Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Heaven-Stepping Sect, Ascension Platform.

By the time Wu Kui arrived with Lin Hao, the others had already been waiting for a long time.

Among them were the Sect Leader, the two Grand Elders, and the eight Peak Masters!

The day after the assessment was a big day for both the sect and the examinees.

For the examinees especially, joining the sect was an unparalleled honor, and many had been too excited to sleep.

Only someone like Lin Hao could have slept so soundly.

"Sect Leader, did you delay the announcement just to wait for him?" one of the Peak Masters suddenly spoke up upon seeing Lin Hao, his face etched with displeasure.

The Heaven-Stepping Sect was not what it once was, and some had long been dissatisfied with the Sect Leader. Among the eight Peak Masters, some even coveted the seat of Heaven-Stepping Peak, and this included Qin Xianlong.

How could he not seize this opportunity to make a point?

Wu Taichu glanced at him and smiled, but didn’t answer.

"Hmph! A mere mortal body. What’s the use even if his comprehension is exceptional!" Qin Tianlong snorted again.

Wu Taichu’s gaze narrowed slightly before relaxing.

"Everyone, I am the Sect Leader of the Heaven-Stepping Sect. From this day forward, you are all disciples of my Heaven-Stepping Sect!" Wu Taichu still offered Qin Tianlong a smile before his expression turned serious and he spoke in a clear, loud voice.

Hearing this, the Martial Artists who had passed the assessment all grew excited.

Some among them had heard that the Sect Leader never used to make an appearance after the assessment.

Not only had he shown up today, but it seemed he was preparing to make the announcements himself. Could it be that he had taken notice of someone among them?

Standing in the crowd, Chu Sheng was even more thrilled. He had superior aptitude and impressive comprehension. When he finished the third trial, the other examinees were still lost in their pleasant dreams...

’My performance must have caught the Sect Leader’s eye. He’s going to announce that he’s taking me as his personal disciple right here!’

At this thought, Chu Sheng glanced toward where Lin Hao was standing in the crowd. He wanted to let Lin Hao know that winning one round meant nothing. Once he became the Sect Leader’s disciple, he would repay every last bit of humiliation Lin Hao had dealt him!

However, Lin Hao’s completely uninterested expression infuriated Chu Sheng.

But then, he cheered up again.

’Lin Hao must be acting like that because he knows he has no hope of placing.’

Thinking this, a foolish grin spread across Chu Sheng’s face.

Immediately after, however, his expression turned serious, and he focused his attention, as someone else had begun to speak.

"Next, I will announce the rankings for this assessment!" After Wu Taichu’s brief speech, Bai Ming, who had served as the examiner, stepped forward.

"Li Long, tenth place in this assessment. Reward: ten Regeneration Pills and one opportunity to enter the Scripture Pavilion for half an hour."

The Scripture Pavilion was where the sect stored its Cultivation Techniques and martial skills. Entry required Contribution Points, and each visit was time-limited.

Originally, this reward hadn’t been included; Wu Taichu had added it at the last minute.

"Zhang Qiang, ninth place in this assessment. Reward: ten Regeneration Pills and one opportunity to enter the Scripture Pavilion for half an hour."

...

"Chen Tai, fourth place in this assessment. Reward: ten Regeneration Pills and one opportunity to enter the Scripture Pavilion for half an hour."

Before long, the names for fourth to tenth place had all been announced.

Next to be announced were second, third, and first place.

Those whose names hadn’t been called looked disappointed, as they knew the remaining few places were all but decided.

Although Lin Hao had only shown mediocre aptitude in the first trial, his comprehension was outstanding. And even though he had backed out of the third trial, he was sure to be third.

Chu Sheng had superior aptitude and good comprehension, and he had even placed first in the third trial. He would definitely be second.

Yingxue possessed supreme aptitude and exceptional comprehension. Though she also hadn’t participated in the third trial, there was no suspense about her taking first place.

However, hope immediately sparked anew in the hearts of the examinees.

Because the person Bai Ming announced for third place was not one of the three they had predicted.

