Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

"If she can tie my record, it will be a great boon to the sect. Of course, I couldn’t ask for more," Ling Xiao replied indifferently. But his answer sidestepped the question.

The elder glanced at Ling Xiao’s hand, which was subtly gripping his robes, and smiled faintly without saying a word.

And just then, on the platform, Yingxue had already thrown her fourth punch!

"RUMBLE!"

The Proving Platform trembled, and two more Divine Steles burst from the ground.

Four punches, eight Divine Steles revealed!

Ling Xiao’s fifty-year-old record in the Heaven-Stepping Sect was tied!

Although the Sect Leader and the three Grand Elders had anticipated this, seeing eight steles appear at once still left them unable to contain their excitement.

"Sect Leader, the three of us will figure out who gets this girl. You can’t compete with us for her!" The three Grand Elders exchanged a look, wisely forming a temporary alliance.

The Sect Leader gave a wry smile and was about to speak when he noticed that Yingxue, on the platform, was preparing to punch again.

His eyes twitched.

Standing behind him, Ling Xiao suddenly clenched his robes.

Yingxue threw the punch!

The punch was very, very slow.

"BOOM!"

The Proving Platform was trembling.

The hearts of the Sect Leader and the three Grand Elders leaped into their throats as they stared intently at the spot where the ninth Divine Stele should appear.

A crack split open on the platform.

Then, after a long wait, the ninth Divine Stele ultimately failed to appear.

"Phew..."

Ling Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ah, what a pity." The Sect Leader and the three Grand Elders looked crestfallen.

They had thought they would witness a miracle today, but in the end, their wish was not granted.

"You can have her. Let’s go," the Sect Leader said, his interest waning. He stood up, preparing to leave.

The three elders were overjoyed at his words. They all stood up, ready to fight over who would claim Yingxue.

"Sect Leader, that little fellow named Lin Hao hasn’t been assessed yet. Should we wait?" one of the elders suddenly asked, having spotted Lin Hao.

The Sect Leader glanced at the platform and shook his head. "Let’s just forget it."

He had also observed him for a long time and come to a conclusion: there was nothing remarkable about Lin Hao. He couldn’t see anything special at all.

The three Grand Elders nodded in deep agreement.

Just as they took a step, Bai Ming’s voice rang out from the platform. "Next, Lin Hao!"

The Divine Steles descended, and Lin Hao and Yingxue were still standing on the platform.

Hearing the examiner’s words, Yingxue said happily, "Brother Hao, I’ll stay and help you."

Lin Hao smiled faintly and shook his head.

Yingxue knew to consider the bigger picture. Although her lips were pursed in a pout, she still left.

Seeing her leave, Lin Hao calmly and slowly closed his eyes.

Seeing this, Bai Ming’s mouth fell open. ’Is Lin Hao not planning to call a disciple forward?’

’How is he supposed to borrow strength?!’

Chu Sheng, who had been bested by Yingxue yet again, was already in a foul mood. Seeing this scene, however, his spirits immediately lifted.

’That piece of trash isn’t borrowing strength. He’s doomed to fail at summoning even a single Divine Stele!’

’When the time comes, I’ll definitely give him a proper humiliation!’

The Sect Leader and the three Grand Elders, who had just started to walk away, also noticed this, and their eyes filled with disappointment.

’If he doesn’t find someone to borrow strength from, how can he exert any force?!’

’His aptitude is abysmal. Making a special trip for him was truly not worth it.’

Their faces turned ashen with anger, especially when they saw Lin Hao throw a listless punch without even opening his eyes.

The Heaven-Stepping Sect’s Sect Leader almost erupted in fury.

However, in the next moment, their eyes shot wide open.

"RUMBLE!"

The Proving Platform roared, producing an unusual sound!

’How is that possible?!’

This was everyone’s first reaction.

"No, this is impossible!" Chu Sheng muttered.

He knew just how difficult it was to make a Divine Stele emerge. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing—that Lin Hao could summon a Divine Stele without borrowing strength.

But the Divine Stele slowly breaking through the earth told him clearly that anything was possible!

