Joining the Martial Guard Army

On the square. Li Hao stepped forward, looking thoroughly arrogant and overbearing! Of course, he didn't see it that way. Regardless of why Hou Xiaochen wanted him to join the Martial Guard Army, as a martial master, he had no intention of bowing his head in a place filled entirely with martial masters. Above all, his teacher was Yuan Shuo, the Old Demon! Having routed the Mountain-Splitting Axe inheritor with just two punches, Li Hao's blood boiled, and his tiger momentum surged to life. "Director Hou wants me to join the Martial Guard Army... but I'm not particularly keen on it!" Li Hao's voice boomed across the grounds. "In my view, you martial masters can't compare to those of the older generation, so I see no point in joining you. If I, Li Hao, am going to contend with anyone, it will be the veterans of the previous era! "Some of them have gone to the Central Region, and some have become supers. I once met Brow-Height Staff, who is in late Three Suns. Even though he is no longer a martial master, I believe he still has the heart of one! "Fighting a martial master like that must be a true pleasure! "At noon, I went to see Senior Southern Fist He Yong, hoping to spar with him. He refused. He said that either I would beat him to death, or he would beat me to death... He was unwilling to fight a life-and-death battle because he wants to fight my teacher! "I think it is a pity that a martial master like him refuses to fight me—my pity!" Li Hao swept his gaze over the gathered crowd. "I know those older martial masters look down on us. They think we're young, and that even if we have some ability, we are far inferior to the masters of their era... Even if we reach Thousand-Battler, while they remain Hundred-Breakers! "So, when I felt your hostility, your battle intent... I was thrilled. I thought to myself: perhaps none of the older martial masters think much of me, Li Hao. But if I sweep through the Martial Guard Army today, then when someone asks me in the future, 'Li Hao, what achievements do you have?' "I will tell them: I once swept through the entire Martial Guard Army alone—the very Martial Guard Army that once terrified you to your core!" The moment those words were spoken, powerful auras surged in all directions! A woman in a black training suit leaped out swiftly, her face frost-cold. "Li Hao, you think you can sweep through the Martial Guard Army?" Li Hao smiled and nodded. "I do. Not only that, but I don't think a single person here can last ten moves against me! You lot... aren't up to par!" "Xie Lan of the Jade Sword Sect! Instruct me!" With a cold shout, the woman lashed out with her sword! Li Hao was slapping them in the face, and not just one or two people, but the entire Martial Guard Army. Although they knew Li Hao was formidable after the Mountain-Splitting Axe inheritor's defeat, martial masters refused to concede. Even when knowing they were outmatched, they would never admit to being weaker than him. *Buzz!* The sword cut through the air, flashing with a frigid brilliance that illuminated the surroundings. The spectating martial masters grew tense. Li Hao had defeated Chen Jin the moment he arrived; they desperately hoped Xie Lan of the Jade Sword Sect could win. Li Hao, however, moved with great strides, swift as lightning. He stepped on empty air, leaping into the sky, and brought his foot stamping downward in the next breath. With a thunderous boom, he crushed the longsword straight into the flagstones beneath his heel! The webbing of Xie Lan's thumb tore open. She tried to wrest her sword free, only to find she couldn't budge it in the slightest. In the next instant, Li Hao threw a punch, a tiger's roar shaking the forest. His momentum was irresistible! Far too strong! Xie Lan's face changed as she retreated rapidly. Yet Li Hao lunged forward instantly—Bird Art! In a flash, he tore through the air and appeared right in front of her. Pale with shock, Xie Lan kicked out, but Li Hao met it with a heavy punch! *Boom!* Xie Lan flew backward, her right leg slightly bent from the impact. With a fierce cry, she twisted around midair and thrust her fingers toward Li Hao's skull like a sword! Li Hao opened his mouth. "*Roar!*" A tiger roared! A fierce tiger seemed to possess Li Hao. The roar shook heaven and earth as inner force erupted and spirit intent manifested. Before Xie Lan's sword qi could touch Li Hao, he caught it with a claw in the blink of an eye. *Crack!* As if shattering solid metal, Li Hao crushed her inner-force sword qi to pieces with his bare hand, detonating the inner force! Having shattered the sword qi, Li Hao unleashed another tiger roar. While Xie Lan was momentarily stunned, Li Hao drove a fist forward! *Bang!* With a heavy impact, Xie Lan flew backward, blood spraying from her lips. She crashed hard to the ground right next to Chen Jin, slamming him back down just as he was struggling to his feet! Of the nine centurions, two had been defeated in the blink of an eye. Neither had managed to mount any real resistance! The remaining centurions all turned pale. Li Hao said coldly, "I told you one wasn't enough. I told you to come at me together, but you had to be stubborn! Martial masters prefer one-on-one combat, but that only applies when strength is evenly matched. You are too weak. Coming one by one is just throwing your lives away. If the gap weren't so large and I had no intent to kill, every last one of you would be dead!" This was no longer just a slap in the face. It was trampling all over them! Instantly, three men jumped forward. One wielded a saber, one