Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

What they had just said was not baseless.

The sect truly did have such a rule.

Although Lin Hao didn’t know about this rule, he understood the importance of the Spirit Field and its Spirit Grass. Their words weren’t pleasant to hear, but Lin Hao understood their position completely.

’One must fulfill the duties of one’s position.’

So, surprisingly, Lin Hao wasn’t angry. Instead, he said, "I know this is against the rules, but I need this urgently. I’ll report it to the Sect Leader tomorrow. You’re being diligent in your duties, which should earn you some sect Contribution Points, right?"

Wu Kui had said that any contribution to the sect would be rewarded with Contribution Points. In Lin Hao’s eyes, guarding the Spirit Field was a contribution.

His words were sincere, without a trace of falsehood.

But Lin Hao didn’t realize that to these two disciples, his words were like poking a hornet’s nest.

It would have been fine if he hadn’t mentioned Contribution Points. But the moment he did, the two disciples remembered the points they had just lost, and their anger flared up.

"If we don’t let you in, are you going to run to the sect and tattle on us? Get more of our Contribution Points deducted, huh, my dear... Eldest! Martial! Brother!"

The disciple who spoke spat out the last three words with particular emphasis, his face a mask of contempt.

Lin Hao shook his head and turned to leave.

The pill he needed to refine was of immense importance to him, so he didn’t want Wu Taichu and the others to know about it. But since he couldn’t enter the Spirit Field, he had no choice but to return to Heaven-Stepping Peak and find an excuse to get a written order from the Sect Leader.

Seeing him leave, the two disciples were stunned.

They thought Lin Hao would fly into a rage and attack them out of humiliation. That would have given them the perfect excuse to teach him a harsh lesson.

They could have vented their anger without fear of punishment afterward. Who knew Lin Hao would be such a coward?

"Pah! Coward!" one of the disciples spat viciously on the ground and shouted.

SMACK!

The words had barely left his mouth when his vision blurred, and a solid slap landed squarely on his face.

Lin Hao’s slap was both fast and vicious, sending the disciple stumbling back several steps.

One of his cheeks immediately swelled up. He spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with three teeth.

"You... you... you dare hit me!" the disciple stammered, furious.

Lin Hao responded indifferently, "A moment ago, you were fulfilling your duties, so I had nothing to say. But if you provoke me, you must pay the price!"

"Provoke you? You really think you’re the Chief Disciple! Today, I’m going to see what you’re really made of!" Hatred surged in the eyes of the disciple who’d been hit.

A good-for-nothing at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, who might never even awaken his bloodline, actually dared to injure someone. This was the last straw!

Lin Hao’s gaze narrowed slightly.

The disciple who was hit prepared to strike, but his companion grabbed his arm. Then, the companion said with a beaming smile, "Eldest... Eldest Martial Brother, he’s just ignorant. Don’t lower yourself to his level. If you want Spirit Grass, just go on in and pick some."

A flicker of confusion passed through Lin Hao’s eyes, but he nodded and walked straight into the Spirit Field.

’This position of Chief Disciple really isn’t easy. Anyone and everyone dares to provoke me.’

’But in the end, it all comes down to my own lack of strength.’ At this moment, Lin Hao felt an urgent need to create his bloodline.

After Lin Hao entered the Spirit Field, the disciple who had been slapped said hatefully, "Senior Brother, what’s the meaning of this? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of his status."

"You didn’t get slapped for nothing. Didn’t you notice that his Body Technique just now was a little strange?" the other disciple whispered.

Just now, he had been completely unprepared, and Lin Hao’s movements were so fast that he hadn’t seen them clearly at all.

"His Body Technique looks a lot like the sect’s Heaven-Stepping Step. Before we figure out the truth, we shouldn’t act rashly." The disciple’s eyes flickered, and a look of fear crossed his face as he mentioned the Heaven-Stepping Step.

The slapped disciple was startled, then shook his head. "Impossible! The Heaven-Stepping Step was said to have been created by the founding ancestor, but the first volume was lost. No one can master it!"

"It’s never wrong to be cautious," that disciple said gravely.

The slapped disciple’s face was venomous as he said resentfully, "Don’t tell me I took that slap for nothing."

The other disciple gave a sinister smile. "Of course not. Did you really think I let him in because I was afraid of him?"

"You mean..."

"What do you think would happen if the sect found out that the esteemed Chief Disciple stole Spirit Grass from the Spirit Field?"

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"

"Hush. I’ll watch here. You go report to the Sect Leader."

"Senior Brother, the Spirit Field is huge. It’ll definitely take him a while to find the Spirit Grass he needs. Let’s go together."

"Hmm... all right."

As they spoke, the two disciples hurried toward Heaven-Stepping Peak.

However, no sooner had they left than Lin Hao departed from the Spirit Field.

Although the Spirit Field was large, Lin Hao had a photographic memory. He had been to the Spirit Field before and remembered the exact locations of the Spirit Grass he needed. He picked them and left.

When Lin Hao came out, he didn’t see the two disciples. He was only briefly puzzled before rushing to Pill Cloud Hall.

The two locations weren’t far apart, and Lin Hao was desperate to begin his Alchemy. He executed the Ghostly Divine Step and arrived at Pill Cloud Hall in what seemed like an instant.

The disciple who had previously opened the door for Wu Kui and the old man from inside were both at the entrance of Pill Cloud Hall, sun-drying Spirit Grass.

"By order of the Sect Leader, no one is to approach Pill Cloud Hall!" Lin Hao flashed the wooden token Cang Yan had given him. Before the two could get a clear look, he tucked it away and quickly slipped inside.

Pill Cloud Hall contained nothing but Pill Furnaces, Fire Crystal Stones, and Spirit Grass. The disciple and the old man weren’t worried about Lin Hao causing any trouble. They just shook their heads and paid him no mind.