"Wei Feng, third place in this assessment. Reward: one Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Pill and two opportunities to enter the Scripture Pavilion, for one hour each time!"

Wei Feng was a Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer Martial Artist with an awakened bloodline. He also had superior aptitude and comprehension comparable to Chu Sheng’s; he had just fallen slightly short in the final trial.

In the crowd, a smile appeared on Wei Feng’s face upon hearing this result, and his expression was one of excitement.

The other examinees looked on with envy.

After surveying the crowd, Bai Ming announced second place. There was no suspense; it was Chu Sheng.

In the crowd, Chu Sheng clenched his fists, unable to hide his excitement. He then shot a provocative look at Lin Hao.

’He’s second place, which means first place must be Yingxue. Lin Hao didn’t even make the cut!’

No one was more satisfied with this result than he was.

The scene where Lin Hao called him a watchdog after his heaven-defying performance in the second trial was still vivid in Chu Sheng’s mind. He had been speechless then, but now that Lin Hao was about to be eliminated, he couldn’t wait to rub it in his face.

He wasn’t far from Lin Hao. Chu Sheng slowly sidled up to him and then lowered his voice, "Lin Hao, you told me to wait and see. What do you have to say now?! Now, I’m high and mighty, and you’re just an ant! The gap between us is too vast! Just you wait for my wrath!"

Lin Hao gave him a look one might give an idiot and chose to ignore him completely.

Up above, Bai Ming announced the first-place winner. As expected, it was indeed Yingxue.

As the first-place winner, she would receive the mutated Demon Pill, as well as three opportunities to enter the Scripture Pavilion.

Lin Hao noticed that girl, Yingxue, wasn’t here.

He wasn’t worried. With his current status in the Heaven-Stepping Sect, nothing would happen to Yingxue.

"Absurd! If he were on the top-ten list, it would be one thing for us to wait for him. But he’s just a piece of trash who couldn’t even make it into the top ten! To think we’ve delayed our cultivation for him. Sect Leader, this is simply unjustifiable!"

Qin Tianlong pointed a finger at Lin Hao, his voice not loud but audible to everyone present.

The examinees had been focused on the top-ten winners, but with Qin Tianlong’s words, Lin Hao instantly became the center of attention.

Of the other seven Peak Masters, some stared at Lin Hao, some looked at Wu Taichu, and one actually remained perfectly composed, his eyes having been closed from the very beginning.

"I will give you all an explanation regarding him. According to the rules, the eight Peak Masters have the right to choose disciples from the second to tenth place examinees. You may make your selections first."

Wu Taichu took in everyone’s reactions, his own expression impassive.

"I choose Wei Feng!" Among the eight Peak Masters, the one who had kept his eyes closed the entire time suddenly opened them and spoke first.

No one refuted his choice after he spoke.

"I choose Chu Sheng!" A flash of reluctance crossed Qin Tianlong’s eyes as he followed suit, choosing Chu Sheng.

Chu Sheng’s expression wasn’t great either. His goal had been to become the Sect Leader’s disciple, or at the very least, a disciple of one of the Grand Elders. Now he was just a Peak Master’s disciple—the gap was a bit wide.

However, the moment he saw Lin Hao, he instantly cheered up. ’Becoming a Peak Master’s disciple is still better than him!’

’Disciples who don’t make the top ten enter the outer sect. If they haven’t awakened their bloodline by sixteen, they get kicked out!’

’And when it comes to using the Regeneration Pool, outer sect disciples are at the very bottom of the list.’

’When the time comes, I’ll make sure he never gets into the Regeneration Pool!’

Vicious thoughts swirled in Chu Sheng’s mind.

In the time it took for Chu Sheng to brew his nasty schemes, the eight Peak Masters had each chosen their disciples. Afterward, everyone’s gazes once again focused on Wu Taichu.

"The position of Chief Disciple of my Heaven-Stepping Sect has long been vacant. Today, I am here to tell you all that we have found a candidate!" As Wu Taichu said this, he looked toward Lin Hao, his expression a mixture of excitement and a hint of apology.

