Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Lin Hao took a step back, an expression of disdain on his face, and then spat out four words: "What’s it to me?"

Er...

Yin Duwen felt his breath catch in his throat, nearly keeling over from rage.

Lin Hao continued, "I never said I was a genius. But when it comes to being invincible, I suppose I can oblige with a word or two. Let’s put it this way: within the same realm, I, Lin Hao, fear no one. Elder Yin, would you care for a demonstration?"

Lin Hao’s voice wasn’t loud, but his words sent shockwaves through the crowd.

How could Lin Hao dare to claim he was invincible within his realm? Was it arrogance, or was it confidence?

And for a mere Saint Institute disciple to challenge an elder... that was just outrageously arrogant!

"You... you... How could I possibly duel with you? This is utter nonsense!" Yin Duwen was practically losing his mind with rage.

The corner of Lin Hao’s mouth curved up as he said calmly, "Are you afraid?"

"Preposterous! Me, afraid of you?" Yin Duwen straightened his back and immediately retorted.

"If you’re not afraid, then accept my challenge. We’ll fight in the same realm and see who’s stronger. If you don’t have the guts, then stop your pathetic scheming behind my back! If you’re so eager to die, you can come and try your luck with me directly," Lin Hao said coldly.

More and more Saint Institute disciples had returned, and a crowd was now gathering. Hearing Lin Hao’s words, countless jaws dropped in disbelief.

Lin Hao was just too brazen, publicly calling out an elder like this.

Yin Duwen was furious; this Lin Hao had absolutely no respect for him. But angry as he was, Yin Duwen hadn’t lost his wits. Truth be told, he had no confidence he could defeat Lin Hao in a battle at the same realm, and more importantly, he couldn’t afford to lose. There was, after all, a cautionary precedent within the Saint Institute.

For a moment, Yin Duwen found himself in an impossible position. He was finally tasting what it was like to be hoist by his own petard.

"I have lived for over two hundred years; how could I bully a junior like you? Lin Hao, don’t even think about trapping me in an unjust position." In the end, Yin Duwen used this as his excuse to refuse Lin Hao.

But Lin Hao had no intention of letting him off the hook. He shot back, "In a battle at the same realm, you couldn’t bully me even if you wanted to. You think far too highly of yourself, Elder Yin. Besides, it’s not as if I’ve never killed an old codger like you before."

Lin Hao’s words grew increasingly venomous.

Yin Duwen was on the verge of coughing up blood. This was blatant, undisguised contempt from Lin Hao.

But the more Lin Hao pushed, the less Yin Duwen dared to accept the challenge.

"Lin Hao, don’t you dare go too far! This is the Saint Institute! I, Yin Duwen, have been here for more than two hundred years. While I can’t claim to have mastered every Cultivation Technique and martial art, I’m familiar with at least half of them. The Saint Institute has a legacy stretching back thousands of years. Its depth is far beyond your imagination. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?"

Yin Duwen’s hands, hidden within his sleeves, clenched into tight fists, but his words had already lost their earlier edge.

This was his veiled way of reminding Lin Hao just how formidable he was, hoping the boy would know to back down.

However, upon hearing this, Lin Hao’s eyes lit up. "So, you’re a living encyclopedia of the Saint Institute’s martial arts! Well, in that case, I’m even more eager to ask for your guidance."

Far from backing down, Lin Hao’s interest only soared.

Yin Duwen’s face flushed crimson, and he felt a metallic, sweet taste rise in his throat.

’Lin Hao, you’ve gone too far!’

"Elder Yin, I too have long admired the martial arts of the Saint Institute. I’d love to witness them for myself." As if to make matters worse, Su Molixi suddenly spoke up.

This left Yin Duwen with absolutely no way out.

Yin Duwen could still refuse Lin Hao, but Su Molixi was the Palace Master of one of the five great divine sects. Her status was extraordinary.

"Master, don’t make things difficult for him. He doesn’t dare fight Brother Hao. Ugh, how embarrassing. If I were him, I’d be so ashamed I’d just go and bang my head against a wall until I died."

Yu Mengru said, her face filled with contempt.

"This is infuriating! Fine! I accept! Lin Hao, I challenge you to a duel—to the death!" Yin Duwen felt his blood boil, his hair and beard standing on end as he roared.

A smile touched Lin Hao’s lips as he said calmly, "I accept."

Everyone was stunned by this turn of events.

Lin Hao was actually challenging an elder of the Saint Institute to a life-and-death battle. Just how confident did he have to be to dare such a thing?

Especially considering he had just returned from the Lin Mansion after a massive battle.

And just as Elder Yin had said, he had been in the Saint Institute for over two hundred years and was familiar with most of its profound martial arts. Moreover, his cultivation level was astounding, and his combat sense was leagues beyond Lin Hao’s.

On the surface, Lin Hao didn’t seem to have a shred of a chance.

But after everything he had done, no one dared to underestimate Lin Hao.

Seeing Lin Hao, many were reminded of another disciple from the Lin family—Lin Wu.

In Imperial City, Lin Wu had been unrivaled among his peers. He too had a history of challenging his seniors, and not once had he ever lost.

’Is Lin Hao following in Lin Wu’s footsteps?’

While a thousand thoughts raced through the minds of the crowd, Yin Duwen bowed toward the tallest complex of buildings in the Saint Institute and spoke respectfully. "I must trouble the Guardians to consecrate the Saint War Platform."

As soon as the words left his mouth, several figures shot out from the tallest complex of buildings and landed in the Upper Institute’s plaza.

Lin Hao’s eyes widened. He counted four blurry afterimages. Their speed was utterly extreme; without activating his bloodline and Divine Soul, his current cultivation level was no match for their swiftness.

This was terrifying. After all, Lin Hao’s Body Technique was a genuine Emperor-level art!

’The Guardians of the Saint Institute... what exactly do they guard?’

The thought flashed through Lin Hao’s mind.

Moments later, one brilliant ray of light after another erupted across the plaza. The entire Saint Institute began to tremble, and then the whole plaza lifted into the air!

This platform was countless times larger than the Saint Institute’s battlegrounds, or even the Saint War Platform where Lin Hao had fought Wang Jianglin. The entire plaza ascending, floating and bobbing in the void, was a truly soul-shaking sight.

"Heavens! I never knew the entire plaza could fly!" a Saint Institute disciple cried out in astonishment.

"And I never knew our Saint Institute even had Guardians. What just happened? Why didn’t I see them appear?" another disciple asked, confused.

The four Guardians were simply too fast—so fast that disciples with insufficient cultivation couldn’t even track their movements.

"This Saint War Platform hasn’t been activated in one thousand two hundred thirteen years." At that moment, within the tallest complex of buildings in the Saint Institute, one of four white-haired, white-bearded old men spoke.

"I thought I would never see this Saint War Platform opened again in my lifetime. To think it would see use once more," another elder spoke up.

"More than a thousand years... alas..." the third elder lamented with a sigh.

"Compared to this, I’m more interested in what happens three days from now." As the fourth elder spoke, the other three were visibly startled and fell silent.

Shortly after they fell silent, a voice echoed across the sky above the Saint Institute. "Out of respect for your age, I’ll let you make the first move."

At these words, even the eyes of the four elders snapped open. A swirling vortex of energy materialized and began to hover between them. A closer look was terrifying—behind the vortex was an endless void, as if it were a gateway to another world.