Return

On the return journey. Li Hao frowned constantly. Liu Long was also frowning. Seeing them both frowning in silence, Wang Ming was utterly bewildered. What was going on? "You two... haven't raked in enough?" Wang Ming asked. Li Hao snapped back to his senses, shook his head, and said with a strange look, "Teacher went missing, that I remember! The crucial thing is... did I lose something else?" "What?" The two were confused. Liu Long sighed as well. "Probably... Liu Yan... did she go back, or did she head to White Moon City? I forgot to ask!" He had lost Liu Yan! Li Hao, however, wasn't worried about Liu Yan. She was certainly fine; Hou Xiaochen was there. The crucial thing was... he lost the dog! "Where's Black Panther?" Li Hao remembered Black Panther and frowned. "Ever since that fellow went to Cross-Cut Gorge, he disappeared. I didn't see him when I went in, nor did I see him when I came out... Did I lose him?" Liu Long also remembered Black Panther—that was the dog who had learned his Nine Refinements Force. At this moment, he also felt regretful: "Probably... someone slaughtered him to make hotpot? Many experts came this time. One look at that dog, and anyone could tell his coat was glossy and his meat was plump. Chances are someone set their eyes on him and butchered him." Li Hao glanced at Liu Long. What the boss said wasn't unreasonable. However... Black Panther was raised by him! The dog had eaten so much of his sword energy! If someone slaughtered and ate him... that would be too huge a loss! Even Li Hao had never thought to eat him. Yet Black Panther indeed hadn't shown up. Li Hao didn't know whether the fellow had run off or what. At this moment, he could only sigh. Forget it, he had even lost his teacher; why worry about losing an extra dog? The vehicle drove slowly. It was the one they had driven over last time. Unexpectedly, no one had stolen it... Makes sense. Those who came here were either experts or even stronger powerhouses; who would want a car? As they were driving, suddenly, a figure jumped right out in front of them! Li Hao's eyes flickered, and Wang Ming slammed on the brakes. A martial master! If it were a super, Li Hao would have noticed long ago. Only a martial master could appear in an instant without them noticing. Looking again... that scruffy, bearded face pressed against the car window made it instantly obvious who it was. Southern Fist! In years past, one of the two great boxing kings of Silver Moon, the King of Southern Fist. He Yong! Earlier, when Hou Xiaochen made his move, this fellow had turned tail and bolted in terror. Who would have thought he would appear now? Liu Long and Wang Ming leaped out of the car instantly, both on high alert and immensely astonished. This guy was brazen. Hou Xiaochen had just left, and here he was. Was he here to ambush them? In Silver Moon, wasn't he afraid of drawing Hou Xiaochen's wrath? Liu Long spoke in a heavy voice, "Senior Southern Fist, what business do you have with us?" He Yong glanced at him, his eyes shifting slightly. "Thousand-Battler? Another martial master! Kid, what's your name?" "Liu Long!" "Liu Long?" He Yong thought for a moment and chuckled. "The Silver Spear's son, right? Who would've thought: your father died, yet you actually advanced to Thousand-Battler. Looks like you've learned quite a bit from Old Demon Yuan." Without Yuan Shuo's guidance, he didn't believe anyone else in Silver Moon could easily step into the Thousand-Battler realm. Especially a martial second-generation like Liu Long. Yes, a martial second-generation. Liu Long hadn't lived through the great storms of back then; those were the truly tumultuous years. "Still, you're not good enough!" He Yong was arrogant and didn't take him seriously at all. As for Wang Ming, a Solar Radiance, he couldn't even be bothered to look at him straight. When Li Hao stepped out of the car, He Yong didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Little fellow, take me to find your master!" "Can't find him," Li Hao shook his head. He Yong burst into hearty laughter. "That's fine too. You're his personal disciple. Even if you can't find him, he'll come looking for you sooner or later! I'm in no rush. I'll wait for him!" Li Hao frowned slightly. "Senior is looking for my master..." "To spar!" He Yong was immensely insolent. "I want to see just how formidable a Spirit Nourishing martial master is!" "Sun Yifei has already fallen in battle. He was a late-stage Three Sols..." Li Hao offered a reminder. He had actually guessed as much. These veteran martial masters seemed unafraid of death; they genuinely wanted to witness the might of the Spirit Nourishing realm. Earlier, on the cliff, He Yong's words had faintly carried an intention to protect Li Hao, perhaps out of reluctance to see the martial heritage severed. Of course, it hadn't been very overt. Li Hao didn't particularly dislike these martial