After choosing a Pill Furnace, Lin Hao opened his right hand, and the strange fire stored in his Laogong Acupoint leaped out.

Using a special technique, Lin Hao roasted the Spirit Grass he had just picked from the Spirit Field over the strange fire. Before long, a rich medicinal fragrance began to fill the air.

With a flick of his hand, the strange fire seemed to come alive, darting directly beneath the Pill Furnace.

He walked over to the shelves where the Spirit Grass was stored. Without even looking, his five fingers bent, moving like lightning, grabbing one type of Spirit Grass after another and tossing them into the Pill Furnace.

In a short time, he had already added ninety-one different kinds.

If anyone had seen him performing Alchemy like this, they would have certainly shaken their heads. Alchemy required strict control over the weight of each Spirit Grass; Lin Hao’s actions looked like complete nonsense.

Of course, Lin Hao knew the exact quantities of Spirit Grass he needed. He could have been slower, but the situation didn’t allow for it.

The Pill Furnaces in Pill Cloud Hall were too ordinary; they couldn’t withstand the prolonged heat of his strange fire. If he didn’t hurry, the only outcome would be the furnace exploding and the pill failing.

He could afford to waste other Spirit Grass, but there was only one Nine Dragon Flower. He could not afford to waste it.

The contents of the Pill Furnace began to boil. Lin Hao formed complex fire-controlling hand seals, his hands moving so fast they were nothing but afterimages.

Large beads of sweat trickled down Lin Hao’s forehead.

This wasn’t just because of the high temperature of the strange fire. More importantly, the fire-controlling hand seals involved immense calculations that consumed a massive amount of Spiritual Power.

On top of that, while performing these complex hand seals, Lin Hao had to divide his focus to continue adding Spirit Grass.

The pill he was now Refining had a name: the Nine Dragon God Refining Pill.

The Nine Dragon God Refining Pill used the Nine Dragon Flower as its main ingredient and was a fast-acting pill.

Once the Refining of this pill began, the fire-controlling hand seals had to be maintained from start to finish without a moment’s pause.

Including the main ingredient, this pill required a total of ninety-nine types of Spirit Grass. Lin Hao had just added ninety-one, with eight more to go.

Speaking of which, Lin Hao was truly lucky. The Heaven-Stepping Sect had a legacy stretching back ten thousand years, and the Spirit Field was just as ancient, resulting in a massive accumulation of Spirit Grass in Pill Cloud Hall. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to gather all the necessary Spirit Grass for this pill anywhere else, not even at the Treasure Hunting Pavilion.

The process of adding the Spirit Grass was also a challenge for Lin Hao. He hadn’t reached a realm where he could manipulate objects from a distance, so he had to physically retrieve the Spirit Grass.

At times like this, he controlled the fire with one hand, yet the hand seals had to match the speed of using two.

After Lin Hao had added the ninety-eighth type of Spirit Grass, his entire body was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of water.

But in the blink of an eye, his clothes became dry.

The temperature of the strange fire was immeasurably high.

And at that moment, the Pill Furnace began to tumble and rumble violently.

Lin Hao’s expression changed. He accelerated his hand seals again as he tossed in the main ingredient of the Nine Dragon God Refining Pill, the Nine Dragon Flower.

At almost the exact same time, the two disciples who guarded the Spirit Field were following behind Wu Kui, heading toward Pill Cloud Hall.

At the entrance of Pill Cloud Hall, the disciple who had opened the door for Wu Kui and the old man stared at the hall in horror.

They were now a good several dozen meters away from the entrance, but they were still drenched in sweat.

This showed that the temperature inside Pill Cloud Hall had reached a terrifying level.

The old man, in particular, knew that Pill Cloud Hall was filled with Fire Crystal Stones. There was only one possibility that could generate such heat; otherwise, it was absolutely impossible.

As the saying goes, water and fire don’t mix. When a Fire Crystal Stone encounters water, a peculiar reaction occurs.

The Fire Crystal Stone will expand, release heat ten times greater than normal, and then cause a massive explosion!

The current temperature inside Pill Cloud Hall led the old man to a more terrifying thought: ’Don’t tell me that fellow who just went in gathered all the Fire Crystal Stones together and is pouring water on them?’

If that were the case, once the explosion occurred, the entire Pill Cloud Hall would be instantly turned to dust!

Thinking of this possibility, the old man backed away further, only to bump into someone.

"Damn it, what is he doing in there?" A scorching wave of heat washed over them. Wu Kui, having been bumped into, didn’t even seem to notice. He stared intently at Pill Cloud Hall, his face contorted, and cursed viciously.

"He stole Spirit Grass from the Spirit Field! He must be performing Alchemy in there!" The disciple who had been slapped was fanning himself while holding his cheek.

They had originally intended to find the Sect Leader, but they ran into Wu Kui on the way. Telling him had been just as effective.

Thinking of the slap he had received, the disciple naturally wouldn’t let this opportunity go.

"Alchemy? How could he possibly know Alchemy?!" Thinking of the Spirit Grass inside, Wu Kui was regretting it bitterly.

’I shouldn’t have provoked this madman.’ It wouldn’t matter if Lin Hao died, but if those Spirit Grass were gone, his master would surely cripple him.

As soon as Wu Kui’s words fell, an even more intense wave of heat surged forth, followed by a deafening BANG.

Without a second thought, Wu Kui threw himself to the ground.

An explosion caused by such high temperatures would send even someone like him flying.

The others were not slow to react either. They covered their heads and dropped to the ground as well.

"You reap what you sow! Dying like this is letting him off too easy," the slapped disciple muttered under his breath.

However, before the words were even out of his mouth, a sudden burst of laughter echoed from within.