held a spear, and the third was bare-handed, his palms pitch-black, all his cultivation concentrated in his hands. "Zhang Yang of the Five Tigers Severing Saber Sect!" "Wu Yue, inheritor of the Heart-Shattering Palm!" "Luo Qizhao, inheritor of the Luo Family Spear!" "Instruct us!" The moment they finished speaking, the spear thrust forward, sky-shaking killing intent roaring like a blood dragon. Zhang Yang of the Five Tigers Severing Saber Sect slashed with his saber, a tiger's roar resounding through the air. Wu Yue struck silently toward Li Hao with his Heart-Shattering Palm. With the three joining forces, Li Hao's throat, heart, and head were simultaneously locked down. Three Thousand-Battlers erupted with spirit intent, their focus pinning Li Hao in place with divine momentum! The martial masters watching held their breath, terrified of missing a single detail. Three Thousand-Battlers—three centurions—joining forces to fight an enemy was an exceptionally rare sight. Previously, two centurions working together had fought a Three Suns super and emerged victorious! The Thousand-Battlers here were far from weak. Two centurions together were confident of defeating certain Three Suns experts—early-stage ones, of course, but that was already incredible. Clearly, the fact that three were teaming up now meant they believed Li Hao might be stronger than an ordinary early-stage Three Suns super. …… In the arena. Li Hao's expression didn't change in the slightest. As the spear drove toward him, his right hand moved like thunder, catching the weapon with a single hand. With a roar, he yanked hard, pulling the Luo Family Spear inheritor off balance and stumbling forward. Terrifying! Luo Qizhao's expression changed drastically. His spear trembled violently—vibration! Inner force surged forth, vibrating through the shaft. Yet Li Hao swung the spear outward. Luo Qizhao nearly lost his grip, and the spear tip was redirected straight toward the incoming Heart-Shattering Palm. While his right hand flung the spear aside, Li Hao clenched his left fist, raised his arm, and punched! *Clang!* With a crisp ring, the broad saber was knocked off course, away from his head. Li Hao tilted his head to avoid the slicing blade, kicked off the ground, and hung suspended in the air like an ape. His figure flickered and suddenly vanished before their eyes. "Watch out!" The saber wielder's strike hit only empty air, and he cried out in alarm. The Heart-Shattering Palm expert's face also changed. Just as he tried to dodge, he felt his neck locked from behind. Li Hao had dropped from above like a monkey, wrapping his legs around the man's neck. *Crack, crack!* A series of bone-twisting sounds came from his neck. Without hesitation, the Heart-Shattering Palm expert thrust a palm up toward Li Hao. Li Hao, however, kept his legs clamped tight, abruptly executed an inverted hook, and hammered both fists simultaneously into the backs of the man's knees! *Bang!* The Heart-Shattering Palm expert collapsed to his knees, his joints screaming in agony! Li Hao nimbly leaped down and kicked backward with his right leg, springing like an ape. *Thud!* The kneeling Heart-Shattering Palm expert was kicked flying! *Crash!* He slammed heavily onto the flagstones. Right then, a spear stabbed silently toward Li Hao's waist. There was no sound this time, no roaring blood dragon, only vicious precision! Li Hao grunted coldly. Reversing his grip, he caught the spear shaft, sliding along it like a snake until he closed the distance with the Luo Family Spear inheritor. At that very moment, Li Hao suddenly threw his arms around the man. Next, Li Hao let out a roar like a giant bear uprooting a willow tree, hoisting the Luo Family Spear inheritor off his feet and slamming him violently into the ground! *Boom!* A massive crater burst into the earth. The Luo Family Spear inheritor, pinned firmly in his grip and unable to move, was hammered directly into the dirt by the crushing impact. Bear Combat Art! In rapid succession, Li Hao had displayed Tiger Combat Art, Bear Combat Art, Bird Art, and Ape Art... Except for the Deer Agility Art, he had used them all. And the Deer Agility Art was meant to lighten the body for evasion and retreat, which Li Hao clearly had no need for right now. In the blink of an eye, the Luo Family Spear and the Heart-Shattering Palm had both been defeated. One had been kicked flying, while the other was pounded into the earth, leaving the surrounding martial masters pale with horror. Three great experts working together, yet two had been eliminated in an instant. It was inconceivable. The remaining saber wielder's face changed drastically as well! "Die!" With a roar, he brought his saber slashing toward Li Hao. Right at that moment, Li Hao threw a punch. This time, it was like a tidal wave crashing down, seven massive waves sweeping through the world. For a moment, the onlookers seemed to behold actual ocean waves. *Boom!* A deafening crash rang out. *Snap!* The heavy saber shattered beneath the fist, sparks flying in every direction! The webbing of the saber wielder's thumb burst apart, spraying blood, his face frozen in disbelief. A single punch! Was this... the Nine Refinements Force? Silver Spear's Nine Refinements Force was renowned in the martial world. The thought had barely formed when a fist imprint struck his chest. *Boom!* *Bang!