Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

The people sprawled on the ground were stunned. They all looked up at once, their faces etched with confusion.

Pill Cloud Hall was fine; it hadn’t been reduced to dust by the explosion.

What’s more, laughter was coming from inside. That guy was clearly still alive.

’Damn it, how is he not dead after that? Is there no justice in this world?!’

The crowd cursed him endlessly in their hearts.

Wu Kui’s mouth twitched, and he hurriedly scrambled up from the ground.

As the Sect Leader’s disciple, his reaction just now had been utterly humiliating.

The thought that Lin Hao had caused all this sent a wave of fury through Wu Kui. His face turned livid as he strode toward Pill Cloud Hall.

BAM!

He kicked the door open, and a wave of heat washed over him, making him recoil several steps in fright.

’With temperatures this high, even if he didn’t die, he must have been cooked alive.’

A smile crept onto Wu Kui’s face at the thought.

But when he saw the scene that followed, that smile grew even wider.

Lin Hao appeared in his line of sight, wearing nothing but his underpants.

"Hahaha! Lin Hao, you’ve completely disgraced the sect!" Wu Kui gloated, laughing so hard he was practically doubled over.

Just moments ago, at the final, critical stage, the Nine Dragon God Refining Pill had been successfully formed. The Pill Furnace, however, couldn’t withstand the otherworldly flame’s intense heat and had instantly exploded. Lin Hao had to brace against the shockwave, and being just a fraction of a second too slow, he hadn’t managed to save his clothes.

Hearing Wu Kui’s words now, the smile on Lin Hao’s face didn’t falter in the slightest.

He couldn’t help it. Having successfully refined the Nine Dragon God Refining Pill, he was in an incredibly good mood.

"I’ve disgraced the sect, yet you’re here gloating. It seems you don’t hold the sect in very high regard," Lin Hao said with a wide grin.

Er...

Wu Kui’s laughter died in his throat. He shot Lin Hao a furious glare.

"What are you staring at? Go get your Senior Brother a set of clothes," Lin Hao said, as calm and cocky as ever.

Wu Kui’s face flushed red with anger. "Senior Brother? Not for much longer! They saw you stealing Spirit Grass from the Spirit Field with their own eyes! If you know what’s good for you, hand over the Spirit Grass and get the hell out. Do that, and I’ll let this go."

Originally, Wu Kui had planned on threatening him and giving Lin Hao a proper beating, but this guy was just too bizarre. It was better to get him kicked out of the sect as soon as possible.

"Oh?" Lin Hao, still smiling, turned to the two disciples. "You saw me steal Spirit Grass from the Spirit Field with your own eyes?"

"That’s right! After I discovered you, you caught me off guard, ambushed me, and then ran off!" the disciple who’d been beaten stepped forward to identify Lin Hao.

Lin Hao crossed his arms, his smile unwavering. "So, you caught me red-handed stealing Spirit Grass? In that case, why don’t you tell me which Spirit Grasses I stole."

"Well... you ambushed me and ran off too quickly. I didn’t get a clear look. We can go to the Spirit Field to verify it," the disciple said, showing a bit of cunning.

"Hmph!" Lin Hao suddenly snorted, his expression turning cold. "Playing these games of framing others within the sect... go to the Law Enforcement Hall and accept your punishment!"

At the mention of the Law Enforcement Hall, the two disciples’ faces paled. They shot Wu Kui a pleading look.

"Speaking of punishment, you won’t be getting away either. Entry to the Spirit Field requires a written order from the Sect Leader or my personal approval. You’re not going to tell me you have an order from the Sect Leader, are you?" Wu Kui shot his two lackeys a vicious glare before turning back to Lin Hao.

He was starting to understand. The Spirit Grass theft was most likely a frame-up; he’d been used.

But now, he was in too deep to back out.

"I will explain this to the Sect Leader myself," Lin Hao replied nonchalantly.

Wu Kui was so furious he started to laugh. "Heh, acting first and reporting later! Lin Hao, you..."

He trailed off, his eyes landing on the Pill Furnace, now shattered into several pieces.

