu Sheng had managed to absorb one foot and four inches of vital energy at the middle Crystal Stone door. One could only imagine how difficult it was to absorb vital energy here.

Now, with Yingxue’s results announced, the great hall fell silent. Many were so shocked they were left speechless!

The middle-aged examiner’s figure flashed. He opened the door in the central wall and then, quick as lightning, stood before the middle Crystal Stone door.

"Three feet and nine inches! It really is three feet and nine inches! This result is on par with the number one genius of our Heaven-Stepping Sect! Good! Good! Good!"

Seeing Yingxue’s result with his own eyes, the middle-aged man was incredibly excited and said "good" three times in a row.

"Miss Yingxue, please come out and rest to prepare for the next assessment." The middle-aged man came to his senses, turned to Yingxue with a beaming smile, and spoke with an exceedingly friendly attitude.

Seeing Yingxue emerge, the utterly shocked Chu Sheng also snapped back to reality and stepped forward with a smile to congratulate her.

But Yingxue simply gave Lin Hao a sweet smile.

The corner of Chu Sheng’s mouth twitched. But in the next moment, his eyes darted, and he said to the middle-aged man:

"Sir Examiner, Miss Yingxue’s result is so far beyond our reach it’s truly a blessing for the sect. That one is her servant. In my opinion, he doesn’t need to be tested. After all, it’s perfectly normal for a heaven-blessed prodigy like Miss Yingxue to bring a servant with her."

Chu Sheng’s words were laden with hidden meaning. He was implying that Lin Hao was incompetent, and if his results were unsatisfactory, it would surely cause Yingxue to lose face. If the master and servant pair then left the sect in a fit of anger, it would be a great loss for the sect.

By preventing Lin Hao from taking the assessment, he could not only curry favor with Yingxue but also subtly demean Lin Hao, ensuring he could never hold his head high in the sect again. The more Chu Sheng thought about it, the more brilliant he felt his words were.

The middle-aged man frowned, glanced at Lin Hao, and grew uncertain.

Yingxue’s result was simply too dazzling. If, as Chu Sheng said, this boy’s performance turned out to be disappointing, it would indeed be a difficult situation.

Although Lin Hao’s result in the pre-assessment strength test was stunning, absorbing vital energy didn’t rely on strength.

For a moment, the middle-aged man was in a bind.

"You bastard! He’s my Brother Hao, not my servant!" Yingxue’s pretty face flushed red with anger, but her mind was simple, and in the end, "bastard" was the only insult she could muster.

"Lin Hao... Your name is Lin Hao?" Previously, Yingxue had also called out Lin Hao’s name, but at the time, Chu Sheng was so focused on Yingxue that he paid no attention to what Lin Hao was called. Hearing the name again now, Chu Sheng paused for a moment before his eyes lit up.

’Is it just a coincidence, or...?’

"Are you from the Lin family of War Dragon City?" Chu Sheng asked again, eagerly awaiting Lin Hao’s reply.

’If he is, then this is just perfect. The news of how Lin Hao from War Dragon City had his engagement broken off by the Lu family of Celestial Jade City has probably spread across the entire continent by now. If this kid really is *that* Lin Hao... ’ Chu Sheng felt like laughing out loud just thinking about it.

A wicked smile suddenly curved Lin Hao’s lips.

’I know exactly what you’re scheming. So, you want to use me to show off your superiority, huh? You want to use my identity to humiliate me?’

’I’ll grant your wish!’

Lin Hao had already endured again and again. This animal not only didn’t know when to back off but had even doubled down. If Lin Hao didn’t strike back now, he wouldn’t be Lin Hao.

"That’s right. I am *that* Lin Hao from the Lin family of War Dragon City. The former genius, the subsequent fool, the one who recovered after the shock of a broken engagement, only to become a piece of trash."

Lin Hao admitted it openly and without reservation.

Uh...

Chu Sheng was stunned.

Lin Hao’s reply made him want to strangle him.

’Couldn’t you just have answered no? You said exactly what I was going to say!’

’Damn it, you’ve said everything I wanted to say! What the hell am I supposed to say now?!’

’How the fuck am I supposed to crush you now!’

In an instant, a stampede of a thousand curses galloped through Chu Sheng’s mind.

"Hahaha, everyone, look! The piece of trash from War Dragon City whose engagement was broken is right here!" But saying nothing was too dissatisfying for Chu Sheng, so he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.

Lin Hao hadn’t lowered his voice at all during his reply, and many people had already heard him. They were already giving him strange looks, but now, after Chu Sheng’s outburst, many of them shifted their gazes from Lin Hao to Chu Sheng.

’The guy already mocked himself, and we all heard it loud and clear. Now you’re kicking him while he’s down? That’s just petty.’

In an instant, their gazes toward Chu Sheng were filled with contempt.

At first, Chu Sheng looked bewildered, but then he thought it over and understood. He nearly coughed up a mouthful of old blood.

"You animal, do you have any other ’pointers’ for me? If not, get out of my way. It’s my turn to be tested," Lin Hao said impatiently, as if swatting away a fly.

Chu Sheng’s face contorted into a savage grin. "Good, good, good! You’ve got guts! Trash! If you really have guts, then go try the middle Crystal Stone door!"

Lin Hao turned a deaf ear and walked straight toward the middle...

"He’s actually going to the middle door. He really overestimates himself."

"Yeah, I’ve heard of this Lin Hao. He was already at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm three years ago. Now, three years have passed, and he’s still at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm. He’s finished."

"He’s pretty pathetic, getting his engagement broken by the Lu family. If I were him, I’d just hide away in the Lin family and never come out. If you want to prove yourself through the assessment, you should at least have a realistic grasp of your own abilities."

The crowd of examinees murmured amongst themselves as they watched the central wall close.

Although Chu Sheng’s earlier behavior had earned their disdain, they didn’t think highly of Lin Hao’s chances either.

A Martial Artist stuck at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm for three years, yet he dared to challenge the middle Crystal Stone door? That was just a fool’s dream.

Watching the central wall open and close, Chu Sheng gloated, "Just a piece of trash. I’d like to see just how many inches you can absorb!"

The middle-aged man glanced at him and sighed internally. ’This boy’s character... Even if his results are outstanding, I’ll have to report this to the Sect Leader and the elders. They shouldn’t accept him as a disciple.’

Poor Chu Sheng had no idea he had already been blacklisted by the main peak. He was still staring excitedly at the central wall, waiting for Lin Hao to make a fool of himself.

Regardless of what anyone outside was thinking, the moment Lin Hao stepped through the central wall, his entire focus was instantly fixed on the Crystal Stone door in the middle.