However, the shock Lin Hao delivered was far from over.

"Two... two Divine Steles!" one of the elders exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Without borrowing strength, Lin Hao had made two Divine Steles emerge with a single punch! This was even more shocking than Yingxue summoning eight steles at once.

However, they had clearly underestimated Lin Hao.

The next moment, Lin Hao, still with his eyes closed, threw another punch, just as casually as the first.

But the result of this casual punch was staggering.

"RUMBLE!"

A great roar erupted as more Divine Steles burst from the ground.

One!

Two!

It still didn’t stop!

This time, it was actually three!

One punch, three Divine Steles revealed!

With two casual punches, Lin Hao had made five Divine Steles burst from the ground!

This was a miracle!

A miracle unheard of in the Heaven-Stepping Sect!

The Proving Platform fell deathly silent.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on a single figure: Lin Hao.

Lin Hao’s performance was still ongoing.

Another punch.

"RUMBLE!"

The rumbling resumed. The fifth, the sixth, the seventh...

And then, the eighth!

Chu Sheng’s face was a mask of horror, which then turned ashen as death.

As for the Sect Leader and the three Grand Elders, their gazes upon Lin Hao were scorching hot.

The same eight Divine Steles, yet Lin Hao had only used three punches, and without borrowing any strength. This was simply beyond their imagination.

However, it wasn’t over yet.

The ground where the ninth Divine Stele should be slowly cracked open, and then a stele poked through!

Four steles with one punch!

The ninth Divine Stele had appeared!

The Heaven-Stepping Sect, the Proving Platform, nine steles appearing at once!

The record set by the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s Sect Leader from two generations ago, a record that had stood for a thousand years, had now been tied!

No, it hadn’t just been tied—it had been broken!

Because not only had Lin Hao not borrowed any strength, he had done it in only three punches!

The Sect Leader and the elders felt their breathing quicken, their gazes on Lin Hao burning with intensity.

The three Grand Elders had been fortunate enough to witness the previous record-holder summon nine steles, but it was nowhere near as stunning as what Lin Hao had done today.

The Heaven-Stepping Sect’s Sect Leader clenched his fists, his lips trembling. He stared fixedly at Lin Hao and stammered out four words, "Heaven protects the sect!"

He and the three Grand Elders, as if by unspoken agreement, stepped toward Lin Hao on the platform.

In the center of the Proving Platform, after making nine steles appear at once, Lin Hao finally opened his eyes.

At that moment, it was as if he hadn’t yet realized what he had done. He simply gazed at the pattern on the ninth Divine Stele.

Seeing the pattern, Lin Hao’s expression filled with shock.

’The Ice-Armored Horned Demon Dragon!’

’Another one of the Ten Great Ancient Vicious Beasts!’

’Nine Divine Steles, nine types of vicious beasts... could it be...’

Lin Hao’s eyes lit up, and then he closed them again.

Focusing his mind and gathering his energy, Lin Hao’s Spirit Platform became a clear, empty space.

The next moment, Lin Hao’s eyes flew open, and he threw another punch.

This punch shot downward, striking the ground of the Proving Platform with an indomitable aura.

"BOOM!"

The sound was like thunder!

A visible shockwave spread out in all directions, with Lin Hao’s fist at its center.

When it encountered the nine Divine Steles, the shockwave traveled up along them, finally reconverging above them.

And at that very moment, a terrifying ripple emanated from the nine Divine Steles. The next instant, a tenth stele flickered into view in the empty air above.

The tenth Divine Stele had appeared!

No, this stele manifested in the void. It would be more appropriate to call it a Celestial Stele!

The moment this Celestial Stele manifested, the nine Divine Steles trembled violently, and a divine light illuminated the world!

A divine miracle occurred on the Proving Platform!

At the same time, a golden light seemed to descend from the nine heavens, instantly reaching the nine mountain peaks of the Heaven-Stepping Sect!

The divine light from the nine steles and the golden light from the nine peaks echoed each other, filling the space between heaven and earth and enveloping the entire Heaven-Stepping Sect!

