Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

"Sect Leader, this is just plain bullying! You snatch up every good prospect that comes along. We didn’t fight you over Ling Xiao last time, so you’re not allowed to fight us for Lin Hao this time!"

The last elder was dumbfounded. The other two had already used every ploy he could think of. After racking his brain to no avail, he finally steeled himself and slammed his hand on the table.

"I’m asking, do you have any shame at all? How dare you claim you didn’t fight me over Ling Xiao last time?! In the end, I was the one who compromised and let him choose for himself. He chose me! You can only blame yourselves for not being skilled enough!"

When it came to the matter of Lin Hao’s placement, the Sect Leader of the Heaven-Stepping Sect had made his decision: he would not yield a single inch.

His words, however, sparked a collective fury.

The three elders glared. "For him, we’ll gladly be shameless today! You must hand him over to us!" they roared.

"That’s right! Have you forgotten how to respect your elders? Besides, don’t you forget, when you first joined the sect, it was us three old geezers who raised you!"

"Exactly! Don’t be so ungrateful. Without us, you would have never become the Sect Leader."

The three elders went back and forth, their words thick with tension.

What the three of them said was true. The Sect Leader gave a wry smile. He was about to suggest using the old method, but the words died on his lips and he swallowed them back down.

If Lin Hao didn’t end up choosing him, he’d have nowhere to go to cry about it.

Because of Lin Hao, he, the great and dignified Sect Leader, had completely lost his confidence.

"Three Uncles, how about this? Just give him to me. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you, all right?"

"No!" the three shouted in unison.

"Give him to me, and one of you can be Sect Leader. That should be enough, right?" The Sect Leader of the Heaven-Stepping Sect gritted his teeth. For Lin Hao’s sake, he was willing to give up his own position.

"We have no interest in this mess of a position. We’re interested in him," the three elders replied, still refusing to yield.

The Sect Leader of the Heaven-Stepping Sect was on the verge of tears.

In all honesty, these three elders were men he deeply respected. There was no internal strife or scheming among them; the sect had survived to this day in large part thanks to their tireless efforts.

But the thought of giving up Lin Hao was more painful to the Sect Leader of the Heaven-Stepping Sect than carving a piece of his own flesh.

"I’ll trade you *that* Cultivation Technique. And when the secret realm opens, I’ll let you all enter to cultivate. That should be enough, right?" the Sect Leader finally said, gritting his teeth as he laid out his terms.

The three elders’ eyes shot wide open.

Though the Sect Leader had spoken vaguely, they knew exactly what he was referring to.

That Cultivation Technique was for the Elemental Realm, something only the Sect Leader was qualified to practice. Furthermore, it had a tremendous history—legend said it was part of the technique practiced by the founding ancestor of the Heaven-Stepping Sect.

The founding ancestor of the Heaven-Stepping Sect was an existence at the very pinnacle of the martial way. In other words, that Cultivation Technique was part of an Emperor Level Skill.

And the secret realm... that was a true treasure.

’Get that Cultivation Technique, then go cultivate in the secret realm...’

The Sect Leader had truly paid a steep price for Lin Hao. The three elders were finding the temptation hard to resist.

"Ahem. The sect is one big family. No matter who he studies under, he’ll still be a member of our sect..." After a long moment, one of the elders finally spoke.

"Since you’ve put it that way, I have nothing more to say."

"I second that."

’I’ve seen shameless people before, but never this shameless.’ The corner of the Heaven-Stepping Sect’s Sect Leader’s mouth twitched violently.

But the moment he remembered that he had finally won the fight for Lin Hao, the Sect Leader of the Heaven-Stepping Sect cheered up again.

"Sect Leader, I’m quite curious about that little girl’s bloodline and constitution. Do you think we should..." Now that they had gotten what they wanted, the elders’ attention shifted from Lin Hao to Yingxue.

Hearing this, the Sect Leader of the Heaven-Stepping Sect pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Then, the four of them rose simultaneously and walked toward the God-Proving Platform.

"Little one, it’s getting chilly out here. How about we take you up the mountain?" one of the elders said kindly, walking straight up to Yingxue.

Yingxue didn’t answer, her gaze instead turning to Lin Hao.

Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly.

In fact, from the moment these four had descended from Heaven-Stepping Peak, he had suspected their identities.

Now, as they stood before him, Lin Hao had the distinct feeling of being seen completely through.

Though they kept their auras contained, Lin Hao’s Spiritual Sense was terrifyingly sharp. The cultivation level of any single one of them was astoundingly powerful!

On the entire Celestial Yang Continent, apart from the old man Cang Yan whom he had met at Tian Duan Mountain, these four were undoubtedly the strongest individuals he had ever encountered.

Seeing the elder take an interest in Yingxue, Lin Hao was secretly pleased and gave her a reassuring nod.

"I want to be with Brother Hao!" Yingxue herself didn’t quite understand why, but she found herself increasingly drawn to the aura around Lin Hao.

The elder glanced at Lin Hao before turning back to her, his smile growing even more amiable. "He’ll be coming up right after."

"No! I want to be with Brother Hao!" Yingxue insisted, shaking her head vigorously.

The elder wore a helpless expression.

"Bring him along," the Sect Leader said.

The elder was about to take Yingxue’s hand, but she darted away and ran to Lin Hao’s side.

Lin Hao felt a bit helpless about how clingy Yingxue was, but at this point, he couldn’t possibly push her away.

Having guessed their identities, Lin Hao was now filled with anticipation for Heaven-Stepping Peak. "Please, lead the way," he said.