* The saber wielder flew backward. This strike was heavier than the previous ones; his chest was visibly caved in! Defeated! Three Thousand-Battler martial masters, fighting together, had only lasted a brief moment before all being routed! …… Mu Lin's mouth hung wide open! Chief Steward Yu was also somewhat surprised. That wasn't sword momentum; it was the Five Animals Art. Li Hao hadn't revealed his strongest sword momentum. Relying solely on the Five Animals Art and the Nine Refinements Force, he had dismantled three Thousand-Battlers in an instant. This came as a huge surprise even to Chief Steward Yu. She knew Li Hao was strong; Yu Xiao had died by his hand. However, in her imagination, Li Hao must have used sword momentum to fight desperately to kill his enemy. Yet today, he hadn't even brought his sword momentum out. In the square. Li Hao exhaled, looked toward the remaining martial masters, and smiled, beckoning with his hand. "Even if the four of you combine your strength, you might not last thirty moves. Do you still want to try? Or perhaps Vice-Chiliarch Mu can join you!" He didn't take the four of them seriously at all. Mu Lin smiled, his eyes narrowing until they vanished into slits. So arrogant! The four remaining centurions looked at the five men lying on the ground, their expressions grave. In the blink of an eye, five Thousand-Battlers had fallen! Even if the four of them worked together, they might not be a match for Li Hao. What a terrifying fellow. When had such a monster emerged in the martial world? How many years had he even practiced martial arts? How the hell was this a Hundred-Breaker? Everyone immediately turned their eyes toward Mu Lin. Mu Lin had no choice but to step forward, chuckling. "Li Hao, truly impressive. Not bad, not bad at all! Let's stop here. Everyone, welcome..." Li Hao turned to look at Mu Lin and smiled. "No, not enough! Vice-Chiliarch Mu, I'd like to see how strong your Iron Cloth Armor or Golden Bell Shield really is! If the number two figure in the Martial Guard Army is as weak as them, I'll be thoroughly disappointed!" Mu Lin laughed heartily. "We're all on the same side..." Without another word, Li Hao threw a punch, a tiger's roar shaking the forest. Having come this far, how could he agree without testing their depths? *Boom!* A heavy collision sounded. Mu Lin took a slight step back, but his expression didn't change at all. Looking at Li Hao, whose fist had landed on him, he bared his teeth in a grin. "How about that? Shall we call it here?" Li Hao was slightly surprised. He looked at him, then at his chest. The man had taken a direct hit from his punch and remained completely unscathed! It felt like hitting a block of solid iron! This was countless times stronger than Chen Jian from the team back in Silver City. Chen Jian had also been a defensive practitioner who cultivated an esoteric technique called the Earth Dragon Shield. It had been strong, but compared to this man, it wasn't even worth mentioning! Li Hao raised an eyebrow and took a step back. Across the square, the other martial masters let out a collective breath of relief. If Li Hao truly knocked down everyone present, they would lose all face. Fortunately, their vice-chiliarch proved reliable when it mattered most! His Iron Cloth Armor was formidably tough. Even an expert like Li Hao, whose punch could send a Thousand-Battler flying, hadn't harmed Mu Lin in the slightest. Right then, Li Hao smiled. "Impressive! I wonder who is stronger between you and Director Wang of the Inspectorate? I mean in terms of Iron Cloth Armor. He converted to supers, so perhaps his Iron Cloth Armor has deteriorated by now..." Mu Lin chuckled. "If we use super powers, I might not match him. If we don't... he only advanced at the Hundred-Breaker culmination. How could he compare to me?" Li Hao smiled. "Then does Vice-Chiliarch Mu know that my teacher once pulverized with his bare fists the man whose fame in the martial world rested on his Iron Cloth Armor?" He had taken "Iron Cloth Armor" as his martial title! That was true strength, representing that in that era, no practitioner of Iron Cloth Armor could match that man—and yet Yuan Shuo had still pounded him to pieces. Mu Lin laughed. "I know. But you aren't Yuan Shuo! Li Hao, that's enough... Everyone knows you're powerful now..." "No, there's no need!" "The strong don't need the weak to know how formidable they are. I only need the truly strong to know how strong I am!" In an instant, Li Hao's aura transformed. Using his hand as a sword! A sword like a mountain—at this moment, it was as if an entire mountain had turned into a blade, cleaving toward Mu Lin! Earth Sword momentum! Mu Lin's expression changed slightly. So strong! He shouted fiercely, his entire body radiating golden light as he charged straight at Li Hao. Iron Cloth Armor wasn't merely defensive; it had offensive applications as well. One's own body was the finest weapon of attack! Sword qi like a mountain! Li Hao brought his hand-sword slashing down. With a thunderous boom, the strike collided with the man's fist. *Bang!* A collision of flesh and bone, yet sparks flew as though metal blades were clashing. Li Hao drifted backward lightly, like a startled deer, instantly putting distance between them. The golden light on Mu Lin's fist flickered. Pierced by Li Hao's sword, a thin streak of blood appeared on his skin. Within the blink of an eye, however, the mark vanished. Mu Lin's voice sounded deep and heavy. "Li Hao, you hit hard. Then I won't hold back..." Though bulky, his movements were remarkably agile. In an instant, he launched himself from the ground and barrelled toward Li Hao, charging with reckless abandon. Iron Cloth Armor was truly formidable! Figures resembling iron gates seemed to materialize around his body—this was his intent, an absolute defense fearless of any attack! Li Hao raised his brow and used his hand as a sword. In an instant, he stabbed out hundreds of times! Shadowless Sword! *Clang, clang, clang!