Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

Chapter 440: Chapter 436: Yin Duwen Takes Action

"Proceed!" Lin Hao said. It was just one word.

However, that single word made Lu Dieyi shudder, and she bit down hard on her lip.

Lin Hao’s gaze was terrifyingly cold; he was treating her like an enemy.

Lu Dieyi said nothing, only shaking her head repeatedly.

"You came all the way to the Saint Institute’s battlefield but won’t duel me. Are you looking down on me? Or did you just want a closer seat to laugh at my expense?" A mocking smile appeared on Lin Hao’s lips.

Lin Hao’s expression and tone sent a pang of pain through Lu Dieyi’s heart, and she felt utterly wronged.

She was heaven’s favored daughter, both in Celestial Jade City and at the Proud Moon Divine Sect. Every so-called young prodigy who met her was nothing but courteous. Yet now, Lin Hao was treating her like this.

A surge of anger rose within her, but she immediately forced it down.

The misunderstanding between her and Lin Hao had yet to be cleared up. If she gave in to her temper now, it would only make things worse.

Lu Dieyi was about to speak and clear the air, but Yin Duwen didn’t give her the chance.

Having lived for over two hundred years, Yin Duwen was as cunning as they come. He saw through the youthful romances of Lin Hao’s generation with perfect clarity. Just from Lu Dieyi’s expression, he’d already guessed the gist of the situation.

Under these circumstances, he certainly wasn’t going to let Lin Hao and her reconcile.

"Lin Hao, she is now a disciple of one of the five great divine sects and a key participant representing our Saint Institute in the upcoming Six Institutes Martial Competition," Yin Duwen chimed in at the perfect moment. "You don’t even qualify to participate. You two are not on the same path. Stop barking like a mad dog. You’re damaging the Saint Institute’s reputa—"

Before Yin Duwen could finish, Lin Hao cut him off. "Old bastard, shut your mouth!"

BOOM!

The words detonated across the Saint Institute’s battlefield, stunning everyone present.

Yin Duwen was the First Elder of the Saint Institute. His status was nearly on par with Duan Wushuang’s, yet Lin Hao had actually dared to call him an old bastard in front of everyone!

Some shook their heads; others reveled in the drama.

The corner of Yin Duwen’s mouth twitched. In a flash, he appeared on the Saint Institute’s battlefield.

The next moment, he had grabbed Lin Hao and was flying toward the highest cluster of buildings in the Saint Institute.

Lin Hao had just fought Mei Shengjie and was heavily injured. His strength was severely diminished, while Elder Yin’s cultivation was vastly superior. Lin Hao had no chance to resist.

"Lin Hao, you are heavily injured. The Worldly Energy at the highest point of the Saint Institute is abundant and suitable for your recovery..." Yin Duwen’s voice drifted down from the sky.

"As expected of Elder Yin! His magnanimity is as vast as the ocean," a disciple below praised.

On the battlefield, Lu Dieyi’s eyes flew wide. She darted forward, actually giving chase in the direction Elder Yin had gone.

Everything had happened too fast. By the time she had figured out what to say, Yin Duwen had already made his move.

However, she didn’t get far before someone blocked her path.

"Nanny, what are you doing!" Lu Dieyi cried out in alarm when she saw who was blocking her.

Nanny Lu transmitted her voice to her, "My lady, your concern is clouding your judgment. Lin Hao is already biased against you; he won’t listen to anything you say right now. With someone else twisting the facts, this is not the right time."

"Nanny, what should I do then?" Lu Dieyi asked, stunned.

When it came to Lin Hao, Lu Dieyi seemed to lose all ability to think clearly.

"There will be a way. Trust me," Nanny Lu said, taking Lu Dieyi’s hand and leading her back toward her quarters.

Below, the crowd also began to disperse.

The battle was over, but surely no one had expected such an outcome.

Mei Shengjie had used his bloodline and his Divine Soul, yet he was still defeated by Lin Hao.

The victor, Lin Hao, should have been basking in glory. Instead, he’d railed against an elder over the marriage annulment incident. In the end, not only was he not punished, he was even taken away to recover from his injuries.

"Senior Brother Lin Feichen is probably coming back soon. Lin Hao has another duel today. I can’t wait."

"Two duels in one day? Isn’t that a little unfair to Lin Hao? After all, he was badly injured in that last fight," a disciple said timidly.

As soon as he spoke, someone else retorted, "That’s exactly why Elder Yin took him to the upper levels! Don’t worry. The Saint Institute is called the Saint Institute for a reason; it has its methods. His injuries definitely won’t affect the next duel."

"Heh, what good would ten more days do? Three months ago, Senior Brother Lin Feichen was already at the Fifth Layer of Soul Gathering Realm. By now, he must be at the Peak of the Fifth Layer at least. Lin Hao has no chance against him."

"No one thought Lin Hao would win before his duel with Mei Shengjie, either. But what happened?" someone else argued.

"Hmph! How can you compare Mei Shengjie to Senior Brother Lin? Lin Feichen is the second-strongest of the Lin family’s younger generation! His physique might not compare to the great Lin Wu’s, but it’s still one of the Twenty-Four King Physiques, a rarity seen once in ten thousand!" This disciple was from the Lin family.

"Heh, speaking of physiques, I heard Lin Wu only achieved what he has today because he stole Lin Hao’s bloodline. Who knows if Lin Feichen’s physique is even his own," the previous speaker immediately shot back.

He was affiliated with the Wenren family. Although his surname wasn’t Wenren, he had recently received a directive from Wenren Yuxin, which made him fearless.

"How dare you spout such nonsense!" the Lin family disciple roared in anger.

"Oh? Did I strike a nerve?"

"You’re just trying to build hype for Lin Hao. If what you said were true, how could Lin Hao possibly still be alive?" The Lin family disciple wasn’t a fool and quickly came up with a counterargument.

"True or not, I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. I have a strong feeling that Lin Hao will definitely participate in the Six Institutes Martial Competition. And before he moves on to a grander stage, he’s sure to pay the Lin family a visit. I truly hope Lin Feichen gets back soon... because he’ll be the first."

After saying his piece, the man from the Wenren family turned and left.

The Lin family disciple stood stunned for a moment before turning and leaving as well.

The other disciples who had overheard their exchange broke into a flurry of discussion, their curiosity about the feud between Lin Hao and the Lin family piqued.

While the disciples were gossiping about Lin Hao, he had already been brought to a room by Yin Duwen.

Yin Duwen tossed Lin Hao to the floor, his gaze like ice.

But Lin Hao was fearless. He simply sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and treated Yin Duwen as if he weren’t even there.

Lin Hao remembered every single word Yin Duwen had said. He had to not only defeat Lin Feichen and become a disciple of the Upper Courtyard, but also distinguish himself at the Six Institutes Martial Competition and ultimately enter the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion.

’Lin Wu is in the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion. It’s time to settle the score.’

Yin Duwen hadn’t expected Lin Hao to be so composed. After observing him for a moment, he left him with a parting shot: "Enjoy the rest of your time at the Saint Institute!"

Then, Yin Duwen turned and left.

’To ensure nothing goes wrong, I must find out Lin Feichen’s true strength.’

The moment Yin Duwen was gone, Lin Hao’s eyes opened. He glanced at the door, then closed his eyes again to focus his mind and spirit.

’My injuries aren’t that serious. With the Divine Spring, it will only take an hour or two to return to my peak condition.’