"You, you, you... That was the best Pill Furnace in the entire sect! Even *I* was reluctant to use it, and you destroyed it! You’re completely out of control!" Wu Kui’s face turned ashen with rage.

"It’s just a Pill Furnace. I’ll give you a new one later," Lin Hao said, his tone light and breezy.

To be honest, Lin Hao looked down on not only the one he’d just destroyed but even the one Wenren Yuxin had left at the Treasure Hunting Pavilion.

"Aren’t you afraid of biting your tongue? Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Pill Furnace?" the beaten disciple said, staring at Lin Hao as if he were an idiot.

’Even I, who knows nothing about Alchemy, understand how precious a Pill Furnace is. This guy doesn’t even have common sense.’

Lin Hao shook his head. Talking to them was like casting pearls before swine.

"Damn it, what’s with that attitude?! Ten Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Pills couldn’t even buy you a new Pill Furnace!" The more nonchalant Lin Hao appeared, the more furious Wu Kui became.

"You’ve barely arrived and you’re already making a huge mess. A few more days and you’ll be tearing the whole sect apart!" The more Wu Kui spoke, the more incensed he became, until he was trembling with rage.

"This is unacceptable! I have to report this to my master. You lot, keep an eye on him. Don’t let him get away!"

’Lin Hao is acting completely lawless. This is the perfect chance to get him kicked out of the sect.’ An idea struck Wu Kui. After giving the order, he sped off toward Heaven-Stepping Peak.

"Oh, right! And have the Sect Leader bring me a change of clothes! The kind I was just wearing would be fine," Lin Hao’s voice called out, reaching Wu Kui’s ears clearly.

Wu Kui stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face.

The robes Lin Hao had been wearing were a set he himself had provided. They were originally a gift for Yingxue, purchased from the finest silk merchant in Red Beauty City. He had never even worn fabric that fine, and now it was all burned to ash.

Wu Kui’s heart was bleeding.

’Keep dreaming! When it’s time to kick you out of the sect, I’m going to make sure every single one of our brothers is there to watch!’ Wu Kui sneered inwardly and moved even faster.

Once Wu Kui was gone, the remaining four men watched Lin Hao like hawks.

Lin Hao smiled and gestured them inside. "Why don’t you come in and have a seat?"

He was standing inside the hall, while the four of them stood far outside the entrance, drenched in sweat.

Hearing his invitation, all four instinctively took a step back.

Even after all this time, the temperature inside was still terrifyingly high. If they actually went in, they’d likely walk in on their own two feet and be carried out horizontally moments later.

Lin Hao paid them no mind and turned back into the hall.

Pill Cloud Hall housed a great many Spirit Grasses, and the shelves they were stored on were quite remarkable.

Even with the hall’s frighteningly high temperature, the storage shelves themselves weren’t hot to the touch.

These storage racks had been imbued with a special Skill by some great expert.

Although the countless Spirit Grasses on the shelves were sorted into categories, their storage arrangement was almost entirely wrong.

Different types of Spirit Grass have different properties. If incompatible types are stored together for too long, they not only lose their efficacy but can even produce adverse effects.

Since he had nothing better to do, Lin Hao decided to rearrange them all.

His movements were swift and fluid. Before long, he had repositioned all the Spirit Grasses. Many that had already lost their potency, he simply tossed beneath one of the Pill Furnaces.

The moment the Spirit Grass touched the Fire Crystal Stone, it burst into flames.

Just as Lin Hao finished his work and was about to head out, Wu Taichu arrived.

"Mas... Lin Hao, you..." Wu Taichu froze upon seeing Lin Hao’s nearly naked body. He quickly took off his own robe and draped it over Lin Hao’s shoulders.

Wu Kui, standing to the side, was utterly dumbstruck.

Lin Hao shot Wu Kui a wicked grin. "Junior Brother, didn’t I ask you to bring me some clothes?"

Wu Taichu whirled around, his gaze as sharp as a blade.

Wu Kui trembled in fear.

"Master, don’t be so serious. I was just joking with my junior brother. My clothes only just burned up."

