Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Chapter 435: Chapter 431: Lu Dieyi Enters the Saint Institute

Day was gradually breaking. A stretch of red clouds painted the horizon, and the crimson sun was about to leap into view. A new day was about to begin.

RUMBLE!

A strangely shaped carriage traversed the sky, arriving in an instant above the Saint Institute.

The carriage was strange because no mystical beasts pulled it.

The carriage then descended, landing before the main gates of the Saint Institute.

"Disciples of the Proud Moon Divine Sect, reporting to the Saint Institute today." A voice emerged from the carriage. Though inaudible to others, it carried clearly into the tallest complex of buildings within the institute.

There was no reply, but in the next moment, the tightly shut gates of the Saint Institute swung open.

The carriage moved again, passing through the gateway.

Aside from its peculiar shape, the carriage seemed unremarkable. But a closer look would reveal something shocking.

The carriage never actually touched the ground, maintaining a constant distance of about three inches from the surface.

The carriage’s interior was spacious. Inside, besides a shockingly ugly old crone, sat a pair of exquisite beauties. They bore a strong resemblance to each other, and both were breathtakingly gorgeous.

However, the two wore completely different expressions.

The younger of the two had a look of excitement, as if she couldn’t wait to get out.

The older one, however, had a trace of worry in her beautiful eyes, her expression anxious.

This pair of beauties was, of course, the sisters from the Lu family.

"Don’t worry, Sis. It’s all a misunderstanding. Everything will be fine once we explain it to Brother-in-law," Lu Diewu said, comforting Lu Dieyi with a naive expression.

Lu Dieyi nodded, but her heart remained unsettled.

Staring blankly, Lu Dieyi was lost in thought. ’Brother Hao, where are you now?’

At that same moment, another exquisite beauty sat before Lin Hao. The only difference was that this woman’s face was hidden behind a light veil, and she projected an incredibly powerful aura.

Su Molixi, the Palace Master of Misty Palace!

A powerful aura erupted from Su Molixi, and beads of sweat trickled down the forehead of Lin Hao, who sat opposite her.

"Palace Master, what is the meaning of this?" Lin Hao’s face was flushed as he struggled to force the words out.

At this point, Lin Hao was utterly baffled.

An hour ago, Su Molixi had appeared out of nowhere, sat down opposite him without a word, and had maintained that exact posture ever since.

The pressure had lasted for a full hour. With Su Molixi saying nothing, Lin Hao was reaching his limit.

After all, he had two difficult battles to fight today.

Phew...

Thankfully, Su Molixi abruptly retracted her powerful aura, and Lin Hao finally let out a breath of relief.

"In just a few months, your cultivation has reached such a level. It shocked me, so I couldn’t resist the urge to test you. You may go now." Su Molixi waved her hand, her bearing full of authority.

Lin Hao nodded and made a swift exit.

’This Palace Master is crazy,’ he thought. ’I don’t want to mess with her.’

’Sparring with me? Wasn’t that just an excuse to torture me?’

As soon as Lin Hao was gone, Su Molixi lifted her veil, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty. ’I thought that with such a rapid increase in cultivation, his foundation would be unstable. But not only is that not the case, his power far surpasses others at the same level. What a monster!’

If Lin Hao had been there, he would have cried out in shock, because this was clearly Meng Jian!

Su Molixi stared at the doorway, a flicker of shock in her beautiful eyes.

The next moment, she gave a sudden start and quickly lowered her veil.

And then, Lin Hao’s figure reappeared.

Though she was quick, Lin Hao still caught a fleeting glimpse of crimson lips and a delicate, flawless chin.

"Why are you back?" Lin Hao was still in a daze when he heard Su Molixi speak, her tone distinctly unfriendly.

At this, Lin Hao grew frustrated. "This is my room, you know. If anyone should be leaving, it’s you."

SLAM!

The moment the words left his mouth, the door slammed shut, and Su Molixi was gone.

"Poor Meng Qing," Lin Hao muttered, shaking his head. "After a few months in the Misty Palace, I wonder if this neurotic Palace Master has driven her mad yet." He then closed his eyes to calm his qi and center his spirit.

Time passed, second by second, and Lin Hao sank into a deep meditative trance.

As Lin Hao settled into his meditation, many new faces appeared in the Saint Institute’s Upper Courtyard plaza. Among them were several fairy-like beauties who could easily set one’s imagination adrift.

If Lin Hao had been present, he would have recognized most of these newcomers.

"Elder Yin, might I ask what the occasion is today?" one of the elders asked Yin Duwen.

Not long ago, Yin Duwen had cordially invited them all to the Upper Courtyard plaza without explaining why. Now, someone had finally broken the silence and asked.

"Today is a very important day." Yin Duwen smiled, not beating around the bush. He pointed directly to the Holy Stele outside the plaza. "You are all worldly and knowledgeable. You surely recognize this stele, don’t you?"

"Of course. That’s the Holy Stele. All who leave their names on it are exceptional. They are also considered disciples of the Saint Institute and possess the right to challenge other disciples on the Stele. Don’t tell me, Elder, you want them to challenge the disciples on the Holy Stele?" someone asked.

Yin Duwen smiled. "Challenging the disciples on the Holy Stele is certainly possible, but not today. For today, a spectacular duel will take place in the Saint Institute’s battle arena."

This was Yin Duwen’s true purpose.

He had invited these experts from all over, who had just arrived at the Saint Institute, to the Upper Courtyard plaza for the express purpose of witnessing something that would bring him great pleasure.

Just imagine: these were the top powers of the Cangnan Empire. If Lin Hao were to be defeated before their very eyes, word of his disgrace would soon spread throughout the entire empire. He would be utterly ruined, with no place left to stand.

Of course, for anyone else, Yin Duwen would not have gone to such lengths.

But this person just happened to be Lin Hao.

Lin Hao was far too famous in the Cangnan Empire.

Yin Duwen was confident that there wasn’t a single person here who hadn’t heard of Lin Hao’s exploits.

By making Lin Hao fail in front of all these people, not only could he vent his own frustrations, but he could also elevate the Saint Institute’s prestige. It was a perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone.

Of course, to achieve this, a little more setup was required.

And Yin Duwen knew someone would help him lay it.

Sure enough, upon hearing Yin Duwen’s words, someone asked, "I wonder, Elder Yin, what is this spectacular duel you mentioned?"

"Have any of you heard the name Lin Hao?" Yin Duwen asked with a smile.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the expressions on several faces changed.

"Of course, we have," an elder said, frowning.

Lin Hao’s name was famous throughout the Cangnan Empire. All of their factions had made it a point to learn about him, so they knew him well.

However, they were not very familiar with what had happened since he entered the Saint Institute, especially in recent times.

"But do you know what his cultivation level is now?" Yin Duwen asked again.

"Don’t tell me he’s entered the Soul Gathering Realm?" someone asked in surprise.

He seemed to have guessed Yin Duwen’s intention.

’This fellow isn’t using this as an opportunity to boast about the Saint Institute’s strength, is he?’

"That’s right. And his cultivation has reached the terrifying peak of the Fourth Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm!" Yin Duwen didn’t bother guessing what the others were thinking and stated the answer directly.

Everything was proceeding exactly according to his plan.