Establishment of the Demon Hunt Corps

In the blink of an eye, another day had passed. September 14. Clear skies. Today, with sixteen martial masters reporting in from the Inspectorate, the Demon Hunt Corps swelled to fifty-one members in an instant. On the martial arts drill grounds. All fifty martial masters had arrived, and at this moment, every one of them felt a prickle of unease. The corps was now broadly divided into two factions: the Silver City faction and the Sword Gate faction. The men who had arrived from the Inspectorate were all old acquaintances of Liu Long. Several had even been members of his law enforcement team back in the day, though they had left alongside Wang Henggang a few years prior. Whether they were martial masters of the Sword Gate or the Inspectorate, apprehension gnawed at them. None of them truly knew Li Hao. Moreover, joining Li Hao's Demon Hunt Corps had not been something they had fought for on their own. They had been recommended directly by their sect master and their Inspectorate chief. Both Hong Yitang and Wang Henggang held Li Hao in extraordinarily high esteem. Even so, most of them suspected that praise might have been somewhat overblown. Furthermore, martial masters from all directions were currently gathered around, watching the spectacle unfold. No one had expected Li Hao to pull a hundred-man corps together so quickly. Granted, he had not yet reached the official headcount, but only a few days had passed. Assembling fifty martial masters in such short order was astonishing enough on its own. Aside from the Martial Guard Army, martial masters were exceedingly rare nowadays. The Sword Gate was perhaps the largest martial sect in Silver Moon today, even if its sect master had transitioned into a supernatural. Li Hao had not arrived yet. All around the square, several martial masters began whispering among themselves. "A bunch of greenhorns!" "Say what you will, their caliber isn't bad at all. I heard both the Sword Gate and the Inspectorate think very highly of that kid. They've got quite a few Hundred-Breakers, and even a Thousand-Battler martial master among them." "Liu Long?" "Yeah, that's the one." "Then they're decent enough. But Liu Long only stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm recently; he might not be all that strong." "Do you think that fellow will transfer some of us over? He only has fifty people right now, just half the quota. Word is the chiliarch promised he could draft three men from every corps, and as many as ten from the personal guard unit." "Would you go?" "Not a chance!" "Well, there you have it. Even if they called on me, I wouldn't go either. A bunch of rookies—maybe their raw power is passable, but how many of them were just piled up on mysterious energy? They won't even measure up to supernaturals with their bag of tricks!" "..." Voices murmured back and forth. The martial masters spoke softly, but with so many people chiming in, the chatter exerted considerable pressure on the Demon Hunt Corps members standing in the center. After all, nearly a hundred Hundred-Breaker culmination experts were present here. The gathered pressure of their force made these newcomers—none stronger than late Hundred-Breaker—grow increasingly nervous. Liu Long was indeed a Thousand-Battler, but right now he stood as placid and motionless as a stone Buddha, making it impossible to guess what was running through his mind. It was not just the rank-and-file martial masters looking on. Up on the central martial platform, the Thousand-Battlers were also watching, though they did not crowd in as blatantly as the others. At this moment, the burly Chen Jin gave a cold sneer. "He certainly moves fast. Gathering this many people in just a few days... The Earth-Overturning Sword is quite generous, isn't he, even sending his own daughter over!" As the successor to the Mountain Cleaving Axe, Chen Jin despised Li Hao. Even after taking a beating, his resentment burned just as hot. Beside him stood Luo Qizhao, the tall successor to the Luo Family Spear, who possessed long, wiry arms. Hearing the remark, he smiled and murmured, "Keep your voice down. Haven't you had enough beatings?" Chen Jin shot him a sidelong glare. "You didn't get beaten?" Who was he trying to mock?! Of the nine centurions, five had been battered, and the remaining four hadn't even dared step into the ring. Luo Qizhao took no offense, merely chuckling. "Getting beaten was unavoidable—we weren't his match. But he did recruit Liu Long... As the Silver Spear's successor, the man definitely has some skill. Tell me, if Liu Long makes a move, could we handle him?" "Him?" "He only stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm recently. Which of us hasn't been a Thousand-Battler for years? Add to that our insights from Dao-enlightening ancient weapons, absorbing divine energy stones... We've consumed our share of good things. Liu Long still falls a bit short." "Don't forget, the ones from Silver City are all freaks. Leaving the Five Animals King aside, how long has Li Hao even been practicing martial arts? Who says Liu Long can't be like them?" Every Thousand-Battler from Silver City had advanced this very year. Yet each was more formidable and terrifying than the last, their progress absurdly fast. As one of the few female martial masters present, Xie Lan cut in with a slight frown. "Li Hao gathered his people here—is he planning to formally establish his corps today? He hasn't finished recruiting... And his people know nothing about the Martial Guard Army's Tianxuan Formation. If we drill together from now on while he gradually supplements his ranks, it's going to be terribly inconvenient." The Martial Guard Army possessed a battle array: the Great Tianxuan Formation. A thousand men could form the array, but a hundred men could do so as well. Normally, they drilled in hundred-man units, but every five days, the entire army practiced together to master the