Eternal Heavenly Emperor

After finishing, Chu Hao remained motionless for a long time, as if he had turned into a stone statue.

Although it was only one side of the story, he believed it.

It resolved many of his doubts.

For instance, why did not a single person in Eastern Cloud City know the secrets of the Star Stone? Why was the martial arts hierarchy in the Lower World so different from here? Why had no one who left the Lower World reappeared? Why did the Native Faction disdain and look down upon them so much?

It was precisely because of Lin Cheng's "betrayal" that the Yunliu Sect lost its most top-notch Cultivation Technique, falling from a Fifth Grade sect to a Sixth Grade sect.

Boom!

A flame burst forth from his right hand, turning Lin Cheng's note into ashes.

Such things should not be left in this world, they should be kept in mind alone.

He wanted to store the newly acquired Mustard Seed Ring within the original one, but realized the two were incompatible, neither able to contain the other. After some thought, he took out some of the Star Stones from the newly acquired ring and placed them back into the iron box, which he then reburied underground—including the "Flowing Water Jue".

Although the space in this new Mustard Seed Ring was larger, he dared not use it for fear of it being recognized by someone in the sect.

He picked up the Star Stones from the ground and placed them into his original Mustard Seed Ring. With limited space, he could only take that much.

Yunliu Sect.

This was the true face of the Yunliu Sect.

In fact, while the Yunliu Sect was a sect, it could be seen as a coalition of many noble families. The nine major Sixth Rank Noble Families such as Chi, Ling, and Fu; the Seventh Rank Noble Families like the Mo Family and the Li Family; all combined to form this vast power.

Being an enemy of the Yunliu Sect meant opposing this many Seventh and Sixth Rank Noble Families.

For the current Chu Hao, it was like an ant shaking a tree, a totally foolhardy act of seeking death. Even the previously mentioned Lin Cheng, who must have surely reached the pinnacle of Martial Sect later on, chose to commit suicide without even the courage to fight.

The enemy was simply too powerful.

For now, he could only pretend to know nothing and silently gather his strength, waiting for the day when his cultivation would be strong enough to counter the powerful poison in his body. That would be the moment he would burst forth.

Fortunately for him, he only had to face the Yunliu Sect, which couldn't represent the entirety of Tianhe County, let alone Cang State or the whole Sky Martial Star. Otherwise, the prospect of contending against the might of the War God was hard to imagine.

Chu Hao certainly had confidence in himself, but not to the point of blind arrogance.

But... Madam Yun?

Chu Hao immediately shook his head inwardly, thinking that Madam Yun probably did not know the final fate of those from the Lower World who ended up at the Yunliu Sect. He would still repay Madam Yun's kindness, and possibly go easy on the Ling Family for that reason, but as for the other nobles...

Hmph!

Chu Hao suppressed the killing intent in his heart. He was too weak right now and needed to learn to endure. Lin Cheng had also left a message at the beginning, warning only those who were not calm enough should not continue reading.

He was too weak at the moment; a behemoth like the Yunliu Sect could crush him with a flick of a finger.

He behaved as if nothing had happened, chopping wood and carrying water as usual, quietly waiting for the one-month punishment period to pass. Yet inside, his heart was blazing like fire, his fighting spirit was higher than ever, and he felt an even more urgent need for strength.

On the 37th day since he entered the Cold Water Pool, he was finally "released from his sentence".

"Chu Hao!"

As soon as he left the valley, he saw more than two hundred people waiting for him outside, all disciples from the Lower World. Those with sharp eyes immediately called out upon seeing him.

"Chu Hao," "Chu Hao," "Chu Hao," everyone shouted loudly, their faces full of fervor as though they were ready to die for any command he might give.

Circumstances make heroes.

The conflict between the Native Faction and the Outsider Faction escalated, reaching a climax in the battle between Chu Hao and Mo Guxin. Not only did Chu Hao win but, to vent his anger for Fu Xue, he also beat Mo Guxin half to death, landing him in prison for it.

This not only established his image as powerful, but it also labeled him as loyal and sentimental, naturally positioning him as a leader in the stand-off between the two factions.

Chu Hao felt like the boss of a gang, freshly released from prison with a bunch of underlings waiting to throw him a welcome-back party. He couldn't help but smile and then waved to the crowd.

"What's it like sitting in the bitter prison?" Tang Xin came up to meet him, but the first one to pounce was Flying Fire, who had grown even bigger and now weighed more than he did.

Chu Hao rubbed Flying Fire's head and said, "Do you want to try it out?"

"I'll pass," Tang Xin hastily waved her hand.

"It hasn't been easy," Lin Zhendong and others said to Chu Hao, their eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

Geniuses rarely bow down to others, but they had to ask themselves honestly whether they would have dared to strike after receiving the order from the sect's higher-ups if they had been in Chu Hao's position. Since they could not do it themselves, they naturally admired him.

Chu Hao gave a high five to each person, but he would definitely not mention Lin Cheng's matter, let alone the fact that their bodies carried severe poison. For one thing, others might not believe it, and for another, how many could keep such a secret? The sect would surely raise their swords to preserve their reputation and kill all those from the Lower World to protect the secret.

Chu Hao, like a triumphant hero, was surrounded by a throng as he returned to his residence. A large crowd did not disperse until evening, leaving behind only Fu Xue, Tang Xin, Lin Zhendong, and a few others who were more familiar with Chu Hao.