masters, but martial masters were simply too combative, which sometimes made them rather annoying. He Yong sneered, "So what? Sun Yifei's Brow-Height Staff was ruined long ago. A fake martial master, that's all! I am a bona fide Thousand-Battler martial master, and I've been in this realm for years. I've exchanged blood three times, and my bones and sinews are robust. Did you think I'm just an ordinary Thousand-Battler?" He bragged arrogantly, "Above Thousand-Battler, I indeed couldn't find the path, but over the years, I haven't slacked off either! In the imperial family, if nothing else, there are plenty of treasures. Strengthening sinews and bones, exchanging qi and blood, and even absorbing large amounts of divine energy stones—none of this is something you can imagine! "Old Demon Yuan killing Sun Yifei was impressive... but if you're saying he can crush me, I don't buy it!" He was confident that even if he was no match for Yuan Shuo, he wouldn't be helpless. He hadn't found the path to Spirit Nourishing, but he hadn't been idle in the imperial court either. Heaven knew how many precious treasures he had consumed. His bones and sinews were sturdy, and his qi and blood were surging. Li Hao could actually sense it: this guy was very powerful, perhaps even somewhat stronger than his current self... It was an instinct. One had to know that although Li Hao had just reached Thousand-Battler, he had comprehended the Earth Sword momentum and absorbed massive amounts of mysterious energy to strengthen his five viscera. He might not match the current Yuan Shuo, but he was very likely comparable to Yuan Shuo right after his breakthrough back then. Back then, after his teacher advanced, he battled Three Sols and unleashed the Blood Saber Art to slay an early Three Sols. The current Li Hao should also be able to do so! Of course, whether he could or not would only be known after fighting. Yet the man before him felt even stronger than himself, which proved he truly had real skill. Seeing Li Hao appear lost in thought, He Yong snapped cuttingly, "Kid, what are you pondering? If you can't find your master, I'll just follow you!" Li Hao smiled. "Fine. In three days, I'm heading to White Moon City. Senior can just come along with me!" He Yong's expression shifted slightly. Hou Xiaochen! He snorted. "Don't try scaring me with Hou Xiaochen! Do you think I'm afraid of him? As long as he hasn't openly rebelled, he's still a man of the dynasty. Would he dare kill me? "If he truly rebels... well, then there's nothing that can be done!" He Yong muttered, then added, "Trying to scare me with him is useless. Unless your master shows up, I'm not leaving!" "Martial Uncle Hong, the Earth-Overturning Sword, is nearby too..." "A supernatural piece of trash! Tell him to get lost; I've got no interest in dealing with him!" He Yong cursed, clearly disdainful of the Earth-Overturning Sword stepping into the supernatural path. Liu Long frowned. This time, he spoke up: "Senior, isn't making things difficult for others rather inappropriate? We still have official duties and don't have time to fool around with Senior..." "Fool around?" He Yong flared up and roared, "Since Yuan Shuo has stepped into Spirit Nourishing and demonstrated the might of martial arts to the world, why isn't he willing to show himself for a fight?" Li Hao said in a deep voice, "Too many people want to kill my master. Isn't Senior forcing my master out to his death? Is that Senior's intention? To satisfy your own selfish desires, you would force my master out to fight—and when that happens, how many people will try to kill him?" He Yong paused slightly, but soon boasted arrogantly, "What's there to fear? Whoever comes, I'll beat them to death!" "..." Li Hao and the others were speechless. Was this guy crazy? Beat whoever comes to death? Who did he think he was? Yet He Yong wasn't crazy. He sneered, "Why are you looking at me like that? Once Hou Xiaochen rebels, Silver Moon will rise in revolt. Yuan Shuo has been sheltered by him for years, so of course he'll have to risk his life for him now. With Hou Xiaochen around, who would dare kill Yuan Shuo?" Li Hao frowned, and Wang Ming also said in dissatisfaction, "Why are you spouting nonsense? Our director is wholly devoted to the public good. What rebellion? Don't think that just because you come from the imperial court, you can spread rumors!" "You little brat, what the hell do you know?" He Yong sneered. "If Hou Xiaochen doesn't rebel today, he'll have to sooner or later! If he doesn't rebel, he'll have to go to the Central Region. The Nine Departments could never tolerate a powerhouse like him holding down the border, watching the tigers fight from the mountain, biding his time! "Even if it forces Hou Xiaochen to rebel, they'll still compel him to head to the Central Region. Refusing to go is treason! "They might even do it