* The sounds of sword strikes against iron armor rang out continuously as the two figures tangled. Only now did the onlookers realize that their vice-chiliarch was absurdly powerful; one truly couldn't tell from his daily conduct. The other centurions, including those who had been defeated, watched with rapt attention, oblivious to their injuries, filled with both tension and excitement. They hoped Mu Lin could subdue Li Hao! Mu Lin was exceptionally strong, but he usually avoided fights whenever possible. Today, Li Hao had backed him into a corner where he had no choice but to act. Meanwhile, the more Li Hao fought, the more startled he became. Impressive! This fellow was even stronger than Yu Xiao, whom he had killed before. Was this the strength of a top Thousand-Battler? If they kept fighting like this, his earlier boast would turn out to be hot air. Li Hao grunted coldly. In the next moment, a flicker of flame appeared, and Mu Lin's expression shifted. At that exact instant, Li Hao's aura changed once more! Earth Sword momentum fused into Fire Sword momentum! The general principles of sword momentum emerged! Three swords merged into one! "Kill!" Li Hao roared, unleashing a sword strike that tore through the heavens. Mu Lin's face turned pale, and he cursed under his breath, *Fuck!* Was this guy really a Hundred-Breaker? *My lovely younger brother, when Mom and Dad gave birth to you, why didn't they stuff you into a latrine and drown you? Your intelligence is going to get people killed!* He cursed wildly in his heart. No longer cocky, and unwilling to take the blow head-on, he flickered to the side and tried to flee! At that exact moment, however, Li Hao stamped violently onto the ground! *Boom!* The ground caved in. In an instant, it felt as though a mountain peak had crashed down, trapping a fierce tiger in the hills. And now, as if breaking free from its cage, the tiger charged out of the mountain! "Stop!" Mu Lin roared. Golden light flared across his body, and with a thunderous blast, a sword light tore through his defenses! *Rumble!* The sword light battered him for several moments before the dust cleared, revealing the scene to the onlookers. The earth had collapsed, and Mu Lin had been driven straight into the ground by the sword strike. His clothes were shredded, exposing his muscular physique, but his flesh was covered in blood and alarming sword scars! Li Hao stepped on empty air, avoiding the crater. Slightly out of breath, he looked at Mu Lin and said after a long pause, "Vice-Chiliarch Mu is truly formidable. This strike of mine once gravely wounded a late Three Suns expert... I didn't expect you to actually block it!" *Pfft!* Mu Lin spat out a mouthful of blood and crawled out of the crater. Looking at Li Hao, his eyes went wide with anger. "I yelled 'stop'!" *Damn it, you still swung?* Fortunately, his Iron Cloth Armor was truly unfathomable. Otherwise, wouldn't that strike have cleaved him in two? Li Hao frowned. "If I had stopped then, I would have been the one injured. Vice-Chiliarch Mu must be joking!" Mu Lin was speechless! His injuries looked terrifying, but they weren't actually that severe. Still, this kid's strength was shockingly immense. He spat out another mouthful of bloody spit and cursed, "You... you strike far too dirty! Too vicious!" Li Hao said nothing, merely giving him a peculiar look. He was genuinely strong! To be frank, it had exceeded Li Hao's expectations. Of course, Li Hao hadn't gone all out either. For instance, he hadn't used the Blood Saber Art, he hadn't channeled sword energy into his body, and he hadn't stacked the Nine Refinements Force... However, fusing two sword momentums was practically Li Hao's current peak. And yet, not only had it failed to kill the man, it hadn't even inflicted grave injuries. Based on that alone, Li Hao felt this man was probably no weaker than Huang Jie. Close to peak Three Suns? Terrifying! Was this a martial master? Had Mu Lin pursued the path of physical refinement? Strengthen the body, strengthen it again, and keep strengthening it... His portly build wasn't soft fat; that bulk came from accumulated energy. His blood was extraordinarily robust, with blood qi and inner force heavily concentrated... In an instant, Li Hao understood the man's path! He wasn't an ordinary Thousand-Battler! In fact, an existence like this couldn't even be strictly classified as a Thousand-Battler. Yuan Shuo called his path Spirit Nourishing, He Yong called his Blood Transmutation, and Tyrant Saber might call his Spirit Gathering. As for Mu Lin, perhaps his should be called Body Strengthening or Body Forging? Regardless, Mu Lin had forged an alternate path. He was beyond the ordinary Thousand-Battler level! To think the Silver Moon martial world still harbored such people. More importantly, this man was only a deputy. What about the chiliarch? Li Hao narrowed his eyes. In that moment, he abandoned any thought of underestimating the Martial Guard Army. A deputy could rival a peak Three Suns expert. Wouldn't the chiliarch be able to match Rising Light? Chief Steward Yu had said the Martial Guard Army's goal was to deal with Rising Light. Earlier, Li Hao had assumed that meant everyone joining forces... Could it be that the chiliarch alone could contend with Rising Light? Frightening! No wonder Hou Xiaochen didn't care much about Hao Lianchuan being too weak. To be honest, two of the Thousand-Battler centurions here working together could probably match the earlier, early Three Suns Hao Lianchuan, and three could match him as he was now. What kind of price had Hou Xiaochen paid to nurture such a force of martial masters to this level? This was definitely beyond what an ordinary person could support. If Li Hao wasn't mistaken, these people had most likely used divine energy stones! Yes, divine energy stones! Mysterious energy offered limited enhancement to Thousand-Battlers. Blood God Seeds weren't available everywhere. The only thing that could strengthen these Thousand-Battlers to this extent was divine energy stones. *Hou Xiaochen... there is a ninety percent chance he controls a ruin, and one with an abundance of divine energy stones at that!