Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Lin Hao was amused. "That silly girl is so popular, even a cat wants to snatch her away."

"Sigh!" The two Grand Elders sighed.

They hadn’t expected this either.

That Lord Lingdi was lawless in the Heaven-Stepping Sect, so much so that even the Sect Leader had to yield to her. In all her time in the sect, the only time she had ever been at a disadvantage was when she met Lin Hao.

Having no other choice, the two Grand Elders had come to ask Lin Hao for help.

"It just so happens I wanted to check on that girl anyway. Let’s go together." Thinking of how Yingxue had reacted when she first saw that narcissistic cat, Lin Hao grew worried about her situation.

The two Grand Elders were overjoyed.

Lin Hao walked in front, with the two Grand Elders following respectfully behind, heading toward the detached courtyard.

From a great distance, Lin Hao could hear Yingxue’s happy laughter.

When he reached the door, Lin Hao didn’t bother announcing himself and pushed it straight open.

Seeing his action, both Grand Elders wore strange expressions.

Even when they and the Sect Leader came, they had to announce themselves and wait for Lord Lingdi’s permission to enter. This Little Martial Uncle truly had no taboos.

Lin Hao couldn’t care less about such things; it was impossible for him to feel any reverence for her.

Entering the room, he saw the narcissistic cat lying lazily on a comfortable chair. Yingxue was sitting beside her, fiddling with a bow on her ear.

Upon seeing this scene, not only the two Grand Elders but even Lin Hao was stunned.

He clearly remembered that the first time Yingxue saw this creature, she had been trembling like a little mouse.

But now, she was practically bullying her.

’This makes no sense.’

"It’s true! You created your own bloodline!" The moment the narcissistic cat saw Lin Hao, her whole body trembled. It was hard to tell if it was from fear or excitement.

A glint flashed in Lin Hao’s eyes. He said in a low voice, "What else do you know?!"

She hadn’t said "awakened," but "created." This made Lin Hao feel as if his secret had been seen right through.

"No, no, no, don’t misunderstand! I’m not your enemy." The once-imperious Lord Lingdi seemed terrified that Lin Hao would get angry and hastily explained herself.

"Brother Hao, Aunt Ling is a good person. Don’t bully her." Yingxue pouted and spoke up for the narcissistic cat.

’It’s over, it’s all over.’ Hearing this, the hearts of the two Grand Elders turned cold.

’She’s a cat, for crying out loud! She doesn’t even qualify as a *good* cat, let alone a good person!’

Lin Hao rolled his eyes, walked forward, and without a word, tossed her out before plopping down onto the chair himself.

"PLOP!"

The two Grand Elders were so scared they nearly collapsed on the ground. This Little Martial Uncle was far too arrogant.

They had once speculated about Lord Lingdi’s origins, even scouring ancient texts, and had eventually found a few clues.

On the Celestial Yang Continent, there was a mysterious sect named the Celestial Secret Sect.

The Celestial Secret Sect understood the secrets of heaven, seeing through the past and future. Rumor had it that the Celestial Secret Sect was the most ancient sect on the Celestial Yang Continent, its history so long it was untraceable.

Fragmentary records in ancient texts mentioned that in ancient times, every generation’s Sect Leader of the Celestial Secret Sect had a close relationship with the contemporary Emperor Venerable. They interacted with the Emperor Venerable as equals.

However, within the Celestial Secret Sect, there was an object of worship, revered by generations of Sect Leaders.

According to the descriptions, it greatly resembled Lord Lingdi.

That ancient text was left behind by the founding ancestor of the Heaven-Stepping Sect, so it was definitely not mistaken. That was why they were so respectful toward Lord Lingdi.

But now, Lin Hao had just thrown her out like a piece of trash. Thinking about it made the two Grand Elders break out in a cold sweat.

Rumor had it that the Celestial Secret Sect was unfathomably mysterious, possessing methods comparable to imperial arts, capable of defying heaven to change fate and seizing the very fortune of the world.

If this Lord Lingdi was truly related to the divine object worshipped by the Celestial Secret Sect, then Little Martial Uncle’s action was tantamount to provoking a deity!

However, the scene that followed left the two Grand Elders utterly shocked.

Lord Lingdi somersaulted a few times in the air before landing on the ground. Then, fawningly, she scurried over to Little Martial Uncle’s feet, not showing the slightest bit of anger.

Their Little Martial Uncle showed no mercy, kicking her far away.

Even so, the normally high and mighty Lord Lingdi still wasn’t angry. She only said aggrievedly, "Have you no heart? Abusing a small animal."

"Small animal? You’re about to become a spirit yourself! Spit it out! Or I’ll pluck you bare!" Lin Hao scoffed.

"Oh, fine by me. This humble servant would be happy to warm the young master’s bed." Not only was the narcissistic cat not frightened, she actually gave Lin Hao a very human-like, seductive wink.

The hair on Lin Hao’s entire body stood on end, and goosebumps broke out all over. He was so scared he leaped into the air and then bolted, disappearing without a trace.

The two Grand Elders were dumbfounded. They immediately prepared to slip away.

"Stop!" The narcissistic cat was once again lying lazily on the chair.

The two Grand Elders’ bodies stiffened, and they froze in place.

"That girl Yingxue’s situation is a bit special. It’s no good for her to follow you two. You, however, could get closer to your Little Martial Uncle," she said languidly.

Hearing this, the two Grand Elders were shaken, and strange expressions appeared on their faces again.

"Alright, go back. Oh, and from now on, call me Miss Ling. I’m not old yet. You’re making me sad."

Cold sweat trickled down the Grand Elders’ backs. They hastily took their leave; even they couldn’t stand the cat’s words.

"Whew..."