to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys... and Hou Xiaochen will have to be that chicken! Yes, having someone openly rebel is troublesome—a single spark can start a prairie fire—but if it's snuffed out in an instant, terrifying all quarters, the dynasty actually stands to gain!" In an instant, Li Hao and the others felt a jolt in their hearts. Forcing Hou Xiaochen to rebel! Indeed. Everyone previously thought the dynasty wouldn't dare do such a thing; if they forced a top official to rebel, what about other regions? However... the dynasty's big shots were no fools. What if they could crush Hou Xiaochen quickly? The very first rebel lord—a powerhouse who slew a Rising Light with a single spear thrust—instantly suppressed after rebelling! At that point, would anyone else dare harbor such thoughts? Even if they did, they wouldn't dare reveal them easily. Killing the chicken to warn the monkeys! So, according to He Yong, the dynasty would certainly continue pressuring Hou Xiaochen to go to the Central Region. If he refused... they might truly brand him with the crime of treason! Previously, no one had thought through all of this. They had always felt it wouldn't happen, that the dynasty wouldn't dare, because once the frontier fell into chaos, more than just one or two places would be in turmoil. Yet now, He Yong had presented another possibility! Seeing the three fall silent, He Yong laughed boisterously. "What, scared by a few casual words? Relax, it won't be that fast. Even if they force Hou Xiaochen to rebel, there's a procedure. First negotiations, and after that, the 'three summons and three promotions' proclaimed to the entire realm! "Today they promote him to Deputy Director of the Night Patrollers—the headquarters kind! Tomorrow, they put him in command of the Night Patrollers! The day after, they bring him into the Inspectorate, perhaps even making him first deputy... After three summons and three invitations, if Hou Xiaochen still refuses to go... that will be treason! "The dynasty follows procedures; they don't just act recklessly." He Yong laughed. "Of course, we can't rule out some fellows stirring up trouble in Silver Moon to force him to rebel directly. That's even simpler: as long as preparations are in place, they'll snuff him out immediately!" Li Hao frowned slightly and said nothing more on that topic, simply steering back: "Senior, I truly don't know where my master is. If you're willing... then follow along!" He Yong frowned. "Not a shred of news? Word is he was injured. He couldn't have died on the road, could he?" Li Hao smiled. "Senior jokes. My master's scholarship reaches heaven and his martial arts touch the sky; how could he die in some nameless place?" "Better be so!" A glint of chilliness flickered in He Yong's eyes. "If he died, I'd genuinely miss him. That old demon caused us plenty of misery back in the day!" Li Hao couldn't be bothered to respond. Toward this man, he felt neither fondness nor antipathy. If he wanted to follow, so be it; it didn't matter. Some martial masters were just this stubborn and single-minded! Li Hao got into the car. Seeing this, He Yong moved to get in as well. Li Hao paused in surprise: "Senior is taking the car too? It's best for martial masters to walk..." He Yong froze. "Why?" Why on earth should he walk? Li Hao explained, "Walking allows one to maximize precautions against ambushes. That's what my master said. We're just half-baked hacks, so it doesn't matter for us. But I think Senior is an expert, and you had quite the reputation in Silver Moon back then. Who knows if you have enemies? If you get ambushed... dying like that would be far too unjust! Senior, we'll drive slowly, and you can just follow behind us on foot. It'll also let you stretch your muscles and bones." He Yong thought about it. There was some truth to that, and martial masters did indeed favor walking. However... from here to Silver City, it was over a thousand li! Strong though he was... it would still exhaust a man to death! Seeing his hesitation, Li Hao added, "Senior, could it be that the Boxing King only excels at fist techniques... Ah, I understand. Senior, get in! My master is all-rounded; he usually walks because he's skilled in the Five Animals methods. Whether fists, palms, lightness skills, or footwork, he's top-tier in all of them. When he came here earlier, he simply walked on foot and didn't fall behind in the slightest, following us the whole way. I assumed Senior was also skilled in footwork, only to remember Senior is the King of Southern Fist, not Southern Leg!" "..." He Yong stared at him. After a long pause, he sneered, "Who are you looking down on? A true martial master is all-rounded; they just specialize in different areas! Get lost, I'll follow behind you!" Li Hao signaled Wang Ming to drive. Off they went! There was nothing more to say to this fellow. Once the man set his mind on finding Yuan Shuo