Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Outside Wangchuan City, Lin Hao hovered proudly in the air, a Jade Seal in one hand and Young Master Moon in the other.

The scene was breathtaking.

After all, Young Master Moon was one of the Ten Young Masters, a peerless prodigy who ranked among the top three Martial Artists on the Ancient Road.

Yet now, Lin Hao held him as if he were nothing more than an ant.

The crowd stared, stunned, completely unable to believe what they were seeing.

Before long, the Martial Artists from the Moon Worship Empire snapped back to their senses, their hearts trembling.

"Lin Hao, what are you doing! Let go of His Highness at once!"

"Lin Hao, don’t be a fool! The power of the Moon Worship Empire is far beyond your imagination."

"Lin Hao, this is a declaration of war against the Moon Worship Empire!"

"..."

One after another, the Martial Artists of the Moon Worship Empire cried out.

Many of them were driven by self-interest.

They were all perfectly aware of how Young Master Moon had just treated the Martial Artists from the Cangnan Kingdom. If he were to fall, their own journeys would likely end here on the Ancient Road.

Even taking a step back, supposing they were lucky enough to pass the Ancient Road, what would the Moon Worshiping Saint Institute have to compete against the other Saint Institutes in the Grand Tournament of the Six Institutes without Young Master Moon?

It was no exaggeration to say that Young Master Moon was the pillar supporting all the Martial Artists of the Moon Worship Empire. If he died, the Moon Worshiping Saint Institute would fall.

"Senior Brother Lin, kill him!" a Martial Artist from the Cangnan Empire yelled.

"That’s right, Senior Brother Lin, kill that son of a bitch! All of us Martial Artists from the Cangnan Empire will follow your lead!"

The faces of the Cangnan Empire’s Martial Artists were flushed with excitement. Young Master Moon had already been defeated by Lin Hao. If he were to die here, then at the Grand Tournament of the Six Institutes, the Yujin Saint Institute would rank in the top three at the very least!

Lin Hao alone was the equal of an entire Saint Institute!

In the air, Young Master Moon, clutched in Lin Hao’s hand, initially showed no reaction.

Young Master Moon had never imagined he would meet such an end. He had played this scene out in his mind countless times, but in every one of them, he had been the victor.

The moment Lin Hao seized him, his mind went blank.

By the time Young Master Moon came to his senses, their voices were clearly reaching his ears.

Indignation, humiliation...

These emotions, which he had never before experienced, washed over him all at once.

The next moment, Young Master Moon resorted to an extreme measure.

’Lin Hao, even if I die, I’m taking you with me!’ Young Master Moon roared internally.

He Jundao’s death had made it clear to Young Master Moon that Lin Hao would never let him go. Rather than grovel and beg for mercy, it was better to die a spectacular death.

Reversing his meridians, burning his bloodline and Divine Soul—Young Master Moon was going to self-destruct!

A sense of alarm flared in Lin Hao. He tossed Young Master Moon away like a piece of garbage and simultaneously shot toward the gates of Wangchuan City.

His speed was like a flash of lightning.

The instant Lin Hao threw him away, a deafening boom shook the heavens and the earth.

Young Master Moon’s body exploded in mid-air.

A prodigy of his generation had fallen!

SPURT!

Though Lin Hao had reacted quickly, he was still caught in the powerful blast and spat out a mouthful of blood.

If even Lin Hao was injured, it was easy to imagine the terrifying power of Young Master Moon’s self-destruction.

It all happened so fast that by the time the crowd reacted, Lin Hao had already reached the gates of Wangchuan City. The very air behind him was being annihilated by the blast.

Only then did everyone realize what had happened.

He was dead.

Young Master Moon, one of the Ten Young Masters, had been forced by Lin Hao to self-destruct.

If news of this got out, it would be absolutely earth-shattering.

And that wasn’t all. Not only had Young Master Moon died at Lin Hao’s hand, but another of the Ten Young Masters, He Jundao, had also died because of him.

What’s more, the scion of an ancient ferocious beast had also been slain by Lin Hao.

The trials of the Ancient Road were not yet over, but Lin Hao’s exploits were destined to spread throughout the land.

On this Ancient Road, the most dazzling figure was, without a doubt, Lin Hao.

While the Martial Artists were still reeling in shock...

「In the magnificent Jinluan Hall of the Moon Worship Empire, on the Celestial Yang Continent.」

The Monarch of the Moon Worship Empire, seated high on his throne, shot to his feet, his entire body trembling.

A furious aura immediately erupted from him.

The massive Jinluan Hall instantly shattered, completely annihilated.

Below, the court ministers were petrified, forced to their knees by the terrifying pressure, trembling uncontrollably.

"Your Majesty, what has happened?" one official asked, mustering his courage, his voice trembling.

Just a few days ago, the Monarch had sensed that Yao Yue had fallen on the Ancient Road, and he hadn’t reacted nearly this violently.

For him to fly into such a rage now, ’could it be that one of the concubines in the harem...’

The thought of it having anything to do with Young Master Moon never even crossed the ministers’ minds.

He was the pride of the Moon Worship Empire, the undisputed number one of the younger generation.

"Dead. They’re all dead." Just then, the Monarch of the Moon Worship Kingdom retracted his terrifying aura and collapsed back onto the Dragon Throne, muttering under his breath.

His expression was one of utter desolation, nothing like that of a sovereign ruler.

"No! My son, Moon, is a peerless prodigy! He even had the Jade Seal! Who on the Ancient Road could possibly be his match? The Heaven-Breaking Pavilion... It must be the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion’s doing!"

A moment later, the Monarch of the Moon Worship Kingdom slammed his hand on the Dragon Throne and vanished without a trace.

Only his furious roar was left to echo throughout the imperial city.

The ministers looked at one another in stunned silence.

Young Master Moon... killed on the Ancient Road? They all thought they must have misheard.

"Quickly, go find the Queen! His Majesty must be heading for the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion!"

Someone finally came to their senses and shouted.

Instantly, everyone scrambled into action, the hall descending into chaos.

...

Of course, those on the Ancient Road knew nothing of the events unfolding in the Moon Worship Empire.

The gates of Wangchuan City had closed, and all the Martial Artists had entered.

The Martial Artists of the Cangnan Empire gathered around Lin Hao, treating him as their glorious center, while those from the Moon Worship and Celestial Star Empires were nowhere to be seen.

With both Young Master Moon and He Jundao dead at Lin Hao’s hands, they knew they wouldn’t last long if they didn’t act fast.

With the exception of the Celestial Yang Empire, the Martial Artists from the other major empires now gave those from the Cangnan Kingdom a wide berth.

Lin Hao was simply too powerful. Provoking a monster like him would be a nightmare.

Wangchuan City was vast and spacious. Aside from the Martial Artists from the six great empires participating in the trial, it seemed completely empty. Yet, for some reason, the city didn’t feel desolate at all.

The Martial Artists of the Cangnan Empire were especially surprised when they entered a courtyard to find it fully furnished and utterly spotless.

The month-long journey on the Ancient Road had left them physically and mentally exhausted. On top of that, they had just faced a life-and-death threat outside Wangchuan City. It was safe to say they had reached the limits of their endurance.

Seeing this, the Martial Artists of the Cangnan Empire all began to relax.

Some, however, pushed through their exhaustion, wanting to curry favor with Lin Hao or tend to his needs.

However, they gave up the idea after seeing who was by his side.

A woman of exceptional beauty and grace was already quietly attending to him.

A Martial Artist from the Yujin Saint Institute recognized the woman, and his eyes narrowed in shock.