Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Although the old man was ahead, he kept a close eye on Lin Hao’s movements. The more he watched, the more shocked he became.

Lin Hao’s Body Technique was so profound and unpredictable that there were many aspects of it he couldn’t comprehend.

In the Saint Institute, he and the other three were practically living fossils. They had seen countless Body Techniques in their time.

Yet now, Lin Hao’s Body Technique possessed such power. How could the old man not be astonished?

And in that moment of distraction, Lin Hao instantly caught up to him.

"Senior, you’re quite the runner," Lin Hao said with genuine praise, blocking the old man’s path.

The old man didn’t know how to react. Hearing this, the corner of his mouth twitched, and his face flushed with embarrassment.

He had lived for over a thousand years and had just used the power of the Spirit Transformation Realm. Yet, after being distracted for just a second or two, Lin Hao had caught him. The feeling grew even more awkward when the old man noticed that Lin Hao’s robes were completely soaked in blood.

To be told he was "quite the runner"... it put him in an utterly humiliating position.

Fortunately, the old man knew Lin Hao meant no harm. Had it been anyone else, that single sentence would have cost Lin Hao his life.

"You’re not bad yourself. Get some rest." The old man stopped and, as he spoke, took out a medicinal pill and handed it over.

At the sight of the pill, Lin Hao’s pupils contracted. He refused it, saying, "Thank you, Senior, but there’s no need. Your pill is far too valuable."

Lin Hao’s reaction startled the old man, who immediately asked, "Do you recognize this pill?"

Lin Hao opened his mouth, then wished he could slap himself. ’If I wasn’t going to take it, why did I have to say so much?’

Of course, Lin Hao recognized the pill in the old man’s hand. He knew with absolute certainty that no Alchemy Master on the Celestial Yang Continent had the skill for Refining such a pill.

This old man’s identity, or perhaps his age, had to be absolutely staggering.

But now that he’d spoken, Lin Hao had to follow through. "I don’t recognize it," he replied. "But Senior, your cultivation is immeasurably profound, like a celestial being. How could anything you carry be an ordinary item?"

"You’re quite an interesting little fellow." The old man smiled faintly and didn’t press the matter.

In truth, he didn’t even know the pill’s name himself. If Lin Hao had known, it would have been outrageously unnatural.

"Senior, may I ask where you’re taking me?" Lin Hao asked, his tone shifting after a slight smile.

"Follow me," the old man said. He then picked a direction and sped off.

This time, he didn’t intentionally slow down. He activated his Body Technique with the full force of his Soul Gathering Realm Peak cultivation, only to be astonished that Lin Hao kept pace with him effortlessly.

Furthermore, the blood and bone exposed on Lin Hao’s right side seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever, which made the old man nod to himself in approval.

Lin Hao had exceeded his expectations in every way.

A few minutes later, the old man stopped in an extremely dense primeval jungle.

The moment they stopped, Lin Hao’s eyes widened. He had spotted an incredibly powerful Devil Beast.

It was a great serpent, coiled lazily beside an Ancient Tree. Its massive body was like a small hill.

Upon seeing Lin Hao and the old man, the great serpent snapped its head up. With a sudden flick of its tongue, a giant boulder next to Lin Hao disintegrated into dust.

Lin Hao had a feeling this serpent had definitely surpassed the realm of a Tier Three Devil Beast!

The terrifying aura it emanated was overwhelming, far beyond what any Tier Three Devil Beast could produce.

The great serpent stared intently at Lin Hao, its long tongue flickering in and out, looking as if it could unleash a devastating attack at any moment.

However, Lin Hao was utterly fearless, his body even completely relaxed.

"Lin Hao, this Devil Beast has just entered Tier Four. Its strength is formidable. Aren’t you afraid?" the old man beside him asked.

Lin Hao shook his head and smiled. "I pose no threat to it. The real threat is you, Senior."

The old man smiled. He knew a little trick like this wouldn’t be enough to frighten Lin Hao.

"Lin Hao, you will stay here with it for the next three days. I guarantee no one will disturb you. And you don’t need to worry about what happens after these three days," the old man said.

Lin Hao cupped his fist and replied, "You are a Guardian of the Saint Institute. With you handling things, I have nothing to worry about."

The old man froze. He never imagined Lin Hao would see through his identity.

Lin Hao just kept surprising him, one after another.

However, the old man showed no outward reaction. He just gave a faint nod and vanished.

Ignoring the great serpent eyeing him covetously from the side, Lin Hao took out the Divine Spring, tilted his head back, and took a large swig.

"Boy, hand over what’s in your hand to me!" Just then, a voice boomed next to Lin Hao.

Lin Hao wasn’t the least bit surprised and chose to simply ignore it.

The voice had come from the great serpent.

It wasn’t strange at all for a Tier Four Devil Beast to be able to speak human language.

"Boy, are you going to hand it over or not? If not, I’ll eat you!" The great serpent flared with anger. Its coiled body suddenly shot upward, its immense form rocketing toward the heavens.

Then, the serpent lowered its head, glaring viciously down at Lin Hao.

Devil Beasts possess a Spiritual Sense for worldly Spiritual Objects that is beyond a Martial Artist’s wildest imagination. And this, moreover, was a Tier Four Devil Beast.

The moment Lin Hao took out the Divine Spring, the serpent knew it was a treasure seen only once in ten thousand years.

With Lin Hao’s Divine Spring, it could definitely transform into a Flood Dragon.

But such threats were useless against Lin Hao. Not only was he unafraid, but he was also sizing up the great serpent with a gleam in his eyes, muttering to himself:

"This serpent is of an excellent breed. To reach this level of cultivation without already becoming a Flood Dragon is truly rare. Stewed with a bit of Divine Spring, it would be an incredible tonic. I should probably go find that old man and have him stew this snake for me."

After he said this, something completely unexpected happened.

"SOB... SOB... SOB..." The great serpent actually started to cry.

Now it was Lin Hao’s turn to be dumbfounded.

He never would have imagined it would cry.

But a moment later, he understood why.

The great serpent was gone. In its place stood a small child wearing a traditional red bodice.

The child looked to be no more than six or seven years old.

Devil Beast transformation!

"Alright, alright, stop crying." Lin Hao’s mouth twitched as he was forced to console the child. "Just protect me obediently for three days, and I’ll make it worth your while."

The child immediately stopped crying. "Really?"

Lin Hao ignored him and began circulating his energy to heal his wounds.

Although his injuries looked severe, Lin Hao possessed Emperor Arts. It only took him two or three hours to make a full recovery.

Once his injuries were healed, Lin Hao didn’t continue cultivating. What he needed to do now was improve his state of mind.

Over the next few days, Lin Hao would bicker with the great serpent when he had nothing else to do, or he would wander through the primeval jungle, watching leaves drift on the wind, listening to the roars of beasts in the distant mountains, drinking the sweet morning dew, and inhaling the fresh scent of the trees...

Just like that, three days passed in a flash.

On the evening of the third day, Lin Hao fulfilled his promise and gave the great serpent a small amount of Divine Spring.

The great serpent, however, did not consume it right away.

Lin Hao paid it no mind, lying back on the soft bed of fallen leaves and gazing up at the vast sky.

He had let go of everything for three days, but the results had been minimal.

Lin Hao was far from satisfied with the result.

There were some things he had deliberately forgotten.

As Lin Hao gazed up at the sky, his eyes were completely unfocused. No one could know what he was thinking.

The night grew deeper, and just as dawn was about to break, a dramatic change occurred in Lin Hao’s previously unfocused eyes.