* In that single moment, Li Hao deduced a great deal. Mu Lin, meanwhile, looked thoroughly depressed as he eyed Li Hao. "How on earth do you cultivate, kid? You've only practiced martial arts for a few years, right? My brother said you were only a Hundred-Breaker before, and that you'd just broken through recently. Of course, after you killed Sun Moxian, we all knew you reached the Hundred-Breaker culmination... but still, this is absurd!" Li Hao looked at him and said slowly, "The Five Animals Sect naturally has its methods to make me strong!" Nonsense! Mu Lin spat out another drop of blood. "Are we still fighting?" "Never mind." Li Hao suddenly smiled. "Now that I've seen your skill, Vice-Chiliarch, there's no need to continue. After all, this isn't a life-and-death battle. We can spar more in the future. If it were a true battle to the death, neither of us would hold back three parts of our strength!" "..." The surrounding martial masters fell silent. What did that mean? Mu Lin, however, raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "You held back too? I don't buy it. Why do you love boasting so much?" Frankly speaking, he really had held back. He wasn't capable of only defense! But had Li Hao held back? Was this kid bluffing? Li Hao smiled, offering no explanation. Believe it or not! Still, even if he went all out, whether he could actually kill Mu Lin remained uncertain. Without a true fight to the death, it was hard to say. Of course, he hadn't used the little sword either. He had used his hand as a sword the entire time! At this moment, Li Hao had grown genuinely interested in the Martial Guard Army. This force under Hou Xiaochen was extraordinary. These martial masters had to possess some special method for gaining strength; otherwise, their Thousand-Battlers wouldn't be so much stronger than those outside. Any one of these centurions was definitely not weaker than Liu Long—they were only stronger! Liu Long could previously match a mid-stage Solar Radiance; against a late-stage one, it was hard to say. Yet any of the centurions before him could probably contend with a late-stage or peak Solar Radiance. The sudden emergence of so many seasoned Thousand-Battlers was difficult to explain. Mu Lin didn't pursue the matter further. Glancing down at his tattered clothes, he exhaled. "Forget it, let's drop it! Li Hao, welcome to the Martial Guard Army. This welcoming ceremony wasn't bad, was it?" Li Hao nodded with a smile, then asked, "Is the chiliarch of the Martial Guard Army not here?" "Out on business. For now, I'm the boss here!" Mu Lin gave a chuckle, then waved to the martial masters behind him. "Disperse, disperse! It was just a spar, nothing to gawk at. The people of the Five Animals Sect are indeed tough. Just be polite to them from now on!" With that, he looked at Li Hao and Chief Steward Yu. "Come inside and sit. We'll discuss arrangements for Li Hao while we're at it. Arranging for him to be a vice-centurion isn't going to work anymore. Which of those nine fellows would dare be his superior?" They couldn't afford that embarrassment! In the distance, the centurions supporting one another kept their heads down and remained silent. Indeed, who would take Li Hao? Don't be ridiculous! Today, right in front of everyone, they had been beaten so thoroughly they couldn't even fight back. If Li Hao joined a hundred-man squad, how was the centurion supposed to command him? In the vast Martial Guard Army, probably only Mu Lin and the chiliarch could keep him in check. No, even Mu Lin might not be able to! They had watched the fight with their own eyes and remembered it clearly. Mu Lin's defense was powerful, but his offense was lacking. In the end, Li Hao had emerged virtually unscathed. Under such circumstances, it was hard to believe that last sword strike had been Li Hao's full strength! …… A short while later, the three entered a spacious hall. Mu Lin had already changed into a fresh set of clothes. "Have a seat!" He gestured for Li Hao and Chief Steward Yu to sit, then looked at Yu with a headache. "Chief Steward, does Director Hou have any specific arrangements?" "None. He only told Li Hao to come." Chief Steward Yu took a leisurely sip of tea, looking somewhat disdainful of the quality here. After a single taste, she set the cup down and looked at Li Hao. "Are you interested in staying in the Martial Guard Army?" Li Hao smiled and nodded. "Of course! Provided that chiliarch isn't just an empty figurehead, but someone stronger than Vice-Chiliarch Mu. I like being around the strong!" Mu Lin chuckled as well. "He's stronger than me. In fact, you might have heard of his renowned name." "I'm all ears!" "Golden Spear!" Li Hao froze, genuinely taken aback this time. Golden Spear... wasn't he dead? He had heard the man was dead! Golden Spear, one of the Three Spears