through Li Hao, he wouldn't give up easily unless they beat him up. But Li Hao was modest and respected elders; how could he do such a thing? Of course, another reason was that this guy was dirt poor. A martial master... killing him offered no benefits. Seeing him empty-handed, carrying nothing but a pair of fists—what would they do if they killed him? Cut off his fists and wear them like gloves for fun? The car accelerated away. In the back, He Yong wasn't in a hurry to follow. He watched in silence for a moment, snorted, and shortly after, jogged off into the distance. From behind a boulder, he wheeled out a motorcycle... Yes, a motorcycle! With a roaring *vroom*, He Yong mounted the bike and sped off in pursuit! *Little bastard, did you take me for an idiot?* *Running over a thousand li... I'd have to be damn well insane.* *No matter how strong a martial master is, running that far, if an ambush really happened, they wouldn't even be able to react. If you don't want to give me a ride, just say so. Pulling this nonsense—just like his master, neither of them is any good!* ... Inside the car. Li Hao glanced back. Seeing no sign of the guy, he paid it no mind. Looking at Liu Long, he asked, "Boss, do you know much about Southern Fist?" "Not much. Southern Fist He Yong possesses godlike boxing skills. When I was young, my father mentioned him a few times: He Yong is bold yet cautious, seemingly a brute, but actually shrewd." Liu Long reminisced, then continued: "After supers rose, He Yong quickly vanished. Looks like he slipped into the imperial court to avoid the supernatural conflict. After all, he was a martial master close to Thousand-Battler back then, and Silver Moon martial masters were highly sought after. I don't know whether he entered the imperial court before or after reaching Thousand-Battler, but if it was after, a Thousand-Battler martial master is prized anywhere! "Though the imperial court has retreated behind the scenes, it hasn't truly lost all prestige and wealth. The imperial court still controls some wealth and power, including the once famous Black Armor Army, which remains under their control." The Black Armor Army! Historical records called it a formidable army that had stabilized the realm. Li Hao suddenly said, "The imperial court also rose to power through excavating ruins. Does this Black Armor Army sound somewhat similar to the black armor from before?" "A bit!" Liu Long nodded. "Very similar. Both possess invincible defense and are completely indestructible! Back then, martial masters were the main force, and practically no one could pierce their defense. They swept through the 99 provinces, even taking Silver Moon in short order, showing just how terrifying they were!" Saying that, he added, "This He Yong joined the imperial court, and it seems he's doing pretty well there. His coming to Silver Moon this time to spar with Professor Yuan is one motive, but second, he might not be without other intentions." Liu Long was actually very attentive and intelligent; aside from Yuan Shuo looking down on him, Li Hao thought he was quite capable. Liu Long continued, "He represents the imperial court... Director Hou revealed tremendous strength this time. According to He Yong, the Nine Departments will either forcibly reassign Director Hou or force him to rebel. As an imperial representative... He Yong might intend to establish contact with Director Hou!" That was not impossible. The imperial family might not truly be resigned to staying behind the scenes forever. Hearing this, Li Hao felt a bit of a headache. "It's getting more and more complicated. What a hassle! Isn't it great for Director Hou to hold down Silver Moon? What are the Nine Departments thinking, insisting on transferring him away? Aren't they just asking for trouble?" Liu Long sighed. "It's understandable. Different positions bring different perspectives. If you were a chief of the Nine Departments, would you feel safe letting a tremendously powerful, highly prestigious powerhouse guard the frontier? Crucially, he's defied transfer orders several times. Do you think the Nine Departments could rest easy?" Rest easy, my foot! Hou Xiaochen refusing to go to the Central Region was the biggest problem. At this moment, Wang Ming, who was driving, couldn't help chiming in: "The director... why has he always been unwilling to go to the Central Region? Over there, he might have more opportunities. To be honest, staying in Silver Moon is a waste of his talents." Why Hou Xiaochen refused to go to the Central Region was something none of them knew. Protecting Silver Moon and overseeing the province might only be one of the reasons. It didn't mean that was all! If he truly worried about Silver Moon, at most he could look out for it more from the Central Region, which wouldn't cause too much trouble. There might be other factors at play that Li Hao and the others knew nothing