Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Lin Hao’s feats in the Divinity Realm had spread throughout the lower realms, becoming the stuff of legend.

And because they shared the same surname, Lin Yuchen practically idolized Lin Hao.

Now, suddenly seeing his idol right in front of him, Lin Yuchen’s excitement was palpable.

After stammering out a few incoherent words, he began rubbing his hands together, his face flushed bright red as he stared at Lin Hao with a foolish grin.

Lin Hao shook his head, speechless.

’This guy is way too zealous.’

Ignoring him for the moment, Lin Hao began to process the recent turn of events.

A lot of people had come from the upper realm this time; the ones he had just met in Lingxiao Pavilion were only a fraction of them. And after his confrontation with Baili Dengfeng, any hope for peace and quiet was gone.

’And this will make it harder to gather news about Grandfather.’

Lin Hao frowned slightly, but his expression changed when he looked at Lin Yuchen. An idea struck him.

"Cousin, how long have you been in this Nine Yang Void Realm?" Lin Hao asked, infusing his voice with a trace of True Essence.

He did this, of course, to help Lin Yuchen come to his senses more quickly.

"Ah, me? I’ve been here for a while. Oh, right! Idol, you should get out of here, fast! If word gets out that you’re here, they’ll all gang up on you." Snapping back to reality, Lin Yuchen’s first instinct was to urge Lin Hao to flee.

’For him to show up in the Nine Yang Void Realm like this... it’s like a sheep walking into a tiger’s den. He’s way too bold.’

"Right now, you’re the only one who knows. How could the news possibly leak?" Lin Hao said with an unconcerned smile.

Lin Yuchen jumped in alarm, his expression becoming more serious than ever. He looked like he was about to make a Blood Oath just to prove his loyalty.

"Of course I believe you. I came here on important business, and I was hoping to ask you a few things."

"Ask away! Not to brag, but there’s very little that happens in this Nine Yang Void Realm that I, Lin Yuchen, don’t know about!" Lin Yuchen puffed out his chest and thumped it proudly. THUMP! THUMP!

The chance to help his idol clearly thrilled Lin Yuchen.

Lin Hao was pleased and quickly asked, "If someone accidentally stumbled into an ancient array and was teleported to the Nine Yang Void Realm, where might I be able to find them?"

Hearing Lin Hao’s question, the color drained from Lin Yuchen’s face.

"Is it that difficult?" Lin Hao had braced himself for bad news, but he couldn’t help but feel a knot of tension tighten at Lin Yuchen’s expression.

"Extremely difficult," Lin Yuchen nodded, his voice dropping gravely.

"If someone is teleported to the Nine Yang Void Realm by an ancient array, they will appear inside the Nine Yang Hall. They’ll be sent into a corresponding blood pool, where they will find an incredibly overbearing Cultivation Technique. Um... very few people can successfully master it."

"Where is the Nine Yang Hall?" Lin Hao’s heart skipped a beat as he asked urgently.

’Lin Yuchen’s last words were grim, but Grandfather has been missing for over four years. Now that I finally have a lead, I won’t give up, no matter how slim the hope.’

"It’s located in the very center of the Nine Yang Void Realm. It’s the passage that connects the Divinity Realm to this place. When people from the upper realm descend, they always appear in the Nine Yang Hall first."

’In that case, that woman with the surname Huangfu must be in the Nine Yang Hall right now.’

Lin Yuchen nodded and continued, "She’s a manageable problem, since she can’t stay in there forever. The truly difficult part is that there are terrifying beings inside the Nine Yang Hall."

"Sealed Martial Realm Martial Artists?"

"Ferocious beasts. Ancient ones. They devour the vital essence of Martial Artists. If the person trapped inside manages to master the Cultivation Technique, there’s a sliver of hope for escape. But if they fail, they become food for the beasts!"

"What?! That’s not acceptable. I’m going to the Nine Yang Hall right now! Tell me how to get there." Upon hearing this, Lin Hao completely lost his composure.

"We can’t be rash about this. We need a long-term plan," Lin Yuchen cautioned.

"I need to know the location of the Nine Yang Hall!" Lin Hao said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Lin Yuchen opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Don’t worry, I’m calm now. I just need to scout out the situation first." Lin Hao’s voice had already steadied.

"Teleported to the Nine Yang Hall by an ancient array, a blood pool, an overbearing Cultivation Technique, ancient beasts that devour a Martial Artist’s vital essence... It’s all like a grand scheme laid out by some supreme expert. I know what I need to do."

Hearing this, Lin Yuchen realized that Lin Hao was even more level-headed than he had imagined.

’To deduce all that from just a few fragments of information... that requires an incredibly clear mind.’

At that, Lin Yuchen immediately began to lead the way, guiding Lin Hao toward the Nine Yang Hall.

Lin Hao noted with a flicker of surprise that Lin Yuchen would do this, despite knowing the danger. He didn’t say anything, however.

The two moved through the streets at incredible speed. After countless twists and turns, they finally stopped on a mountain peak after traveling for the better part of half a day.

The Nine Yang Void Realm was vast.

RUMBLE!

A deafening roar filled the air. Lin Hao looked ahead, utterly awestruck by the sight.

Several hundred meters ahead, nine colossal, broken rivers flowed from different directions, all converging toward a single point that opened into a vast, empty space.

The turbulent river waters cascaded downward, like a series of shattered celestial rivers falling from the heavens.

The deafening roar came from the waters of the Jiang Hee as they poured down, a truly soul-shaking sound.

In the middle of the nine great rivers stood an immense palace.

It rose from the depths where the rivers converged, soaring high into the clouds.

"That’s the Nine Yang Hall." Even Lin Yuchen’s voice trembled slightly.

Even though this wasn’t his first time seeing it, the scene still left him breathless with awe.

Before the Nine Yang Hall, he felt as insignificant as an ant.

The Nine Yang Hall stood like an eternal giant, an intimidating and awe-inspiring sight.

"Huh? Why are they all heading toward the Nine Yang Hall?" Lin Yuchen suddenly asked.

Over in the distance, numerous Martial Artists were flying through the air, rapidly approaching the Nine Yang Hall.

"Do you know them?"

Lin Hao asked, having also spotted the group of Martial Artists.

Not a single one of them was weak; even the lowest among them was at the Third Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm.

"The one hugging his sword and grinning like an idiot is called Jian Chi. He’s obsessed with his sword—eats with it, sleeps with it. He’s completely lost his mind over it."

"The young man with the giant axe is named Wang Haoran. He cultivates the Star Sun Refining Skill, and his Star Heaven-Breaking Slash is masterful. He may look cold, but he’s not a bad person at heart."

"That one with the long saber is Leng Wuyou. He cultivates the Ice Demon Skill and kills people entirely on a whim."

"..."

Lin Hao had only asked casually, but to his surprise, Lin Yuchen began rattling off details about each Martial Artist as if he were listing family heirlooms, detailing their Cultivation Techniques, martial skills, and even their Secret Skills.

This made Lin Hao look at him in a new light.

Seeing Lin Hao’s expression, Lin Yuchen smiled and explained, "As the saying goes, ’know thyself, know thy enemy, and you shall win a hundred battles.’ My cultivation might not be up to par, but there’s never any harm in understanding your rivals."

"Your body is a treasure trove. It would be quite easy for you to surpass them," Lin Hao said.

Lin Yuchen paused, then belatedly realized that his own cultivation had reached the Second Layer of the Spirit Transformation Realm.

Being an extremely sharp person, he immediately understood why.

Just as a wave of excitement washed over him, Lin Yuchen’s expression suddenly changed drastically.