Lin Hao ran a long way off, still feeling a chill run through him. He glanced back, terrified the cat might be chasing him.

Lin Hao swore that, unless absolutely necessary, he would never provoke her again.

****, just thinking about *that* was terrifying.

Seeing that the cat hadn’t followed, he patted his chest and sighed in relief. Suddenly, a voice sounded beside him. "Martial Ancestor, you were hard to find."

Looking up, Lin Hao was so startled he took a step back.

Standing before him was a disheveled man with messy hair and dirty clothes. Lin Hao didn’t recognize him at all.

"You are..."

The man brushed his hair aside, revealing a face. Who else could it be but Wu Taichu?

"Master, how did you end up like this?" He looked as if he had just rolled through a garbage heap.

Wu Taichu took out a large pile of books as if presenting a treasure, like a child trying to wheedle candy from an adult. "I paid a visit to the Scripture Pavilion, Martial Ancestor. Take a look, what do you think of these Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills?"

After learning that Lin Hao was going to the God-Proving Stage, Wu Taichu had originally planned to follow and protect him. But after he saw Lin Hao scare away Qin Tianlong, he changed his mind.

If even Qin Tianlong was wary of Lin Hao, what could a mere Jin Gang do to him?

’Martial Ancestor has awakened his bloodline. What he lacks most are Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills. I should focus my efforts on helping him with this.’

With this in mind, Wu Taichu went to the Scripture Pavilion and headed straight for the highest floor.

Only the successive Sect Leaders were permitted to enter the top floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

He rarely went there, so it was covered in a thick layer of dust.

For his Martial Ancestor’s sake, Wu Taichu turned the entire floor upside down. He had originally found a few decent Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills, but when he thought of the shock Lin Hao had just given him, he felt they were unworthy of Lin Hao.

In the end, after careful consideration, he chose five books for Lin Hao.

Without even taking the time to wash up, he wanted to find Lin Hao at the first possible moment. As a result, his appearance was so changed that even Lin Hao almost didn’t recognize him.

Lin Hao took them and glanced over them. The Martial Skills Wu Taichu had chosen were all excellent; the lowest among them was a Profound Level Martial Skill.

While touched, Lin Hao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Master, I’m only at the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer. Even if you give me these, I can’t practice them."

"Uh... I forgot." Wu Taichu looked embarrassed. He immediately said, "Wait here, I’ll go find more!"

Poor Wu Taichu. As the leader of a sect, his concern had clouded his judgment, making him forget even common sense.

If any of the Sect Disciples saw this, they would surely want to strangle Lin Hao.

They worked themselves to death just to save up a few Contribution Points, enough to exchange for a single Yellow-level Martial Skill. Yet, not only did Wu Taichu personally find Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills for Lin Hao, he did so without complaint.

"Thank you, Master, but I don’t need any Cultivation Techniques for the Blood Coagulation Realm. As for Martial Skills, I’ll go pick one out myself. I want to cultivate now." Lin Hao declined Wu Taichu’s kind offer.

Martial Skills were just one method for fighting enemies. After witnessing that punch in the void, frankly, Lin Hao had come to see Martial Skills as less important.

Now that he had succeeded in creating his own bloodline, what he wanted most was to practice his Cultivation Technique.

Before, because his realm was obstructed, even though he had the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill, he was completely unable to practice the later layers.

But now things were different. His bloodline could no longer hold him back, and Lin Hao was eager to raise his realm.

"There is a place on Heaven-Stepping Peak where I usually practice. I’ll take you there now." If his Martial Ancestor wanted to cultivate, he should naturally have the best cultivation spot. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

And as the Sect Leader, it was only natural that Wu Taichu possessed the most ideal place for cultivation.

Lin Hao didn’t act coy and accepted with a nod.

Just as Wu Taichu was leading Lin Hao to their destination, a young girl on Heaven-Stepping Peak, holding a golden-furred cat with her robes fluttering, was also heading somewhere.

"Aunt Ling, where are you taking me?" The girl was, of course, Yingxue. As soon as Lin Hao and the elders left, she had been urged on her way by this Aunt Ling.

"To the place where Wu Taichu practices. Our great fortune has arrived!" Aunt Ling spoke in human tongue, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

Yingxue’s eyes were filled with confusion. "Fortune?"

"You’ve been so lost and dispirited. The reason you ended up this way is because of this fortune. You’ll understand in a moment." As Aunt Ling spoke, she repeatedly guided Yingxue until they finally stopped at the highest, most precipitous spot on Heaven-Stepping Peak.

There was no path ahead.

"Seven forward, eight back, three left, four right..."

Yingxue followed the instructions, and their bodies gradually faded until they disappeared completely.

And at that very moment, Wu Taichu and Lin Hao also arrived.

"Martial Ancestor, behind this is the place where generations of Sect Leaders have practiced. It is protected by an Array Rune empowered by the founding ancestor of our Heaven-Stepping Sect. In all the world, no one can enter without the Mantra, not even an Emperor Venerable! And this Mantra is only passed down to successive Sect Leaders. I will now pass it to you."

Wu Taichu stood on the mountaintop, his tone filled with confidence.

"Seven forward, eight back, three left, four right..." Wu Taichu’s Mantra was exactly the same as the cat’s!

"Martial Ancestor, please go in. The inside is unfathomably mysterious. Our founding ancestor comprehended the supreme martial path within it, but it also contains a thousand hardships. If anything seems wrong, you must use the Mantra to exit quickly," Wu Taichu said to Lin Hao.

A place where an Emperor Venerable comprehended the Dao—it was no exaggeration to call it a cultivation Holy Land. A strange light gleamed in Lin Hao’s eyes. He nodded and began to follow the Mantra’s instructions...