about, nor did they care to guess. Li Hao ignored all of that. Right now, he was taking stock of his spoils. Divine energy stones: 35 pieces. Water energy: 800 cubic meters in the ring. Before that, when the Feitian Solar Radiance died, Wang Ming had collected nearly 1,000 cubic meters of mysterious energy, plus about 800 cubic meters collected from the three Red Moon members they had just killed. Mysterious energy: about 2,600 cubic meters remaining on hand. Origin God Armament: one broken weapon, split into two halves, with Liu Long and Wang Ming each taking one. As for himself, he had absorbed roughly 600 cubic meters each of wood, fire, and water energy, and roughly 400 cubic meters each of metal and earth energy—another enormous harvest. Moreover, he had consumed six Solar Radiance-level Blood God Seeds. Yes, he had just devoured three more. Although they weren't true Blood God Seeds, Red Shadows were effectively the same, merely lacking one step in the process, which made little difference to Li Hao. At this moment, his qi and blood surged, and his inner force was robust. Compared to when he had first left, he was ten times stronger! On August 26, they left Silver City. On the 27th, they fought Sun Yifei. On the 28th, they entered the ruins. And now, it was already the 1st. September 1st! All in all, it had only been five days. Yet in those five days, Li Hao's strength had undergone an earth-shaking transformation. "Teacher's viscera—his heart absorbed over 1,000 cubic meters of fire energy, and he had already nurtured his five viscera for decades, something I can't compare to. In my estimate, the capacity of his other four viscera was at least 500 cubic meters... Which means the fire energy Teacher's heart absorbed might have been as high as 1,500 cubic meters..." This was in comparison to himself! In other words, Li Hao, having absorbed about 500 cubic meters, had probably only reached the level Yuan Shuo had been at before absorbing anything. Thus, compared to Yuan Shuo, he still had quite a way to go. Looking at the storage ring in his hand, then feeling the divine energy stones inside his body... Li Hao's eyes glinted. This time, with the five elements balanced, if all five viscera reached the 1,000-cubic-meter level, he should roughly match his teacher's viscera strength. At that point, what he would lack was momentum! Once that time came, if he nurtured multiple momentums and fused them with sword momentum, perhaps... the next Spirit Nourishing would be him! "Fire, water, and wood are short by 400 cubic meters each; metal and earth are short by 600 cubic meters each... totaling 2,400 cubic meters of mysterious energy." The mysterious energy on hand was roughly enough, provided none was distributed to Wang Ming and Liu Long. As for the divine energy stones, Li Hao wondered if they could replenish sword energy. Sword energy was the key; feeding it with Origin God Armaments... he really couldn't afford that! In truth, he couldn't afford feeding it divine energy stones either. Still, he had 35 pieces right now. Earlier, during his interactions with Hou Xiaochen, to prove his worth, he had revealed two types of sword intent along with his Thousand-Battler strength. Now that his abilities were exposed, Li Hao needed to rapidly raise his strength so that the intelligence those people held would forever remain outdated! Thinking of this, Li Hao spoke up: "Boss, I still need 400 cubic meters of water energy, 400 of fire energy, and 400 of wood energy..." All three of these could currently be supplied to Li Hao. Without waiting for them to reply, Li Hao added, "Right now there are only 200-plus cubic meters of metal energy and about 400 of earth energy... I'll take all of those first, about 1,800 cubic meters in total. "Of the remaining 800 cubic meters of mysterious energy, mostly water energy with a small amount of fire energy, Boss, you take 500 cubic meters, and the remaining 300 go to Wang Ming..." Driving the car, Wang Ming said nothing; 300 cubic meters was actually pretty good. In truth, he hadn't contributed that much. Naturally, Li Hao took the lion's share because he had killed the most enemies. Only... Wang Ming complained with slight resentment, "I want metal energy!" Liu Long taking water energy was fine, but was he supposed to use the leftover fire energy? He wanted metal energy! Li Hao said, "I have a use for metal energy. Besides, you should absorb a bit of five-element energy. Even if it doesn't boost your strength, it doesn't matter. If you absorb too much metal energy, you're going to croak sooner or later!" "Why?" "Visceral imbalance!" Li Hao said in a deep voice, "Cut the chatter. That's what Teacher said, not me. If you don't believe it, go chat with Teacher." All right then! Wang Ming was somewhat speechless, but thinking about it, Li Hao wouldn't just talk nonsense. Of course, he couldn't rule out the possibility