formation, ensuring they wouldn't be overwhelmed when facing powerful adversaries. Li Hao's ranks were not full, and his recruits were all green. Building cohesion would be an uphill battle. Chen Jin snorted. "I don't want to drill with him anyway. Besides, the Tianxuan Formation can only accommodate a thousand men. There are already over nine hundred and eighty martial masters in the army. Adding his lot will exceed the limit..." "Chen Jin!" Beside him, another martial master barked under his breath. "Enough. We know your master was killed by his master, so it's only natural you're resentful! But don't forget where you are. This is the Martial Guard Army. Normally no one says anything, but if you keep nursing that grudge, you're begging for trouble!" Many grudges ran through the martial path. If one remained in the martial forest, one either severed all ties, took revenge, or let the matter rest. Yet once you enlisted in the Martial Guard Army, and the feud belonged to the previous generation, continuing to harp on it would only bring endless trouble. Chen Jin fell silent, though the indignation in his eyes remained starkly visible. Naturally, the others did not press him further. In the martial world, a meeting between the two would have ended in a fight to the death. Being able to share the same grounds was already an achievement. As they spoke, Li Hao approached from the distance. He was not alone; Golden Spear and Mu Lin accompanied him. Seeing them, everyone understood that Li Hao truly intended to inaugurate his corps today. …… Mu Lin sent a voice transmission: "Li Hao, your roster isn't full, and you refuse to draft veterans... Isn't it a bit premature to launch your corps now? The boss and the minister intended for the year's end to be the deadline..." "It's close enough!" Li Hao remained impassive. "Start early, work early, earn money early. I can barely afford to keep myself alive as it is." Mu Lin was left speechless. Li Hao said no more and strode swiftly toward the front. Seeing his approach, the spectating martial masters hastily scattered. This young man was no pushover; provoking him was a bad idea. With brisk steps, Li Hao soon stood before the fifty-some martial masters. Sweeping his gaze over the crowd, he skipped pleasantries and polite banter, cutting straight to the point: "I won't waste words. Everyone came here with one goal: to grow stronger! I, Li Hao, am a newcomer. I know nothing about management or partnerships. So this Demon Hunt Corps will rely on everyone working together in genuine cooperation if we hope to make a name for ourselves!" "I don't have many virtues, nor do I have many vices... But if there is one thing that should convince you to follow me, it is nothing other than strength!" Li Hao pointed toward the centurions in the distance. "Over there are nine Thousand-Battlers. A few days ago, I defeated five of them, and the remaining four didn't dare face me even if they joined forces. If that still isn't enough proof to convince you of my strength... any number of you can step forward together. If you knock me down, you call the shots. If you can't, I call the shots!" His voice rang loud and clear. In the distance, the centurions looked thoroughly sour, yet none spoke up. Their defeat had taken place in plain sight; what could they possibly say? Even though Li Hao was grinding their faces into the dirt, they could only swallow it. Among the Demon Hunt Corps, however, not everyone was privy to what had happened. Several exchanged startled glances, looking back toward the distant centurions with shock rippling through their hearts. It was true! Nine Thousand-Battlers, and not one had been a match for Li Hao. At that moment, their understanding of this Five Animals Sect disciple deepened: he was formidable! At least among martial masters, he was terrifyingly strong! No wonder their sect master and chief inspector had praised him to high heaven. Between martial masters, strength was the ultimate currency. Everything else could wait. As long as Li Hao remained reasonably fair, refrained from picking arbitrary fights, and didn't deliberately send them to their deaths... in the eyes of martial masters, that made him a good leader. It was that simple. Simple in theory, difficult in practice. Li Hao continued, "Our hundred-man corps... currently has fifty members. Excluding me, that's exactly half strength. For now, I don't plan on recruiting more. Too many people will only get in the way; fifty is enough. From now on, our name is the Demon Hunt Corps!" "You can just call me Commander. 'Centurion' sounds far too petty!" "..." Behind him, Golden Spear and Mu Lin watched in utter silence. *Far too petty?* He had some nerve saying that out loud. "The vice commander will be Liu Long. He was once my boss in Silver City, and he's a Thousand-Battler martial master!" Li Hao smiled. "We are all martial masters, so let's be straightforward. If you have grievances, voice them to my face. Don't grumble behind my back and sour our relations. I have close ties with Martial Uncle Hong and Big Brother Wang. Since they were willing to send you here, they naturally placed their trust in me, Li Hao. And I won't let their trust go to waste!" "The Demon Hunt Corps is officially established today! And what does that mean? It means from here on out, we carry out military duties, do the work, grow stronger, earn money, and grow stronger still... instead of lounging around this base waiting to retire!" The moment those words landed, several martial masters on the periphery bristled. Who was he taking a jab at? Martial masters weren't meant to run missions every single day; work and rest had to be balanced. Under normal circumstances, they deployed on missions once every one to three months, and which of those wasn't a brush with death? How had that turned into "lounging around waiting to retire" in Li Hao's eyes? Mid-speech, Li Hao suddenly pointed at Hong Qing. "Hong Qing, I