’He is my own Grand Martial Uncle. Making him a mere Chief Disciple... I feel so bad about it.’ Wu Taichu felt a pang of guilt.

Upon hearing this, the Peak Master who had chosen Wei Feng and closed his eyes again abruptly opened them. He stared at Lin Hao, his killing intent flaring.

Qin Tianlong’s eyes widened in shock. His gaze then narrowed as he glanced at Lin Hao, a flicker of killing intent flashing through his eyes before vanishing.

The other Peak Masters, though their expressions varied, were all clearly shocked.

Wu Kui had been quite pleased when he heard Lin Hao hadn’t placed, but now, Wu Taichu’s words made his eyes go wide. ’Could it be...?’

Chu Sheng had a similar reaction. ’If the guess is true, then everything I just did... how ridiculous would that make me look!’

"Mar... Lin... Lin Hao, please come up." Wu Taichu paid no mind to anyone else’s reaction. Right now, he only had eyes for Lin Hao.

With a hint of formality and a trace of reverence, he extended the invitation to Lin Hao.

Lin Hao had already anticipated this scene before he arrived, so he walked forward with a calm and composed expression.

The examinees were one thing, but the eight Peak Masters kept their eyes fixed on Lin Hao. Someone even secretly released their aura, trying to make him lose his composure.

But Lin Hao remained unruffled, standing tall and proud as he strode forward.

"Today, I declare that Lin Hao is officially..."

"Hold on!"

Before Wu Taichu could finish, he was forcefully interrupted.

It was Qin Tianlong again.

"Sect Leader, he’s a mere mortal body with a cultivation at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm and mediocre aptitude. How can you make a piece of trash like him the Chief Disciple? How will this convince anyone!" Qin Tianlong’s face was a mask of defiance.

Wu Taichu scanned the other Peak Masters. Aside from the one who had closed his eyes again, the word "defiance" was written all over their faces.

The Sect’s Chief Disciple would one day become the Sect Leader. It was a position coveted by many.

Wu Taichu had expected someone to stand in opposition today, but he hadn’t thought there would be so many.

In fact, by announcing Lin Hao as the Chief Disciple today, he was also testing the reactions of the eight Peak Masters.

Seeing their reactions, Wu Taichu now had a clear picture of the situation.

However...

Today, Lin Hao would become the Chief Disciple, and no one could stop it!

Wu Taichu’s expression turned cold. Just as he was about to make the announcement forcefully, he saw Lin Hao take a step forward and point directly at Qin Tianlong.

"I don’t think you’re unconvinced by me. You’re coveting the Sect Leader’s position, aren’t you? Who the hell do you think you are? You think you’re worthy?"

Facing one of the eight Peak Masters, Lin Hao was fearless.

Earlier, Qin Tianlong had pointed at him, showing him no respect whatsoever. Lin Hao certainly wasn’t going to be polite in return.

Hearing Lin Hao’s words, the crowd of examinees couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air.

Such audacity! To dare insult a Peak Master in public, and he wasn’t even the Chief Disciple yet.

Even the other Peak Masters looked at Lin Hao as if they had seen a ghost.

A Martial Artist at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm dared to speak to Qin Tianlong, who was at the Seventh Layer of Elemental Control Realm, in such a manner.

Was he trying to defy the heavens?!

Qin Tianlong’s face turned ashen with rage. Not even the Sect Leader dared to speak to him like that, yet this brat from the Lin family had the gall to ask who the hell he thought he was!

He was about to retort but was cut off by Lin Hao’s next words.

Lin Hao stared at Qin Tianlong and said, "You’re unconvinced, which is just another way of saying you think I’m not qualified. Today, here on this Ascension Platform, I challenge you!"

As Lin Hao finished speaking, a ferocious battle intent raged in his eyes!

Everyone present, including Wu Taichu, was stunned by Lin Hao’s words!

The Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm challenging the Seventh Layer of Elemental Control Realm—it was the height of wild arrogance!