"How is Mo Guxin?" Chu Hao asked.

"That guy has been lying down for a month; he's fully recovered now. He said he wants to wait until he becomes a martial master before he fights you again," Yu Wenjing replied.

"Does the kid want to be beaten up again?" Tang Xin couldn't help but say.

Chu Hao, however, shook his head and said, "Don't underestimate him. Although I was able to defeat him, it was because Mo Guxin had not yet mastered the Shocking Force. Moreover... after he becomes a martial master, mastering the Shocking Force should not be difficult for him, and his Cold Ice Palm can also be stimulated with Star Force. His combat power will see a terrifying increase."

Lin Zhendong and the others all nodded. After all, Mo Guxin's reputation as the top of the Outer Sect was not without reason.

However, Chu Hao didn't say that he hadn't wasted the past month either. The flame edge he had formed was even more terrifying than a Divine Weapon's blade. If he fought Mo Guxin again now, he was confident he could kill the other in ten moves.

Consider it a trump card.

"Chu Hao, have you reached the Tenth Tier Martial Disciple?" Fu Xue suddenly asked.

"Impossible, right?" Tang Xin, Lin Zhendong, and the others shook their heads. When they had set off for Yunliu Sect, Chu Hao was merely a Third Tier Martial Disciple, the same as Lin Zhendong. Now, Lin Zhendong was only at the Sixth Tier. To say Chu Hao was at the Seventh or Eighth Tier might be plausible, but the Tenth Tier?

This was something Chu Hao didn't intend to hide. He smiled and said, "Yes."

"Damn!" Tang Xin, Yu Wenjing, and Le Deqing nearly cried. They had only gotten rid of the side effects of the Searing Heart Pill a month ago, starting their cultivation from First Tier Martial Disciples, yet Chu Hao had already soared to the Tenth Tier Martial Disciple.

They were all from the Lower World, so why was the gap between them so huge?

"You must have eaten quite a few Spirit Fruits, right? That's not cool, not sharing even a few with me," Tang Xin said jokingly.

Chu Hao patted his shoulder and replied, "I'll definitely save some for you next time." He did not plan to reveal his secret of being able to absorb the power from Star Stones.

"Then, after you further temper your body, you can attempt to break through to martial master," Fu Xue said. She paused before adding, "In another month, I'll also reach the Tenth Tier Martial Disciple."

Her progress was obvious to all; Xue Li would occasionally bring her precious Spirit Fruits, which made her strength grow rapidly. She was second only to Chu Hao and Mo Guxin, with even Zhou Yuan unable to surpass her.

"How do I break through to martial master?" Chu Hao inquired.

"Eh, don't you know that the Sect has a rule? When one reaches the Tenth Tier Martial Disciple, they must report to the Sect, and naturally, there will be a deacon to guide them one-on-one," Lin Zhendong interjected.

Chu Hao scratched his head; he genuinely did not know, having been preoccupied with forging before. He said, "I'll go ask about it tomorrow, hoping not to encounter any prejudice."

"Haha, you're so talented, if you still face prejudice, then what's left for the others?" Tang Xin laughed heartily.

If Chu Hao hadn't seen the note left by Lin Cheng, he might now consider Tang Xin's words a joke and just laugh it off. But at the moment, he couldn't muster a smile.

Talented? Indeed, one could receive meticulous cultivation from the Sect, but that was under one condition—Chu Hao must submit to a certain family.

Yunliu Sect would absolutely not allow the emergence of an "outsider" beyond their control.

Fu Xue and the others stayed for a while before taking their leave as well.

Flying Fire hadn't seen Chu Hao for a month. Having been tagging along with Fu Xue previously, it was now extremely clingy to Chu Hao, constantly nuzzling against him with its head.

Chu Hao laughed heartily, played with Flying Fire for a while, and then went to bed to rest. Tomorrow, he still needed to find the Sect's deacon to prepare for the breakthrough to martial master.

After one night, he ate breakfast and went to Broken Blade Peak. This was where the Sect Master, Elders, and deacons resided.

"Listening Wind Tower." He stopped in front of a three-story wooden building. Broken Blade Peak was entirely different from Weird Claw Peak; Weird Claw Peak was full of wooden huts, with only a few disciples able to live in small courtyards, but this place was different, filled with elegant large courtyards.

With different status came different treatment.

Listening Wind Tower was specially designated for handling affairs of the Outer Sect disciples, manned by three deacons.

Chu Hao entered. At the moment, only one deacon was seated inside. When he saw Chu Hao come in, he lifted his head to glance at him and said, "What do you want?"

"Respectable Deacon, I have reached the Tenth Tier Martial Disciple and have come to report to the Sect," Chu Hao stated, his demeanor impeccable. Without sufficient strength, he was not yet willing to recklessly turn against the Sect.

"Hm?" The deacon revealed a surprised expression. "You've reached the Tenth Tier Martial Disciple?"

"Yes," Chu Hao nodded.

"Are you the arrogant and haughty Chu Hao?" the deacon asked again.

Arrogant? Haughty?

So this was the image he had in the eyes of the Sect's bigwigs.

Chu Hao gave a faint smile, chose not to respond, as any answer would not serve well here. Silence was the better option.

"Since you've reached the Tenth Tier Martial Disciple, then as per Sect rules, I will guide you on how to break through to martial master," said the deacon.

(Thanks to the brother of Heroic Invincible for his reward yesterday)