Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Under the pitch-black sky, Xin Li sat astride a Celestial Horse, the gleam of his blade slashing across the air.

It was a breathtaking sight. His long blade seemed capable of cleaving the heavens, of bringing light back to this dark sky.

Meanwhile, Lin Hao had been knocked back several hundred meters by Xin Li’s previous attack, slamming heavily into the side of a mountain and becoming embedded within it.

At this very moment, Xin Li’s blade descended, ignoring the mountain entirely. It was a simple, direct, and domineering strike.

As Xin Li’s long blade fell, a terrifying scene unfolded.

BOOM!

With just a single slash, the pitch-black sky above was nearly torn asunder, and a fleeting light returned to the world.

But the terrifying blade gleam continued its advance.

The mountain crumbled like tofu under Xin Li’s long blade. The slash was incredibly fast, instantly cleaving more than a hundred meters into the rock.

The attack was horrifying.

And Lin Hao, still trapped motionlessly within the mountain, was in extreme peril.

But just then, a strange phenomenon reappeared in the pitch-black sky.

Stars. Stars had appeared once more in the pitch-black sky.

Xin Li’s long blade faltered for a moment.

Because these stars were clearly not from his Divine Soul.

Xin Li stared at Lin Hao, his pupils contracting sharply.

’Lin Hao is from the Cangnan Empire, how could he also possess a Celestial Star Divine Soul?!’

But the doubt flashed through his mind for only an instant before his long blade moved again.

At the same time, however, Lin Hao, who had been embedded in the mountainside, also moved.

Lin Hao simply took a step forward, and a treasured sword appeared in his hand.

In the next moment, Lin Hao gripped the sword with both hands, his aura flaring powerfully.

A ripple shot toward the heavens, and the pitch-black sky above shattered under its force.

Light returned to the world.

Not only that, but the Celestial Horse beneath Xin Li also exploded suddenly.

Xin Li launched himself into the air, but he was still caught by the terrifying shockwave. Half his body blew apart, and he bled across the sky.

CLANG!

The long blade in his hand flew into the sky before plummeting straight down, plunging deep into the ground and vanishing from sight.

Meanwhile, Xin Li’s body crashed heavily to the ground, a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

Soul Gathering Realm Martial Artists possessed an incredible life force; even so, Xin Li had not perished.

Having lost half his body, Xin Li stared deathly at Lin Hao, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"No! This is impossible! How can you have a Celestial Star Divine Soul? You didn’t even use your sword! How could I have lost to you!" Xin Li roared, staring at Lin Hao.

Lin Hao sheathed his sword and stood looking down at Xin Li, shaking his head. "The Celestial Star Divine Soul is indeed unique, but in your hands, it’s far too weak."

"At the Celestial Star Saint Institute, I can count the number of disciples who can defeat me on one hand, and all of their cultivation levels are beyond the Fifth Layer of Soul Gathering Realm! How could I be weak? How is that possible! Tell me, what in the world happened?!" Xin Li shrieked, still unable to accept it.

"You’ll have plenty of time to think about that question. Of course, that’s assuming the vicious beasts don’t find you too soon." After saying this, Lin Hao took his Token and walked away.

Xin Li had overexerted his Divine Soul and was left half-crippled. This was the most fitting punishment for him.

A taste of his own medicine.

Watching Lin Hao approach, the Zuo brothers had complex expressions. Zuo Yi, in particular, had wanted to compete with Lin Hao just a few days ago. But after witnessing Lin Hao’s combat prowess just now, he knew he would never have the chance to surpass him in this lifetime.

The gap between him and Lin Hao would only grow wider.

As for Zuo Ming, he stared at Lin Hao with shining eyes, his grip tightening on the longsword in his hand.

"Brother-in-law, you’re so strong!" Lu Diewu’s beautiful eyes were wide as she spoke to the approaching Lin Hao.

Meanwhile, Meng Ru’s lovely eyes roved over Lin Hao, though it was unclear what she was looking for.

Only Meng Qing remained silent.

Seeing Lin Hao draw near, she stepped forward to brush the dust from his clothes and thoughtfully straightened them for him.

"Brother-in-law, how do you think my sister is doing now?" Seeing Meng Qing’s actions, Lu Diewu suddenly asked.

Meng Qing’s hands paused, then dropped to her sides.

At the thought of Lu Dieyi, a trace of worry flashed in Lin Hao’s eyes, and he shook his head.

"Let’s go," Lin Hao said after staring ahead for a moment.

"Why don’t you two come with us? We can watch out for each other on the road," Lin Hao said, extending an invitation to the Zuo brothers.

The two hesitated.

Lin Hao smiled. "I sustained some injuries during my fight with Xin Li. I’ll have to trouble you two to help protect the women."

With these words, Lin Hao was giving them a way to save face.

After all, the Zuo brothers had already been injured before Lin Hao arrived. If not for him, they might have already perished. Besides, their current combat strength was no match for even Meng Ru.

They were intelligent men and naturally understood Lin Hao’s intent. After exchanging a look, Zuo Ming nodded.

Zuo Yi looked as if he wanted to speak but stopped himself.

Back at the Danling Sect, he had tried to make trouble for Lin Hao, but now Lin Hao had saved his life and even invited him to travel with them. It left Zuo Yi feeling very conflicted.

Lin Hao simply smiled, not pointing it out. He took the lead and started walking forward.

The three women followed Lin Hao, while the Zuo brothers brought up the rear. The two were very diligent, carefully watching Xin Li behind them, afraid he might try something.

"Hahaha, Lin Hao, you’ll be joining me soon enough! I’ll be waiting for you!" Behind them, Xin Li let out a burst of shrill, tragic laughter.

After speaking, he fell silent, having taken his own life.

Ahead, Lin Hao didn’t break his stride, paying Xin Li’s words no mind.

The group set off. After walking only a few hundred meters, they encountered a Martial Artist walking toward them.

He was also a young man. He was visibly startled to see Lin Hao’s group, and he froze when he saw the Zuo brothers. Then, he turned to leave.

The Zuo brothers spotted him at the same time. That man was clearly one of the butchers from the canyon battle.

Before they could speak, Lin Hao had already called out, "Halt!"

Hearing this, the man’s figure erupted with energy as he tried to flee.

But how could he possibly be faster than Lin Hao?

Lin Hao’s figure flickered, and he gave chase.

"What are you running for?" Lin Hao landed in front of the youth, blocking his path, and asked coolly.

"Heh heh, this is the Starry Sky Ancient Road. There are so many of you, I was afraid you might..." The youth began with a placating smile, but before he could finish, he suddenly attacked Lin Hao.

’The moment I saw the Zuo brothers, I knew I was in trouble. But listening to Lin Hao’s tone, it’s obvious he doesn’t recognize me. My only chance is to strike first and catch them by surprise.’

However, he had gravely underestimated Lin Hao.

Just as he threw a punch at Lin Hao, Lin Hao’s own fist shot out, even faster than his.

BOOM!

With a single punch, the youth’s body was sent flying backward.

However, while still in mid-air, his body twisted strangely, and he lunged toward Lu Diewu at extreme speed.

The Zuo brothers attacked simultaneously but failed to intercept the youth.

The youth passed right between their bodies, his speed astonishing.

But just as he was about to grab Lu Diewu, her body abruptly slid backward.

In the next instant, a delicate hand collided with the youth’s...