Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

The undisputed Holy Land for Martial Artists on the Celestial Yang Continent was the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion.

Once news spread that the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion was recruiting, the most outstanding disciples from the Saint Institutes of the Celestial Yang Continent’s six great empires all entered the Starry Sky Ancient Road.

This Holy Land for Martial Artists on the Celestial Yang Continent was hidden amidst a vast, sprawling mountain range.

This mountain range was even older and more treacherous than the Celestial Break Mountain Range.

Even for a Martial Artist who had just stepped into the Spirit Transformation Realm, entering the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion from the outside was an impossibility.

The Heaven-Breaking Pavilion was sealed by a grand formation. Moreover, the vast mountains were home to primeval beasts that could rip Martial Artists limb from limb—they were terrifying beyond measure.

On this day, however, two figures shot out from the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion and landed amidst the boundless mountains.

The moment they landed, the two continued on their way.

Their movements seemed incredibly slow, yet each step covered hundreds of meters. They had truly mastered the art of shrinking the earth.

A few breaths later, the two of them stopped.

They were two middle-aged men, both clad in coarse linen.

"Is it this way?" the man on the left asked the one on the right.

The person on the right shook his head with a wry smile. "You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Don’t forget, I’ve only been there once, same as you."

"Then what do we do? We fought so hard for this chance. If we mess this up, I’m afraid..." As he spoke, a worried look clouded the man’s eyes.

The man on the right frowned as well.

But just then, his eyes lit up. He pointed ahead and said, "Look over there!"

Following his finger, one could see a red plant hidden beneath an old tree.

It looked like a lotus, yet not quite. It looked like a mushroom, yet not quite.

"It’s just a Blood Lotus Mushroom, so what?" the man on the left said dismissively upon seeing it.

If any other Martial Artist on the Celestial Yang Continent heard him, they would surely go mad.

The Blood Lotus Mushroom was a Divine Medicine capable of awakening a Martial Artist’s bloodline. One might not find a single stalk even after searching an entire empire.

It was no exaggeration to say that on the Celestial Yang Continent, a Blood Lotus Mushroom was truly priceless. Its value far exceeded that of several cities combined.

Yet, to hear this middle-aged man speak, it was as common as cabbage.

One could only imagine the profound resources of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion.

"The first time we came here, that Blood Lotus Mushroom was right there, only it wasn’t mature yet. I know the way now." The man on the right wasted no more time on idle chatter. He took the lead, picked a direction, and strode forward.

He vanished in the blink of an eye.

The other man glanced at the Blood Lotus Mushroom, then hurried after him.

After the two had vanished, a claw shot out like a bolt of lightning and snatched the Blood Lotus Mushroom.

’That scared me to death. Thank goodness it was them. If it had been anyone else, I’d be a goner.’ A voice sounded from behind the tree where the Blood Lotus Mushroom had been growing.

A moment later, a furry head poked out.

It was a Devil Beast, but its eyes held a distinctly human-like emotion.

’Haven’t seen them in two hundred years. Those little brats have grown into masters at the Fifth Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm. The Heaven-Breaking Pavilion truly lives up to its name as a Holy Land for Martial Artists. A shame I can’t go.’ The Devil Beast looked up toward a certain direction, a hint of sorrow in its eyes.

’Wait, they’re heading in the same direction he took when he left all those years ago. Don’t tell me he’s finally coming out of seclusion?’ The Devil Beast’s eyes widened in terror, and then it vanished.

Meanwhile, the two men from the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion had stopped before a great mountain.

The mountain was peculiar. One side was lush and verdant, while the other was as smooth as a mirror, completely barren of life.

The two men now stood before this mirror-smooth face.

Staring at the mountainside, the two experts of the Fifth Layer of Spirit Transformation Realm looked incredibly nervous.

They exchanged glances, trying to psych each other up, but even after several attempts, neither dared to speak.

Suddenly, a voice emanated from within the mountain itself. "The two of you should be cultivating at the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion. What are you doing here?"

Hearing this voice, the two experts of the Fifth Layer of Spirit Transformation Realm shuddered. They immediately bowed, clasped their fists, and said with trembling voices, "Reporting to the Pavilion Master, we have come on behalf of the Elder Hall to seek your guidance."

"Oh? The Heaven-Breaking Pavilion has stood for ten thousand years, and this seems to be the first time the Elder Hall has been unable to reach a decision. Go on, what is it?" The voice from within the mountain was perfectly serene.

Despite the calm tone, the two men felt an immense pressure, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Two hundred years ago, when they were mere children, they had accompanied a few elders to this place and met the Pavilion Master once. In their eyes back then, he was just a kindly-looking old man.

Two hundred years later, their cultivation had reached the Fifth Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm, yet just standing before this mountain, they felt an immense pressure.

The pressure was so intense it rendered them completely immobile.

"Reporting to the Pavilion Master, someone on the Starry Sky Ancient Road has triggered the spiritual imprints of the Ancient Road’s progenitors," one of the men said respectfully.

"Oh? The progenitor imprints, untouched for three thousand years, have finally been triggered by someone? That is rare indeed." Hearing this, even the Pavilion Master’s voice from within the mountain held a note of surprise.

His voice quickly returned to its calm state. "Does he have the blood of the Devil Race, or the lineage of the Demon Race?"

"Reporting to the Pavilion Master, he is neither. He..." the man outside replied, but before he could continue, the Pavilion Master cut him off.

"Don’t tell me. Let me guess." The Heaven-Breaking Pavilion’s Master seemed to be in a good mood. After a moment, he continued, "Was he beaten half to death by the first progenitor imprint? Is he on the verge of collapse?"

"Pavilion Master," the man outside replied, "he spent less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before shattering the first progenitor’s spiritual imprint."

Even though he already knew this, saying it aloud again made the man unable to contain his excitement. His posture stiffened, his voice rose an octave, and for a moment, even his reverence for the Pavilion Master was forgotten.

"What?!" The voice from within the mountain also rose an octave.

"Not only that, he was completely unharmed! Then he shattered the second and third progenitor imprints. By the time we left the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion, he had already shattered the spiritual imprints of nine progenitors of the Ancient Road! With that kind of power, even you, Pavilion Master..."

The man grew more and more agitated as he spoke, even taking several steps forward without realizing it. When he reached the end of his sentence, he finally processed what he had said and clamped his mouth shut.

At the same time, he lowered his head. His face instantly paled, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Over three thousand years ago, the Pavilion Master himself had participated in the trial of the Starry Sky Ancient Road. He had triggered the progenitor imprints and annihilated eight of them.

’If the Pavilion Master gets angry,’ he thought, ’I’m a dead man.’

However, his worries were clearly unfounded.

The Pavilion Master within the mountain burst into laughter, seemingly oblivious to the man’s final, implicating words.

"For someone like him, it’s worth making a trip back. I’ll do it, even at the risk of being discovered by those above." The voice of the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion’s Master echoed from within the mountain.

Then, the mountain fell silent.

Outside the mountain, the two men were stunned.