The four exchanged a glance, all somewhat astonished. ’Does he really intend to carry someone up Heaven-Stepping Peak?’

The night was dark and the wind was high, leaving the iron chains slick and treacherous. For someone at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm to attempt the climb while carrying a young girl—"arrogant" didn’t even begin to describe it.

But seeing his confident and composed expression, the four nodded, pushed off with their toes, and soared away.

In truth, though he didn’t show it on the surface, Lin Hao’s heart was pounding with apprehension.

But he had to do this.

His aptitude in the first trial was merely average. And though he had passed the second trial perfectly, there was still a third. He had to put on a good showing in front of these people to increase his chances of being accepted into the sect.

Lin Hao, completely in the dark, had no idea he had already passed the third and final trial perfectly.

Seeing the four fly off, he immediately followed suit. With a single movement, he executed the Ghostly Divine Step and landed on the iron chain in an instant.

Although the four were ahead, their Divine Sense was locked onto Lin Hao. They even subtly used their feet to steady the swaying chain, making it more stable for him.

However, when they noticed that Lin Hao’s figure remained perfectly balanced and his speed was astonishingly fast, their worries vanished. Their own speed abruptly increased...

The first principle of the Ghostly Divine Step was speed. At his fastest, Lin Hao didn’t even need to circulate his True Qi, instead using momentum to glide through the air. Now, with an iron chain underfoot to push off from, it was like walking on level ground for him.

Five figures shot across the Celestial Vault like meteors. A quarter of an hour later, they all landed on Heaven-Stepping Peak.

He landed in a plaza and set Yingxue down, his complexion completely normal.

The four were secretly astounded, and a fleeting look of regret flashed through the eyes of the three elders.

’This kid is only at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, but the True Qi in his body is unbelievably abundant. If we were to fight him at the same level, we probably wouldn’t even be his match!’

"In a moment, you will undergo a very important ceremony," the Sect Leader of the Heaven-Stepping Sect said, first looking at Yingxue, then issuing a warning to them both. "No matter what you see or hear, you are not to speak a single word."

Seeing his serious tone, Lin Hao and Yingxue both nodded in unison.

The group continued onward. Although Lin Hao didn’t see a single disciple of the Heaven-Stepping Sect along the way, his Spiritual Sense told him that at least a hundred people were hidden in the shadows, all with impressive cultivation levels.

After walking for about ten minutes, the pace ahead slowed. Lin Hao looked up to see a brilliantly lit and imposing building in the distance.

"Lord Lingdi, we have come with a request." Arriving before the building, Lin Hao watched as the middle-aged man leading them spoke very politely toward the interior.

After a long pause, a lazy voice drifted out from within. "Come in."

From the sound of it, it was a woman.

Lin Hao was secretly shocked. ’This middle-aged man at the front has an extraordinary air about him. Even if he isn’t the Sect Leader, his status must be comparable. Why would he be so respectful toward a woman?’

’What is her status?’

However, when the door was pushed open, Lin Hao’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

The spacious hall was empty. A single glance revealed a high platform at the far end of the hall, upon which sat an enormous chair.

The chair was draped with a priceless carpet, and sitting atop it was—an animal!

Lin Hao’s eyes widened, because he realized it looked remarkably like a creature from Earth: a cat!

Except this cat had golden fur and was apparently rather vain, as it wore a red bow on one of its ears.

She was currently lying lazily on the chair, her eyes narrowed to slits.

And below the chair, there was a person.

When he saw who it was, Lin Hao froze.

It was Wu Kui!

Right now, Wu Kui was adding wood to a brazier, clearly tending a fire to keep this vain, lazy cat warm.

The Sect Leader’s own disciple was tending a fire for a cat, and he even wore an expression of being incredibly honored by the task. Lin Hao felt this world had gone completely insane.

"Lord Lingdi, we apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but we have a request regarding this little girl’s bloodline and constitution..." The Sect Leader trailed off as he noticed something was wrong with Yingxue.

Yingxue, who had been looking around with curiosity, froze the moment she saw the vain cat. Her eyes went wide, her face turned deathly pale, and a moment later, her whole body began to tremble.

"Oh? Scared out of your wits! How interesting, how very interesting! Hahaha, this is hilarious!" The cat stared at Yingxue, suddenly sat up, and began to speak in a human voice, laughing heartily.

Lin Hao was dumbstruck, his mind struggling to process what was happening.

As far as he knew, a Devil Beast had to reach at least Tier Four to be able to speak. But without exception, Tier Four Devil Beasts were enormous. Judging by its appearance, this vain cat was clearly not Tier Four. How could it talk?

Besides, judging by how respectful everyone was, even calling it Lord Lingdi, this creature seemed to be a big deal.

’And Yingxue seems terrified of her. What’s going on?’

Before he could think it through, Lin Hao heard the vain cat speak again. "All of you can go. Just leave the little girl here."

"No! Brother Hao, help me!" Yingxue cried out in terror, grabbing onto Lin Hao’s arm.

"Okay, okay, we’ll leave right now!" Lin Hao said, quickly comforting her. He didn’t want to see Yingxue come to any harm.

"She is mine! No one is taking her away!" the vain cat suddenly roared.

The four from the Heaven-Stepping Sect did not respond.

Lin Hao’s gaze turned cold. "I am taking her with me today," he declared proudly. "What are you going to do about it?"

The four from the Heaven-Stepping Sect never imagined things would escalate like this. They were kicking themselves with regret.

This Lord Lingdi was far too important to the sect’s future. They couldn’t afford to offend her.