of Silver Moon! How could that be? Mu Lin burst into hearty laughter. "Surprised? Golden Spear isn't dead; he's still alive! And he's the chiliarch of the Martial Guard Army. Is he qualified enough for you? Back then, among the Three Spears of Silver Moon, he was the strongest! He was renowned alongside Sky Sword—Sky Sword, Tyrant Saber, and Golden Spear, the three paragons of saber, sword, and spear!" Li Hao frowned. "He didn't die? If he didn't die, and even my master hadn't broken through... did he break through outside of Silver Moon?" Li Hao didn't believe anyone could break his master's curse! If someone had, that person would have had to surpass his master. As the foremost of the Three Spears, Golden Spear had naturally fought Yuan Shuo back then, and Yuan Shuo had won. Beside them, Chief Steward Yu said indifferently, "Not everyone needed to leave Silver Moon to break through. Back then, those people couldn't advance simply because they were suppressed by Yuan Shuo's intent. If someone shattered that intent, the obstacle to advancement naturally vanished!" Li Hao understood instantly and smiled. "I see! Taking a shortcut isn't necessarily a good thing." Yes, he understood. Hou Xiaochen! Hou Xiaochen had broken his teacher's intent, allowing Golden Spear to break through that shackle and advance to Thousand-Battler. Thus, Golden Spear might have broken through many years ago without ever leaving Silver Moon—he had simply thrown his lot in with Hou Xiaochen! Chief Steward Yu frowned slightly. "A shortcut? Not necessarily! When someone stronger than Yuan Shuo appears, Golden Spear's path naturally becomes broader..." Li Hao retorted sharply, refusing to yield an inch. "In the same realm, my teacher is invincible! At the Hundred-Breaker culmination with five forces merged, I refuse to believe there is a Hundred-Breaker stronger than my teacher in this world. If there were... he wouldn't have built such a reputation! Chief Steward, even if you ask Director Hou to his face, he wouldn't dare claim that he could rival my teacher at the Hundred-Breaker culmination!" Chief Steward Yu's chest heaved slightly, seemingly irritated. For Mu Lin, this was a rare sight; he had almost never seen her lose her temper. Clearly, she was genuinely provoked. He kept his mouth shut. The two of them weren't just arguing over who was stronger; they were debating the title of number one in martial arts. Clearly, as Yuan Shuo's disciple, Li Hao refused to back down. Chief Steward Yu suppressed her anger and said coldly, "They would have to be in the same realm to compare. Unfortunately, Yuan Shuo never stepped into Thousand-Battler in that era... Otherwise, we might have seen!" Li Hao smiled. "There will be opportunities! Even if they couldn't stand together as Hundred-Breakers or Thousand-Battlers, there's still a chance to clash above Thousand-Battler, isn't there?" Chief Steward Yu looked at him coldly and said nothing more. Number one among martial masters! Who was the true champion? Perhaps that would only be known in the future. She couldn't prove that Hou Xiaochen at the Hundred-Breaker culmination was stronger than Yuan Shuo... In the entire dynasty, no one dared make such a claim. Merging five forces was truly beyond human capability. Only then did Mu Lin speak up to break the impasse, chuckling. "Let's not dwell on that. With Golden Spear as chiliarch, Li Hao, do you still think the Martial Guard Army is trash?" Li Hao shook his head. "Of course not! If I had known Senior Golden Spear was the chiliarch, I would have kept a lower profile. A veteran martial master like that, someone renowned alongside my master—even though he lost to my master, against me... I am ninety percent certain to lose!" Because the man had entered Thousand-Battler long ago, and Hou Xiaochen had broken his teacher's intent to help him advance. His strength was guaranteed. Li Hao would believe it even if someone claimed the man could match Rising Light! Sky Sword had reached Rising Light in the Central Region and was a top figure even among Rising Light experts. Golden Spear was renowned alongside Sky Sword and Tyrant Saber, and Tyrant Saber had been able to kill Three Suns experts seven years ago. Would Golden Spear be weak? Absolutely not! No matter how proud Li Hao was, he didn't believe his current self was a match for the man. At this moment, Li Hao felt a trace of daze. Among the figures from the Roster of Heroes back then, he had already seen Brow-Height Staff, Southern Fist, Earth-Overturning Sword, and Jade Rakshasa. He knew Jade Light Sword, Sky Sword, and Tyrant Saber were all still alive, and he might soon see Golden Spear. Silver Spear was dead, and the Bronze Spear inheritor had been killed by his own hand... Truly... interesting! As for the Heart-Piercing Belle he had met earlier, she hadn't been on the Roster of Heroes. The roster contained only thirty-six people. Some at the Hundred-Breaker culmination had reputations, yet failed to earn a spot on the list. If Chief Steward Yu before him truly was Jade Rakshasa from the Roster of Heroes, then she had been one of the prominent figures of that era. Looking at it now, Earth-Overturning Sword seemed to be the worst off among the living. Of the thirty-six figures on the roster, roughly a dozen were confirmed dead, nearly all by Yuan Shuo's hand. Were the rest all alive? Yuan Shuo had killed so many back then, and later on, some hadn't accepted challenges. With comparable strength, killing the first meant he could kill the second; otherwise, even more would have died. Li Hao thought of Hong Yitang. Why did