that this fellow was tricking an honest man like him just to hoard the metal energy. Out of 2,600 cubic meters of mysterious energy, Li Hao took a full 1,800! Yet none of the people present felt anything was amiss. Li Hao calculated: in that case, he was still short 400 cubic meters of metal energy and 200 cubic meters of earth energy to bring all five to the 1,000-cubic-meter level. As for the 5,000 cubic meters promised by the Night Patrollers, he didn't bring it up for now. He would wait until he reached White Moon City. If that didn't work, he could make up the difference with divine energy stones. Thinking of this, Li Hao opened his mouth and began retching... Watching him, Liu Long was a little disgusted. Truly revolting! Of course, his own earlier thought of defecating them out was even more disgusting. Soon, Li Hao regurgitated more than a dozen divine energy stones and said, "Adding the three from just now, there are 35 pieces in total. They vary in size, but taking the size of a marble as one unit, they can roughly be divided into 50 marble-sized stones." These stones varied in size, so they could only be divided this way. "I'll take 25, Boss takes 15, and Old Wang takes 10. Any objections? If you do, speak up directly." This time, Li Hao took charge of the distribution. The Yama men were killed by him. The three just now were also killed by him. So he was unreserved in dividing the spoils. Wang Ming beamed. "No objections!" His greatest contribution hadn't been here; it was when they fought Zhang Ting earlier, where his two strikes seized the initiative and created opportunities for them. Li Hao had taken that into account during the distribution; otherwise, based solely on his subsequent contributions, he wouldn't have been qualified to receive so much. Liu Long also nodded slightly. "Works for me!" Li Hao fell silent. He took out a divine energy stone and pressed it against the little sword. In the end... no reaction! Li Hao's expression changed slightly. Was it impossible, or was the method wrong? Previously, when it ate the little snake and the black shadow into which Qiao Feilong's wife transformed, the little sword had devoured them on its own. Why not the divine energy stone? He frowned. If this didn't work, his sword energy might not be enough to elevate all five viscera to the 1,000-cubic-meter level, which would be quite troublesome. *Could it be... it needs to be cracked open with a blade first?* Divine energy stones kept their energy sealed within, preventing leakage. Perhaps it needed to be broken. Li Hao was decisive. Without a word, he slashed out with his sword, slicing the divine energy stone open. A dense wave of earth energy wafted out. At that moment, the little sword seemed to twitch slightly. However... it still seemed disinterested and didn't absorb it. Li Hao grew anxious! This didn't work either? Remembering something, he circulated the Five Animals Breathing Technique. At that moment, the little sword seemed to liven up, and sword energy welled outward... But Li Hao didn't absorb the sword energy; instead, he controlled the little sword to make contact with the earth energy. This time... it had an effect! Only now did the little sword seem to sense the presence of this energy, absorbing a tiny bit. Yet it seemed somewhat disdainful. It only breathed in and out for a moment. Shortly after, quite a bit of energy remained in the car, full of impurities and heavily mixed. Li Hao's eyes flickered with understanding. The Starry Sky Sword looked down on this energy for being too impure! *Damn it all!* This was a divine energy stone, the purest mysterious energy in the world today—something countless people couldn't bear to use. No wonder the little sword had never shown interest in mysterious energy. Even a divine energy stone was deemed insufficiently pure; as for ordinary mysterious energy, in the little sword's eyes, it was probably nothing more than dregs! Li Hao felt a headache coming on. Still, it had absorbed some after all. Li Hao sensed that his sword energy seemed slightly denser, though without the sudden explosive surge that came from absorbing an Origin God Armament. "Sigh!" With a sigh, Li Hao was speechless. Whatever. Being somewhat useful was better than nothing. At least it could absorb a portion, and the leftover portion could actually be used, feeling similar to ordinary earth-element mysterious energy. Since sword energy could purify... Li Hao had another sudden thought: after purifying it, would the little sword absorb it? Then he thought again... *Wouldn't that make me an idiot?