Chapter 448: Chapter 444: Heaven-Shaking Phenomenon
Above the Trial Forest, Duan Wushuang’s face was expressionless. She simply asked calmly, "Elder Yin, what position do you intend to put the Saint Institute in?"
"The Upper House represents the future of the Saint Institute, and there has never been any trash among its disciples. This is a rule everyone knows. If he can’t enter the Saint Institute, you can’t blame us. He has only his own lack of strength to blame." A mocking smile flashed in Yin Duwen’s eyes as he met Duan Wushuang’s challenge head-on.
"You rotten old man! Brother Hao lacks strength? Are you out of your mind?" Before Duan Wushuang could answer, Meng Ru had already spoken up, her cheeks puffed out in anger.
The corner of Yin Duwen’s mouth twitched, and anger flashed in his eyes for an instant.
He was over two hundred years old and held the esteemed title of the Saint Institute’s chief elder. Normally, anyone who saw him would be nothing but respectful. But first, there had been Lin Hao, and now this girl was defying him again and again. It was pushing him to his limit.
"Master, he wants to kill me! I’m so scared." Meng Ru’s eyes shifted, and she called out to Su Molixi in the sky, her delicate little face a perfect mask of terror.
Yin Duwen stumbled, feeling his head spin.
’This girl is infuriating! And what an actress!’
The next moment, Yin Duwen shuddered as a sudden chill ran down his spine.
’Without a doubt, this must be Su Molixi warning me.’
"Vice-Director, I know the Director is in seclusion and has left you in charge of the Saint Institute. However, accepting trash into the Upper House is completely without precedent. This is a matter of great importance. I suggest we wait until the Director emerges from his seclusion to make a decision."
Wisely, Yin Duwen offered no explanation, instead shifting the focus of the matter back to Lin Hao.
"Don’t you think you’re going a bit too far, Elder Yin? Who knows when the Director will emerge? We have to depart in three days." The speaker was Lu Dieyi.
"It’s not that I’m being unreasonable, it’s just that this is against the rules." With two of the five great divine sects speaking up for Lin Hao, Yin Duwen was feeling the pressure. However, he refused to back down on this matter.
"Enough! Elder Yin, we agreed that if Lin Hao defeated two Holy Stele disciples, he would be considered a disciple of the Upper House. He has done it, and we must honor our promise!" High above the Trial Forest, Duan Wushuang’s anger finally erupted.
Yin Duwen stiffened before retorting, "Vice-Director, you should think this through. Once Lin Hao becomes a disciple of the Upper House and participates in the Six Academies Martial Competition, he will inevitably have to fight as a Holy Stele disciple. Losing face for the Saint Institute would be a small matter, but if our institute ranks poorly among the six, can you bear the consequences?"
The Heaven-Breaking Pavilion had long ago established a rule: the top five hundred disciples in the Six Academies Martial Competition would earn the right to enter the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion to cultivate. Furthermore, the academies themselves were ranked. The top three academies would receive additional slots, allowing them to select more disciples to enter the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion beyond that five hundred-person limit.
To secure a high ranking, the Saint Institute placed great importance on its disciples’ cultivation progress. In fact, the Holy Stele disciples and the most promising Upper House disciples were scheduled to enter a secret realm within the institute tonight to train.
This secret realm only opened just before the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion’s recruitment drive, and entering it could rapidly advance one’s cultivation, offering unimaginable benefits.
But now, Lin Hao had used his Bloodline Power, and his cultivation could no longer advance a single inch. Yin Duwen believed he would be a waste of these precious resources.
The death of Lin Feichen had already weakened the Saint Institute. If they now added another piece of trash to their roster, their ranking among the six academies could plummet—all because of this one decision by Duan Wushuang.
"With him, we have someone worth several Lin Feichens! Elder Yin, you need not say more!" Duan Wushuang naturally understood Yin Duwen’s implications, but she was dead set on getting Lin Hao into the Heaven-Breaking Pavilion.
"You... Just look at him! In that state, how can he possibly..." Yin Duwen was trembling with rage, pointing a finger down at Lin Hao in the Trial Forest.
But his words died in his throat.
He had just discovered Lin Hao standing in the Trial Forest, staring up at him coldly.
Just moments ago, Lin Hao had been coughing up blood and unconscious. Now, after such a short time, he was awake. Yin Duwen was stunned.
’That damned turtle! This must be that damned turtle’s doing!’
Yin Duwen suddenly recalled the turtle feeding a pill to Lin Hao. As realization dawned, he began scanning the area for any trace of the creature.
However, the turtle had vanished without a trace.
Seeing Yin Duwen’s expression, Duan Wushuang also looked down at Lin Hao, a flash of surprise in her eyes.
When Lin Hao had collapsed, she had been about to intervene, but the turtle had moved faster.
After seeing it feed a pill to Lin Hao, she had held back.
Not long after, she had surprisingly received a telepathic message from the turtle.
At the time, the turtle had asked her if the Saint Institute had a transportation array.
The Saint Institute did have a transportation array, but activating it required a profound level of Array Pattern Skill. However, the true Array Pattern Skill had been lost long ago.
When Duan Wushuang told the turtle this, it didn’t say anything else, only asking her to tell it the array’s location.
After Duan Wushuang sent the reply, the turtle vanished instantly.
Duan Wushuang had assumed it had gone off to find medicine for Lin Hao.
Now that Lin Hao was suddenly on his feet, Duan Wushuang was rather surprised; after all, his injuries had been far from light.
"Palace Master Su, would you do me the honor of standing guard?" Lin Hao shot a glance at Yin Duwen, nodded to Duan Wushuang, and finally addressed Su Molixi.
Su Molixi didn’t answer, but simply floated down into the Trial Forest.
The next moment, Lin Hao sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to heal his injuries on the spot.
Everyone stared blankly at Lin Hao—some with concern, some with worry, and others with undisguised schadenfreude.
But before long, their expressions all turned to shock.
First, a rumbling sound echoed from within Lin Hao’s body. Then, a hazy, ethereal mist began to rise around him.
Before anyone could figure out what it was, the mist coalesced behind Lin Hao, and a blurry palace materialized within it.
Then, the sun and moon appeared simultaneously, falling into the palace and vanishing completely.
At that moment, the onlookers’ eyes widened, for they saw a person sitting cross-legged inside the blurry palace.
The figure was minuscule, almost invisible to the naked eye.
And yet, this tiny figure immediately brought forth a phenomenon that horrified the crowd.
The already dim sky grew progressively darker, and high in the firmament, specks of starlight began to appear.
The next moment, the twinkling stars began to stretch, their light drawn into long streaks.
Then, the power of the stars was suddenly pulled downward, pouring directly into the blurry palace.
Everyone was shocked beyond belief. An aura capable of crushing the heavens and all of creation began to spread out from Lin Hao. Regardless of their cultivation level, everyone felt a tremor that originated from the depths of their very souls!
The sight was utterly breathtaking!
This phenomenon lasted for a full hour.
Throughout this time, no one dared to speak; they even breathed with the utmost care.
An hour later, the phenomenon vanished, and Lin Hao rose to his feet.
In a flash, Lin Hao appeared before Yin Duwen. "Well, Elder Yin," he said coolly. "Am I qualified now?"
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