that early Three Suns super seem even less impressive than those who hadn't advanced to super? Neither Golden Spear nor Tyrant Saber had become supers. Southern Fist also felt stronger than Hong Yitang. Earth-Overturning Sword had been ranked second among the Seven Swords back then. Li Hao frowned, suddenly wondering if Hong Yitang had truly let himself go. Refusing battle invitations three times, yet being challenged three times in succession by Yuan Shuo... showed he truly wasn't weak! Could it be that because he had avoided fighting for so long, he had lost his fighting spirit, leading to his current decline? Lost in thought, Li Hao soon put Earth-Overturning Sword out of his mind. Mu Lin smiled and said, "Golden Spear is formidable, of course. Even if I fight him now, I could only hold on for a short while before most likely being pierced to death!" Li Hao said with excitement, "Formidable is where the fun is. Otherwise, there wouldn't be much point in coming here." Mu Lin laughed as well. "Good! If you join the Martial Guard Army, it will be even stronger. But regarding your placement... it's a bit tricky!" A centurion? All nine posts were currently filled, and the Martial Guard Army lacked extra men. Where would they find a hundred men for Li Hao? Other than centurion, vice-chiliarch? With him already here, adding another... were the two of them supposed to just sit around twiddling their thumbs together? As for chiliarch, he could forget about it. Golden Spear was Hou Xiaochen's direct subordinate and immensely powerful. The current Li Hao was simply no match for him. Li Hao, however, wasn't shy. He chuckled. "Just make it like Brother Mu's role—give me a deputy position. No real responsibilities, just a title! Of course, Brother Mu seems to be a Senior City Inspecting Commissioner..." He glanced at Chief Steward Yu, his meaning obvious: I want that too! Chief Steward Yu's expression twitched, utterly speechless! *Has this fellow gone mad with ambition for rank?* Li Hao was currently only a Junior Inspecting Commissioner. Above that were Senior Inspecting Commissioner and Junior City Inspecting Commissioner... His appointment as Junior City Inspecting Commissioner hadn't even come down yet, and he was already eyeing another promotion! Across the entirety of Silver Moon, there weren't many Senior City Inspecting Commissioners. In the Night Patrollers, only a few deputy directors held that rank. In the Martial Guard Army, only the chiliarch and vice-chiliarch held it, while the rest were Junior City Inspecting Commissioners. As for the higher-ranking Provincial Governors, there were only two in the vast Silver Moon! Kong Jie and Hou Xiaochen! Mu Lin didn't care much about that, only saying with exasperation, "If you take a deputy post... are the two of us supposed to play chess and chat every day? I imagine Director Hou sent you here hoping you'd actually do something." His implication was that playing chess and chatting was all he did all day. Li Hao smiled. "I'm too young and know nothing of military affairs. An honorary title is fine; an actual command really won't work!" Those words were somewhat disingenuous. He might not understand standard military affairs, but Li Hao actually knew some battle formations—unusual ones recorded in ancient texts. He simply had no interest in training martial masters right now. Otherwise, if he became a centurion, even if he didn't understand other things, he could follow the diagrams and imitate them. Even if it didn't match formations from the ancient civilization, it would still be stronger than what existed today. Since Li Hao knew them, Yuan Shuo naturally knew them too, and knew far more. It was just that the master and disciple had little interest in formations that gathered the power of many to bolster one person. They preferred individual strength! Hou Xiaochen had consistently courted Yuan Shuo. In fact, after Yuan Shuo's breakthrough, Hou Xiaochen's plan had been very simple: have Yuan Shuo replace Golden Spear. Even though Golden Spear was powerful, Hou Xiaochen believed Golden Spear wouldn't object. For no other reason than Yuan Shuo was simply too famous and had defeated him in the past! Hou Xiaochen also believed that if Yuan Shuo were willing, he would make the current Martial Guard Army even more formidable! Unfortunately, that fellow had let it go to his head. The moment he broke through, he immediately caused trouble and even created the Spirit Nourishing martial path, forcing Hou Xiaochen to abandon the idea. Mu Lin said no more. "Then we'll wait for Boss Golden Spear to return and see Director Hou's arrangements. I don't have the authority to decide this." Li Hao was asking for too much! Chief Steward Yu frowned deeply, speaking only after a long pause. "I will report it. Whether it's approved, I don't know, but Director Hou would prefer you to take command of a squad. In truth, Director Hou had some thoughts along these lines. The Martial Guard Army currently only has nine hundred-man squads; he wants to add another. "As for manpower, we can recruit. The Martial Guard Army will soon step into the open. The original plan was that if you hadn't reached Thousand-Battler, Liu Long would step in for you temporarily, and once you broke through, Liu Long could be reassigned..." At this point, she had no choice but to reveal her true intentions, which were also Hou Xiaochen's. They wanted Li Hao to command a hundred-man squad! Li Hao fell into deep thought, only speaking after a long silence. "Director Hou knows I'm young... Being young means I know very little. Is he