Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

"Go back and tell them we’ll deal with this tomorrow," Wu Taichu said.

Wu Kui opened his mouth, but said nothing.

"Where are they?" Lin Hao asked without even raising his eyes.

Although Wu Kui disliked Lin Hao, he had to admire his composure.

"They’re at the Proving Ground. Senior Brother, you must be careful. They’re all at the Fifth Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm. Even though my cultivation is one layer higher than theirs, it would still take some effort for me to fight any one of them."

While a part of Wu Kui wanted to see Lin Hao get crushed, he wasn’t from Celestial Dui Peak. He had long found Qin Tianlong disagreeable, but he simply lacked Lin Hao’s audacity.

Lin Hao was somewhat surprised to hear this from Wu Kui. He nodded at him and Wu Taichu before heading toward the Proving Ground.

Wu Taichu didn’t stop him, but followed instead...

A large number of disciples had already gathered at the Proving Ground.

News that the sect had a new Chief Disciple had already spread. Rumor had it that he was just a mortal body at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm.

This sent the Heaven-Stepping Sect into an uproar.

Many disciples who fancied themselves geniuses were especially eager to get rid of Lin Hao for good.

It wasn’t just the so-called geniuses; even the ordinary disciples were indignant.

So now, hearing that the Ten Vajras were making a move to teach this so-called Chief Disciple a lesson, how could they not come to watch?

"It’s been so long. He must have gotten the message by now. Why hasn’t he shown up yet?" a disciple asked, craning his neck in anticipation.

"If you ask me, he’s definitely hiding in his shell like a coward."

"That makes sense. I heard he’s as scrawny as a bamboo pole. For the Ten Vajras, crushing him would be as easy as crushing an ant."

"Haha, that’s a good way to put it. Yesterday he was bragging to the high heavens, and today he doesn’t even dare to show his face."

"We don’t want a useless piece of trash for a Chief Disciple!"

"Exactly! The Heaven-Stepping Sect has no need for such a coward!"

In an instant, the crowd was riled up.

Outside the central circle on the Proving Ground, ten burly men stood in a row. They were nearly two meters tall and, despite the winter cold, were all shirtless, revealing their solid muscles.

Hearing the waves of shouts from the surrounding crowd, they all broke into smiles.

The next moment, however, all sound vanished. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. They all looked in the same direction.

There, amidst the swirling mist, a figure with fluttering robes approached, stepping along the iron chains. He walked with a leisurely gait, as if he were on a scenic tour.

"That’s... Lin Hao!" a disciple who had seen him before exclaimed.

"He actually dared to show up," a disciple muttered, his eyes wide.

"They’re just a few dogs. Why wouldn’t I dare?" Lin Hao’s hearing was astonishing. Though he was still a hundred meters away, the howling winter wind didn’t affect his senses in the slightest. He heard the comment and called out in a clear voice.

The Ten Vajras clenched their fists simultaneously. With a sharp CRACK, they stared at Lin Hao, their eyes brimming with killing intent. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

By now, Lin Hao had stepped onto the Proving Ground.

"You’ve successfully angered us. Today, you will become the most short-lived Chief Disciple in the history of the continent!" one of the Ten Vajras roared, his fury soaring. He looked as if he wanted to swallow Lin Hao whole.

Lin Hao gave a faint smile, walked straight into the central circle of the Proving Ground, and beckoned to the one who had just spoken.

That Vajra’s eyes went wide, a fearsome sight to behold.

The surrounding disciples were so frightened by his glare that they stumbled backward.

"So arrogant! He actually dared to provoke a Vajra!" a disciple exclaimed, eyes wide at the scene.

Behind the Crystal Stone gate used for sect assessments, Wu Taichu’s gaze was like lightning, fixed on the Proving Ground. When he saw Lin Hao’s gesture, a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

’A Vajra’s wrathful glare can subdue demons. Martial Uncle Ancestor really shouldn’t have provoked him.’

On the Proving Ground, that Vajra stepped into the central circle and threw a punch!

Even though this place suppressed one’s cultivation realm, as the Vajra punched, his already thick arm swelled even larger, his muscles looking as if they were about to explode.

Compared to the Vajra, Lin Hao’s body looked like an infant’s. The Vajra’s fist came straight down toward the top of Lin Hao’s head.

It was an incredibly domineering blow!

Lin Hao’s eyes were downcast, completely unfazed.

"There’s no comparison between them. Our ’Senior Brother’s’ head is about to explode," a disciple said with schadenfreude, his eyes glinting with excitement.

"What a powerful Vajra Fist! Even with his realm suppressed, that punch must carry at least four thousand pounds of force!" a more discerning disciple exclaimed in shock.

Some couldn’t bear to watch what was about to happen and turned their heads away.

Wu Taichu, who had been standing behind the Crystal Stone gate, paled. He readied a small stone in his hand and flicked it with his finger.

This was a strike fueled by a Vajra’s fury. Even suppressed to the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm, it was still more than the current Lin Hao could handle.

The stone was incredibly fast, streaking through the air and reaching the Proving Ground in the blink of an eye.

However, it was as if an invisible barrier surrounded the center of the Proving Ground. The moment the stone arrived, it disintegrated into dust.

Wu Taichu’s expression changed drastically. It was too late to intervene.

Just then, the downcast Lin Hao suddenly moved.

He didn’t choose to evade the blow. Instead, he reached up and grabbed at the Tyrant Fist descending upon his head.

"A mantis trying to stop a chariot! Break for me!" the Vajra roared, his aura surging.

In his eyes, Lin Hao was simply courting death!

However, what happened next made everyone’s eyes pop out of their sockets.

With his small hand, less than half the size of the Vajra’s fist, Lin Hao stopped the furious punch cold.