* The purpose of sword energy was purification and enhancement. Purified elemental energy would have already consumed a good amount of sword energy; even if the sword absorbed it and restored some energy... wouldn't he end up empty-handed on both ends? He'd waste sword energy and squander mysterious energy! In the end, sword energy would break even, but the mysterious energy would be gone... What would be the point? Abandoning this tempting notion, Li Hao stopped dwelling on it and began absorbing the earth energy left behind after the stone was shattered. In the car, Wang Ming and Liu Long were also absorbing it. Although earth energy wasn't their primary focus, what did that matter? As long as it wasn't wasted! Sitting in the car, Li Hao didn't idle, cultivating all the way. Wang Ming drove, and behind them, He Yong trailed from far away without disturbing them. ... Meanwhile. Just as Li Hao and his companions were returning to Silver City. Near Silver Moon lay another province known as Linjiang Province. An immense river traversed the province, stretching across more than a dozen provinces with a tremendous span. The source of this river lay within Linjiang Province. The river was named the Yun River—the River Above the Clouds. Its headwaters were on a towering mountain that seemed perched within the clouds. The mountain where the source lay was called Mount Yun. Mount Yun was shrouded in cloud and mist year-round, rarely visited by travelers. Today, however, an old man arrived. His body was light, traversing dozens of meters in a single stride. The towering Mount Yun couldn't impede his steps. Before long, the old man climbed onto a ledge halfway up Mount Yun. The ledge was strewn with fallen leaves and scattered stones, rather unkempt. "Old friend, are you still here?" Striding forward, the old man called out, his voice full of vigor. A moment later, a beam of sword radiance flashed through the air. A sword struck down from the heavens! The old man threw a punch like a roaring tiger. In the next instant, the Heart Fire Ape manifested, and he threw another punch. With a thunderous boom, the sword radiance dissipated, and a figure emerged. "Hahaha! The Jade Light Sword is as vicious as ever!" Yuan Shuo laughed heartily, looking at the newcomer with a grin. "Meeting an old friend, must you be so courteous?" Before him stood a woman who looked not quite forty years old. Her gaze was frigid! Looking at Yuan Shuo, she said coldly, "Old Demon Yuan, you're not dead yet!" "How could it be so fast?" Yuan Shuo chuckled. "Heard the news?" "What news?" "I've stepped above Thousand-Battler into the Spirit Nourishing realm!" The woman said coldly, "So what?" Though she spoke dismissively, a hint of shock surfaced in her eyes. No wonder this fellow had been so formidable just now, shattering her Jade Light Sword strike with a single punch. Yuan Shuo sneered, "So what? Of course it's different! Doesn't the Jade Light Sword want to step into Spirit Nourishing and revive the glory of the Silver Moon martial arts world? Hiding on Mount Yun for all these years, waiting to grow old and die here? "Seeing that you haven't given up on martial arts, come back into the martial world and turn everything upside down!" At this moment, Yuan Shuo was brimming with demonic fervor, laughing boisterously. He was completely different from his usual self, bearing none of the benevolent demeanor he showed Li Hao, his expression fierce and cold. "You've reached Thousand-Battler. Seeing your sword momentum like a rainbow, it seems you haven't gone soft..." The woman frowned. "Speak. Who do you want to kill, and what do you want to do?" "Hunt Red Moon powerhouses!" Yuan Shuo grinned wickedly. "Kill them and strengthen ourselves! That little brat Ying Hongyue is arrogant beyond belief! Forcing me to cower in Silver City back then was truly hateful! He cultivates a kind of Red Shadow. Swallow them, and they strengthen qi, blood, and inner force. As long as you consume thirty to fifty Solar Radiance-level ones, or three to five Three Sols-level ones, your five viscera will be strengthened, and I'll teach you Spirit Nourishing!" "Why come to me?" The woman was utterly aloof, looking at him with an unfriendly gaze. "Why come to you?" Yuan Shuo thought for a moment and said, "In the Silver Moon martial arts world, too many people hold grudges against me. Finding anyone else is tough—they're either too weak, dead, or have crossed over into supers... You, the Jade Light Sword, have persevered for years, your martial heart unbroken. Most importantly... when I sparred with you back then, I could have beaten you to death. Seeing how pretty you were, I spared you. You owe me a life!" "..." She was at a loss for words! Not beating her to death meant she owed him a life? Did that logic hold? Barely... barely held, perhaps! The Jade Light Sword took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice, "Wait a moment. I'll pack my things. Also, what is our destination..." "Do you know the movements of Red Moon here in Linjiang?" "A little." "We'll kill the ones here first, slaying our way through all the way to the Central Region! If all goes well, by the time we reach the Central Region, you'll be in Spirit Nourishing! If things go poorly, both of us will die." "Understood." The Jade Light Sword vanished in an instant, leaping into the air and disappearing from the ledge. Yuan Shuo chuckled softly. After all these years, this woman's figure was still so good... *Cough, cough, why is a martial master thinking about that? As long as her strength is intact, that's what counts; it's lack of strength that's worrisome.