comfortable giving me real authority, placing a hundred-man army of martial masters in my hands?" A hundred men wasn't many. Yet one had to remember that they were all martial masters, nearly all of them Hundred-Breakers, with even Ten-Slayer realm fighters being rare. Chief Steward Yu said in a deep voice, "The director has never doubted those he employs! You are Yuan Shuo's disciple; that alone is enough." Besides, Li Hao was immensely powerful now, far from the weakling they had previously envisioned. That made it all the more acceptable! Seeing him remain silent, Chief Steward Yu added, "The director arranged this for your sake as well. Martial masters are accustomed to fighting alone, but one cannot resolve everything single-handedly at all times. You can try cooperating. When you were in Silver City, you were part of the Demon Hunt Squad. You should understand that martial masters working together are stronger than one alone." Li Hao thought for a moment. "Let me consider it. I'm not ready for that right now. Besides, I'm not entirely clear on what the Martial Guard Army actually does, or what it faces..." Chief Steward Yu said coldly, "Two things: first, ruins! Second, pirates!" Li Hao froze slightly. Pirates? He didn't dwell on that, his thoughts instantly turning to the ruins. His eyes flickered. "Ruins?" "Right. Haven't you seen the Battle Heaven Army?" Li Hao drew a sharp breath. "You mean... more than one ruin has existences like the Battle Heaven Army?" "Indeed!" At that moment, understanding dawned on Li Hao! The Martial Guard Army rarely made public appearances because the enemies they fought were completely beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Remnants within ancient ruins, and pirates on the open seas. Who among commoners would know of such things? Now he also understood why the Martial Guard Army was so powerful—they had enjoyed a massive share of the spoils from these ruins. He also understood why they had their eyes on his teacher... His teacher was an expert tomb raider... no, an expert archaeologist. In seeking him out, was it for battle formations, or to make tomb raiding easier? At this moment, Li Hao grew suspicious. He suspected Hou Xiaochen wasn't actually interested in battle formations, but rather their tomb-raiding expertise... Though it wasn't much of a special skill, just knowing some geomantic positioning and deciphering ancient scripts. Quite a few people knew those things. Yet those who knew them, could fight, could run, could survive, and had managed to stay alive all this time... were exceedingly few! After all, for a martial master to practice martial arts while studying such obscure subjects was a waste of time. Only Yuan Shuo had been idle enough, and old enough, holing up in Silver City for decades, to become exceptionally proficient in them. Li Hao fell into contemplation. Chief Steward Yu added, "There are very few supers in the Martial Guard Army, because certain ruins are only safe for martial masters to enter. For supers, entering them is exceedingly perilous. That is why when the Martial Guard Army was first founded, converting to supers was never an option... Everyone knows this. So if you agree and want to recruit people, they can only be martial masters. Supers can sometimes bring massive trouble!" Li Hao's eyes flickered. Was that how it was? It made sense! Back then, after that silver-armored warrior regained consciousness, he had said something similar, only holding back in the end because they were all of the human race. Yet inside Battle Heaven City, supers had been very conspicuously targeted. Martial masters could fly through the air without issue—Li Hao had tested it. They didn't need to take the secondary passageway! Martial masters could fly, while supers could not. Martial masters could pass black-armored soldiers without conflict, whereas the moment a super leaked energy, they would be attacked immediately. It had simply been less apparent back then because there hadn't been many martial masters present. Now, hearing Chief Steward Yu explain it, Battle Heaven City wasn't an isolated case; many ruins were like that. No wonder his teacher had survived exploring ruins to this day, while waves of supers had perished one after another! Beside them, Mu Lin chuckled. "Being a centurion isn't bad either. Leading a squad has its perks—at least you have real authority. Once the Martial Guard Army goes fully public, centurions can explore ruins independently, and even take their troops to do some private work... provided your subordinates agree, of course." Li Hao was thoroughly surprised and looked toward Chief Steward Yu. Chief Steward Yu said calmly, "Binding martial masters too tightly is counterproductive. That is why the director delegates a great deal of authority to the centurions rather than restricting them like a conventional army. Doing that would only breed widespread resentment." Hearing this, Li Hao's eyes lit up slightly. There was such a good deal? "Then..." "As long as Golden Spear agrees, you can do whatever you like!" Chief Steward Yu said. Li Hao was instantly tempted. His first thought was: I'll recruit a hundred martial masters, on Hou Xiaochen's dime anyway, and then lead them to slaughter the people of Red Moon... Well, that thought faded quickly. Red Moon didn't seem to have many people left around here anyway. "Let me think about it. If becoming a centurion comes with the rank of Senior City Inspecting Commissioner, I... wouldn't really object!" "..." Chief Steward Yu was left completely speechless. What on earth was this fellow thinking?