The thousands of disciples in the Heaven-Stepping Sect stopped their cultivation, those practicing alchemy forgot their alchemy, and even lovers hidden in the shadows, deep in their trysts, froze in place. All of them were stunned.

Such a phenomenon was unheard of. Even the descent of a celestial god would be no more spectacular than this!

In the very center of the Proving Platform, Lin Hao stood proudly, as firm as heaven and earth.

At this moment, as the Divine Steles’ light illuminated the world and a primordial aura swept over everything, Lin Hao was bathed in the divine glow. With all the light converging upon him, he looked like an ancient Emperor Venerable made manifest!

This phenomenon was soul-shaking!

The Heaven-Stepping Sect’s Sect Leader and elders felt their Divine Souls tremble, and they were all exceptionally horrified!

Their bodies quivered, their legs wouldn’t stop shaking. They completely forgot their own status and looked nothing like Martial Artists!

Their gazes toward Lin Hao were incomparably pious, filled with obsession, as if they were on a pilgrimage!

This was especially true for the Sect Leader of the Heaven-Stepping Sect. His lips trembled uncontrollably, and his gaze showed a mixture of horror, obsession, and every emotion in between.

’There’s actually a tenth Divine Stele on the Proving Platform!’

’The Heaven-Stepping Sect’s legacy spans ten thousand years, and in all of recorded history, there have only ever been nine Divine Steles. But now a tenth has appeared!’

’This is simply a world-shaking divine miracle!’

’A ten-thousand-year-old secret has been unsealed by Lin Hao’s four punches today. This...’ The Heaven-Stepping Sect’s Sect Leader was at a loss for words. He simply couldn’t find an adjective to describe this level of shock!

The phenomenon on the Proving Platform slowly faded, but no one spoke. They all just stared blankly at Lin Hao.

It wasn’t until a quarter of an hour later that a burst of crazed laughter rang out, snapping everyone back to their senses.

The Heaven-Stepping Sect’s Sect Leader’s laughter shook the heavens, vibrating the seats in the pavilion so much they jumped, and rattling the tiles on its roof.

The laughter continued for a full several minutes before it stopped. Then, with bloodshot eyes, the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s Sect Leader was about to charge out.

"Sect Leader, calm down! He’s right there, he’s not going anywhere!" The three elders naturally knew what he wanted to do, and one of them, with quick eyes and hands, grabbed the Sect Leader’s arm.

The Sect Leader finally came to his senses and abandoned his reckless impulse. But he could clearly see that the elder who had grabbed him had his other hand hidden in his wide sleeve, his clenched fist bulging with veins.

"Haha, yes, the elder is absolutely right," the Sect Leader replied incoherently, shakily sitting back down in his chair.

The three elders were in a similar state. After they sat back down, another elder spoke excitedly, "Sect Leader, for such a peerless genius to descend upon our Heaven-Stepping Sect is truly the sect’s greatest fortune!"

"To think there’s a tenth Divine Stele... it’s like we’ve lived our lives in vain!" another elder lamented.

"Sect Leader, I heard you say his innate talent is also exceptional. Now with this heaven-defying aptitude, if he can awaken his bloodline, I fear his future achievements will surpass even the Sect Leader from two generations ago!" the third elder said.

Only then did the Sect Leader recall Lin Hao’s equally heaven-defying performance in the first test. He could barely speak properly. "Yes, I... he... I will make you awaken your bloodline, no matter the cost!"

The three elders shared a knowing smile.

The group of them were so shocked by Lin Hao’s heaven-defying performance, their minds completely captivated by him, that they failed to notice Ling Xiao’s somewhat pale face as he stood behind the Sect Leader.

"Master, there is nothing more to see here. This disciple wishes to return and enter seclusion," Ling Xiao said softly.

"Mm, go on." The Heaven-Stepping Sect Leader’s gaze remained fixed on Lin Hao, as if he were afraid he might run away. He paid no mind at all to what Ling Xiao was saying.

Ling Xiao took his leave, but no one at all noticed the departure of the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s number one genius, because all of their attention was on Lin Hao.

With Lin Hao’s arrival, the number one genius of yesterday was no longer dazzling.