* Jade Light Sword Wu Hongshan. One of the Seven Swords! Now, among the Seven Swords, three were confirmed dead. Only Heaven Sword, Earth-Overturning Sword, and Jade Light Sword were confirmed alive. As for whether Bright Light Sword was still alive, even Yuan Shuo didn't know. The Southern and Northern Two Fists, the Three Spears of Silver Moon... Today, not many survivors remained. Brow-Height Staff was dead as well, and who knew whether Heavenly Cripple Leg was still alive... Thinking along these lines, he remembered another person. Was that fellow Tyrant Saber still alive? Silver Moon had many swordsmen, but plenty of sabermen too. Back then, Tyrant Saber left Silver Moon and vanished without a trace. If that guy was still alive, they could cooperate as well. His killing style was wildly ferocious and brazen. To think there hadn't been any news of him all these years... damn strange. Either he was dead, or everyone who ever saw him was killed by him! As he was thinking, Wu Hongshan leaped back down, carrying a small bundle on her back and holding a sword in her hand, evidently ready to leave the mountain with him. It was just that simple! For a swordsman, for a martial master, when Yuan Shuo said to kill and advance to Spirit Nourishing... she didn't hesitate much. Then let's go kill! Among the renowned martial masters who survived Silver Moon, whose hands weren't stained with blood? She was no exception! "Let's go!" Wu Hongshan said. Yuan Shuo chuckled. "That was quick. Martial masters are crisp and direct. Any other woman would take hours to pack..." "You talk too much!" Wu Hongshan's face was frosty. "I'm no match for you now. But once I step into Spirit Nourishing, Yuan Shuo, your head will surely fall beneath my Jade Light Sword!" "Listen to you..." Yuan Shuo laughed heartily, somewhat arrogant. "I'm afraid you won't be able to cut it off! To be frank, the Jade Light Sword's lethality is mediocre—not even as strong as the late Luosheng Sword. If not for the fact that Heaven Sword seems to have gone to the Central Region, I wouldn't have bothered looking for you." Wu Hongshan said nothing. Heaven Sword... the strongest of the Seven Swords; she truly couldn't compare. However, recalling something, Wu Hongshan said coldly, "Just you wait. Over the years, my Jade Light Sword technique has advanced considerably. Furthermore... I discovered some secrets. I'm afraid this family heirloom swordsmanship of mine is currently only at its beginning!" "Family heirloom swordsmanship?" Yuan Shuo grew interested. "Your swordsmanship is ancestral? I've never heard of that; your family wasn't a martial arts clan." "I dug it up myself!" Wu Hongshan glanced at him and said coldly, "When I was young, my parents passed away. Lacking money for a burial, I dug open the ancestral grave myself to bury my parents... and that's when I found this sword manual!" Yuan Shuo was speechless. Really? He truly hadn't known that; so it turned out she had dug it up. Impressive! This woman was indeed no gentle soul—digging up her own ancestral grave as a child, truly ruthless. He said no more, and the two flew downward one after the other. Yuan Shuo only felt that the sky was clear and the air crisp—a fine day for killing. Starting today, the name Yuan Shuo would not only resound across Silver Moon, but let those outside Silver Moon know that he, Yuan Shuo... was back! Behind him, Wu Hongshan's expression remained icy. Recalling certain records in the sword manual, her eyes gleamed brightly. The Jade Light Sword was no ordinary sword technique. There were scattered records in the manual: this was an extraordinarily powerful sword technique from the ancient civilization era. In those ancient days, the master of this sword technique had even followed the legendary Human King... Of course, who the Human King was, what level of strength he possessed, how powerful he was... none of that mattered. What mattered was that above the Jade Light Sword, there was reportedly an even stronger sword art! Supposedly, the master of the Jade Light Sword—who might be her own ancestor—had a junior brother known as the Longevity Sword Venerable, a peerless slaughterer. Who knew if that Longevity Sword had been lost to time? Of course, these were merely scattered fragments from ancient texts, long incomplete. Yet they were enough to make Wu Hongshan's blood boil. The Jade Light Sword was only at its beginning right now! She would surely restore the glorious renown of the Jade Light Sword!