"Right, right. I heard the furnace exploded. Are you all right?" Wu Taichu asked with concern.

Lin Hao shook his head. "Sigh, this Pill Furnace is just too shoddy."

"Indeed, indeed. I can’t make promises about other things, but if you wish to perform Alchemy, the matter of a Pill Furnace is easily settled." Wu Taichu thought of Ancestor Cang Yan’s letter, his heart swelling with anticipation.

Hearing this, Wu Kui looked utterly wronged, on the verge of tears.

’So there *are* better Pill Furnaces in the sect, and I never even knew about them.’

Just as he turned his head aside, he cried out in alarm.

"Ah! That... That’s Spirit Grass! You... You actually threw it away!" As he spoke, Wu Kui lunged forward, snatching the last few unburnt stalks of Spirit Grass from the fire.

"This... This is Heling Root! Five stalks of this can be traded for one Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Pill! There were only about a dozen stalks in total, and you burned them! Lin Hao, have you lost your mind?!" Recognizing the Spirit Grass in his hand, Wu Kui looked heartbroken, but a flicker of triumph flashed deep in his eyes before disappearing.

’Burning such precious Spirit Grass for no reason... no matter how muddled Master is, he won’t let him get away with this!’

However, Wu Taichu’s reaction once again left Wu Kui disappointed.

"Lin Hao, what is this?" Wu Taichu knew Lin Hao’s background very well; he knew Lin Hao would never burn Spirit Grass for no reason. He asked, puzzled.

"These Heling Roots were stored next to Purple Vine Grass. After so long, their medicinal properties were completely gone," Lin Hao stated calmly.

Only then did Wu Kui notice that the positions of many Spirit Grasses on the storage shelves had been changed.

’It took me several days to organize all that, and now Lin Hao has completely messed it up!’

A wave of fury hit Wu Kui. Just as he was about to erupt, he saw Wu Taichu’s breathing suddenly quicken. "You understand Alchemy?" Wu Taichu asked Lin Hao.

’Although I’m not familiar with these principles,’ Wu Taichu thought, ’Ancestor Cang Yan’s words can’t be wrong. Could it be that he’s not just talented in Alchemy, but is already a practicing alchemist?’

"I know a thing or two. About the same as Junior Brother Wu, I’d guess," Lin Hao said modestly, rubbing his nose.

’It’s better to stay low-key about some things. Besides, my top priority right now is my bloodline. It’s not too late to find a suitable time for Alchemy after I’ve established it.’

Wu Taichu was deeply puzzled.

’About the same as Xiaokui? Then how come Xiaokui doesn’t know any of this? Even the previous Alchemy Masters didn’t know.’

But he could only wonder about this in his heart; he didn’t dare ask out loud.

After all, Lin Hao’s status was that of his Grand-Uncle Master. The sect had declined to this state under his watch, and he already felt guilty enough. If he asked too many questions, there was no guarantee his Grand-Uncle Master wouldn’t fly into a rage.

Ancestor Cang Yan was known for his fiery temper—he was someone who’d dared to slap the Monarch himself. If his Grand-Uncle Master, being Ancestor Cang Yan’s junior brother, decided to give him a slap or two as well, there would be no one he could complain to.

To Wu Kui, however, Lin Hao’s words sounded like shameless self-praise.

"About the same as me? You think too highly of yourself. You just blew up a furnace, didn’t you? What pill were you trying to make? Did you even succeed?" Wu Kui sneered.

At these words, Wu Taichu’s gaze fixed on Lin Hao’s hand.

One of Lin Hao’s hands had been clenched into a fist this whole time. ’Could he have actually succeeded in refining a pill?’

Suddenly, Wu Taichu was filled with anticipation.

Wu Kui noticed it too and said mockingly, "Senior Brother, what kind of pill did you make? Why don’t you take it out for us all to see?"

In his mind, since the Pill Furnace had exploded, it was impossible for the pill to have formed properly. It had to be a dud.

’Hmph. Go on, keep up the act. Let’s see how you’re going to talk your way out of this one!’