How was this possible!

The scene stunned everyone present!

"AH!" The Vajra couldn’t believe it. With another roar, the power in his body surged once more.

But it was all in vain. Trapped in Lin Hao’s palm, his fist couldn’t advance even a fraction of an inch.

"This Vajra isn’t throwing the fight on purpose, is he?" a disciple asked doubtfully.

The Ten Vajras were infamous for their ferocity in the Heaven-Stepping Sect. Many had witnessed their power. To be unable to defeat a mere mortal body at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm... other than throwing the fight, they could think of no other reason.

Hearing this, the Vajra flew into a rage. With another roar, his face flushed purple. He pulled back his fist and punched out again.

Lin Hao simply guided and pulled. The Vajra staggered, and his punch slammed violently into the ground.

BOOM!

The Proving Ground itself trembled slightly from the blow.

"Qin Tianlong only raises useless trash! With our realms suppressed, this is no challenge at all. Wait until I awaken my bloodline, then I’ll fight all of you at once!" Lin Hao now had a measure of his own strength. He stepped out of the circle as he spoke.

"What does he mean by that?"

"Are you stupid? Can’t you understand? He means that once he reaches the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer, he’ll fight all ten of them without any realm suppression!"

"Damn, that’s way too arrogant!"

"Bullshit. That’s not arrogance, it’s clearly a stalling tactic. Who knows how long it’ll take for him to ’awaken his bloodline’."

"So insidious. He thinks he’ll get the sect’s recognition just by beating one Vajra. Senior Brother, you go fight him!"

"Heh, my cultivation is at the Sixth Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm. Wouldn’t that be bullying him?"

However, Lin Hao heard this remark. His gaze locked onto the speaker, battle intent raging in his eyes. "You want to try?"

No one responded.

Lin Hao snorted coldly and glared at the Ten Vajras. "I won’t fight again. With your realms suppressed, you’re not qualified to fight me! If you want a real fight, tell Qin Tianlong to come himself! Doesn’t he want me dead? If we fight here and I lose, I will kill myself on the spot. If he loses, he can get the hell out of the Heaven-Stepping Sect!"

Lin Hao’s tone was resolute, his arrogance boundless.

Of course, this wasn’t an empty boast. The Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm was merely the initial stage for a Martial Artist, and the number of techniques one could use was severely limited. At this realm, he was absolutely confident he was second to none.

The Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill was an Emperor-level art. By a strange twist of fate, he had also refined a mysterious True Qi, making him even more powerful.

It was no exaggeration to say that even if an Emperor Venerable descended and fought him at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm, he was certain of victory.

At that moment, Lin Hao stood proudly. A magnificent, invincible aura surged from him as he scanned the crowd, and not a single person dared to meet his gaze.

In the distance, even Wu Taichu seemed to sense it and was utterly shocked.

The next moment, his eyes flew wide open.

He watched as the characters for "Proving Ground" suddenly flashed, then transformed into a fist that shot straight toward Lin Hao.

Wu Taichu stumbled back several steps, shocked beyond belief.

’One era cannot accommodate two emperors. Could it be that Lin Hao has triggered an Emperor’s might?’

’After ten thousand years, has the founding ancestor of the Heaven-Stepping Sect seen a worthy opponent and decided to test his mettle against Lin Hao?’

Wu Taichu felt his Divine Soul tremble, and he was overcome with an inexplicable terror.

On the Proving Ground, Lin Hao abruptly turned, his gaze fixed on the empty space before him.

In that space, a river of stars stretched across the sky, where the sun and moon appeared simultaneously.

Grand, majestic pavilions and towers materialized—a fantastic mirage.

And from those towers, a fist broke through the air. It was only the size of Lin Hao’s own, and its speed was like a snail’s crawl.

Yet, Lin Hao felt an unprecedented pressure!

What shocked him even more was a sudden realization: this punch was definitely thrown using the power of the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm.

At this moment, the Tai Chi Array Map within Lin Hao’s body began to spin wildly on its own, without him needing to activate it.

’In this life, I will walk the path of invincibility! If a god stands in my way, I will slay that god. If a demon blocks my path, I will exterminate that demon! Anyone who obstructs my dao, even the heavens themselves, I will crush!’

With this invincible conviction rising in his heart, Lin Hao punched out at the empty space!

"What is he doing?"

"I don’t know. There’s nothing in front of him."

The crowd could not see the fist that was so clear to Lin Hao. Only Wu Taichu, in the distance, stared with wide eyes at the Proving Ground, shocked beyond belief.

Right before his eyes, Lin Hao’s fist collided with the one from the void.

RUMBLE!

Wu Taichu seemed to see a great explosion in the void, and the pavilions and towers turned to dust.

The enemy fist cracked inch by inch before finally exploding in the void.

Lin Hao, however, stood proudly, his robes whipping in the wind. He seemed to hold up the blue sky with his head, tread upon the river of stars with his feet, and carry the sun and moon on his back!

The bearing of a Great Emperor was on full display!

"Pfft—"

Wu Taichu suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The vision vanished. All that remained was Lin Hao in the distance, his eyes once again downcast.

’What did all of that mean?’

’Was the Founder telling me that Lin Hao is the one who will lead the Heaven-Stepping Sect to its revival?!’

Wu Taichu’s body trembled uncontrollably. The scene he had witnessed today would surely stay with him for the rest of his life.

Just then, Wu Taichu’s eyes widened in fury!

On the Proving Ground, Lin Hao still hadn’t come back to his senses, and one of the Ten Vajras was punching him in the back!

"You cowardly rat, how dare you!"

Wu Taichu was mad with fury. He pushed his speed to the absolute limit, but it seemed he was still too late...