Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

At this moment, the assembled elders of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion had lost all semblance of their usual decorum.

Having figured everything out, Lin Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

'Is all this really necessary? I haven't even done anything particularly special...'

'Don't tell me they've already figured out that I cultivate a Great Emperor technique!'

At this thought, Lin Hao's heart leaped into his throat.

The allure of a Great Emperor technique was immense. If they all coveted it, things would get very troublesome.

As his heart raced, a subtle change flickered across Lin Hao's expression.

Anyone else would have missed such a minute change. But these elders of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion were all at the Spirit Transformation Realm Peak, and they were watching Lin Hao with intense focus. His subtle shift in expression was instantly captured by their gaze.

Instantly, a jolt went through the elders. The hands hidden within their sleeves clenched involuntarily.

They assumed Lin Hao had made his decision, and now they didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.

The fervent light in their eyes only intensified.

Lin Hao, in fact, had also come to a decision.

"Seniors, I..." Lin Hao began, choosing his words with care.

"Lin Hao, I remember now! I once obtained half a page of a sutra. It might be the enlightenment of a quasi-Emperor. Unfortunately, I couldn't comprehend it. As long as you agree to cultivate with me, I am willing to gift it to you."

Realizing Lin Hao might not choose him, one of the elders hurriedly spoke up, making a last-ditch effort.

Lin Hao was stunned to hear this.

'A sutra from a quasi-Emperor... for an elder to offer that... He must think incredibly highly of me.'

"You're not the only one. I have something too. Lin Hao, I possess a piece of bone script that may contain a Great Emperor Skill. If you agree to cultivate with me, it's yours," another elder declared.

Hearing this, Lin Hao had to revise his earlier assumption.

'The Heaven-Breaking Pavilion has existed for millennia; its foundation is unimaginably deep. They probably wouldn't covet my Great Emperor technique, because they've surely seen such things before.'

'Besides, these elders have cultivated for hundreds, even thousands of years. Their Cultivation Techniques are already set in stone. Even with a Great Emperor technique, it would be impossible for them to start their cultivation all over again.'

Having figured this out, Lin Hao breathed a huge sigh of relief.

He might have been relieved, but the elders were anything but calm.

The elders who had remained silent, in particular, assumed that hearing about the Great Emperor Skill had sealed Lin Hao's decision.

"Lin Hao, I am the Head of the Elder Hall. I've lived far longer than they have, so naturally, I have more treasures. You should think this through carefully." The one to speak now was, surprisingly, Guan Zhengyang.

"In that case, shouldn't I just go find the Pavilion Master?" The words slipped out of Lin Hao's mouth before he could stop them.

The corners of the elders' mouths twitched in unison.

'Well, I'll be. So that's what the kid was after.'

'So after all our talking, he was aiming for the Pavilion Master the whole time.'

"If you're looking for the Pavilion Master, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. These days, all matters in the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion are discussed and decided by our Elder Hall." As he mentioned the Pavilion Master, a strange light that Lin Hao couldn't comprehend flickered in Guan Zhengyang's eyes.

"I see..." Lin Hao murmured, deep in thought.

The other elders remained silent, not wanting to disturb him.

After Guan Zhengyang spoke, the thought of the Pavilion Master's fate caused the other elders to fall silent as well.

The world believed the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion reigned supreme over all other forces on the Celestial Yang Continent, a Holy Land for Martial Artists. In truth, compared to certain powers 'above,' the Celestial Yang Continent's Heaven-Breaking Pavilion was utterly insignificant.

Take them, for instance. Their cultivation levels were all at the Spirit Transformation Realm Peak, yet they never dared to break through to the Sealed Martial Realm.

The Divine Demon Destruction Domain was a world beyond the imagination of any Martial Artist.

While Lin Hao and the elders were locked in silence, a very different, heated scene was unfolding elsewhere.

Back at the gates of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion, after the Fifth Elder had left, a middle-aged man approached. With an anxious expression, he sent a voice transmission to Hua Jianzhong and Ying Rui.

Whatever he said, it made Hua Jianzhong and Ying Rui leave in a great hurry.

The middle-aged man who remained glanced at the crowd, shook his head, and departed without another word.

The Martial Artists from the six great empires exchanged confused glances.

Then, Yang Qingtian took the lead, striding toward the gate of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion and instantly vanishing from sight.

"Let's go," Shenshan said, and the Cangnan Empire's group of Martial Artists also headed into the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion.

Upon entering the misty vapor, Shenshan and his party felt their vision blur for an instant.

The next moment, they found themselves standing before a great mountain.

The face of the mountain before them was as smooth as a mirror. It soared high into the heavens, its peak shrouded in swirling clouds and lost to sight.

On this mirror-smooth rock face were two enormous words: Middle Court!

Needless to say, this was the Middle Court of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion.

"Hey, didn't that elder say we'd be cultivating in the Upper Court? Why are we here?" a confused Cangnan Martial Artist asked.

"Foolish!" The word came sharply from behind them just as he finished speaking.

They turned to see several Martial Artists approaching. The Cangnan Empire's group recognized one of them.

The man's name was Jiang Sen, a Martial Artist from the Moon Worship Empire.

On the final leg of the Ancient Road, after Lin Hao's disappearance, Jiang Sen, acting as the representative for the Moon Worship Empire's Martial Artists, had clashed with Shenshan's group on multiple occasions.

"Your Highness Proud Moon, these are the Martial Artists from the Cangnan Empire," Jiang Sen said respectfully to the person beside him.

Jiang Sen was practically buzzing with excitement.

Just moments before, as he was about to enter the mist, a young man had emerged from the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion. The youth's gaze had swept casually over the crowd before locking onto him.

Then, the youth had struck, grabbing him and lifting him like he was a little chick.

At that moment, Jiang Sen had been utterly terrified.

He was, after all, at the Sixth Layer of Soul Gathering Realm, yet before this youth, he hadn't even had the strength to resist.

He had thought his life was over.

But the youth had introduced himself as Proud Moon, son of the Monarch of the Moon Worship Empire.

The day he was born, a celestial phenomenon had occurred. A disciple of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion who happened to be passing through the Moon Worship Empire witnessed it and brought him back to the Pavilion.

This was a state secret in the Moon Worship Empire. However, a few days ago, Proud Moon had received a message from the Monarch, instructing him to investigate the cause of his two elder brothers' deaths.

Hearing this, Jiang Sen knew his opportunity had arrived. He immediately told Proud Moon everything that had happened on the Ancient Road.

Of course, in his version of the story, Lin Hao and the Martial Artists of the Cangnan Empire were portrayed as villains of the most heinous kind.

How could Proud Moon possibly stand for that after hearing Jiang Sen's tale? And so, that led to the present scene.

The Martial Artist known as His Highness Proud Moon looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old. He was young, but a sharp, brilliant light flashed in his eyes with every blink.

Following behind Proud Moon were four other youths of a similar age, their auras equally frightening.

Shenshan and his group had never seen Proud Moon or the other four youths on the Ancient Road.

Youths of their caliber couldn't possibly have remained unknown on the Ancient Road. There was only one explanation: they were disciples of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion.

The Heaven-Breaking Pavilion was the Holy Land for Martial Artists. For these youths to be cultivating in its Middle Court... one could only imagine their capabilities...