see you looking all over the place. Do you have something to say? Next time you want to speak, request permission!" "Huh?" "Just shout 'Reporting!' Didn't you ever go to school?" "..." Hong Qing blushed with embarrassment. She really hadn't; she had never attended school. Naturally, the Sword Gate had private academies, but those were nothing like ordinary schools. Being reprimanded in public flustered her. Feeling eyes converging on her from every direction, her face flushed even deeper. Normally poised and graceful, she was now nervous to death. Li Hao declared loudly, "Speak your mind! What are you afraid of? I used to be terrified of crowds too. Around too many people, I felt uneasy. But later I realized crowds don't mean a thing. As long as you're stronger than them and speak louder than them, they won't dare mock you. Even if they curse you behind your back, their spines will run cold in fear that you might overhear!" Hong Qing let out a stifled giggle, though she quickly reined it in and hurried to say, "Reporting! Com... Commander, you mentioned military duties... What... what kind of military duties will we be carrying out?" "Killing people!" "Huh?" "Killing people!" Li Hao frowned. "Whether as soldiers or martial masters, in this chaotic era, in this age of ours, our sole purpose is killing! This is my first time serving as a soldier, so I don't know much about it. But I know at least this: in times of turmoil, cutting down bandits who commit crimes, terrorize the populace, rob and kill, and sow chaos... is an absolute necessity! As for defending the homeland or expanding territory... we might not fully grasp all that right now, but perhaps we will in the future. We can talk about that later!" Since the Martial Guard Army had "army" in its name, they were naturally soldiers. When Li Hao claimed he didn't understand, he truly meant it. Defending the homeland, guarding the realm, expanding territory... He understood none of those grandiose duties and burdens. And right now, he had no need to. Hong Qing seemed to understand. She nodded and asked no more. Ask any question, and the answer was simply killing! Li Hao's response was as plain as day. At that moment, someone from the Inspectorate side felt slightly awkward, but called out nonetheless: "Reporting, Commander!" "Speak!" "I would like to ask if there are regulations or operational standards for our missions... including reward and penalty systems, mission cycles, a military merit registrar, an evaluation system..." Li Hao looked blank. Truly blank. It wasn't that he was entirely ignorant of such matters; he simply hadn't given them a single thought. Realizing this, he smiled. "What is your name?" "Responding to My Lord..." "Call me Commander!" "Reporting, Commander, my name is Li Heng!" "A fellow clansman!" Li Hao chuckled. "From Silver City, and sharing my surname... Excellent. I have high hopes for you. Everything you just mentioned—go write me a comprehensive report detailing a full system. Since you asked, you must have some idea how it works. If you don't know, ask the other corps. Once you draw it up, I'll make you our merit evaluation officer!" "..." The martial master, who appeared to be in his thirties, was left speechless. He glanced at Liu Long, but Liu Long said nothing. It wasn't a big deal. They didn't have many people to begin with. With just fifty men, layering on too many systems was pointless. Of course, setting up a few necessary ones wouldn't hurt. Back in the Demon Hunt Squad, Liu Long hadn't bothered with any of it, but things were different now. It was only natural that Li Hao didn't know. In fact, Liu Long hadn't known much either, which was why his Demon Hunt Squad had ignored formal administration entirely, relying purely on his personal prestige to distribute rewards and record merits. …… "Boss!" Mu Lin's teeth ached as he transmitted his voice: "I swear this Li Hao is even more unreliable than I am. If this won't work, make me the centurion and let him be vice chiliarch instead. I'm genuinely worried his Demon Hunt Corps will all be dead in a few days." Golden Spear's expression remained steady as he watched in silence. Hearing Mu Lin's fretting, he replied via voice transmission: "Whether they're mules or thoroughbreds, we'll know once they're taken out for a run! Li Hao said he wants to take his men out for a few days of field drills to temper the unit, while coordinating with the four major agencies to hunt down members of the Three Great Organizations... Let's wait a few days and see." "Wait, he's taking them out right now?" Mu Lin was taken aback. The corps had only just been formed. Li Hao probably couldn't even recognize all the faces in the ranks yet. Wasn't he afraid of disaster? On second thought, Mu Lin chuckled and transmitted back, "Well, that works too. The perimeter around White Moon City is secure enough. Although many Red Moon supernaturals have flooded Silver Moon lately, they wouldn't dare approach White Moon City. Word is, a large number of them have gathered near Cross-Cut Gorge." Heading out to temper the ranks wasn't a bad idea. Besides, with Li Hao there, safety was not an issue. Furthermore, even after heading out, they might not cross paths with members of the Three Great Organizations. The enemy wasn't foolish; knowing an encirclement was underway, who would show their heads unless they were confident of victory? They were all hunkered down tight. When the Night Patrollers went out on patrol, they might not run into a single target for days. In the vast expanse of Silver Moon, with a population of over a hundred million, only a thousand or so supernaturals were hiding. If those supernaturals kept their heads down, how could anyone track them down one by one? That was Golden Spear's reasoning as well. Thus, he had not rejected Li Hao's proposal. Li Hao never walked the conventional path; rather than grinding out cohesion slowly, he wanted to lead his troops straight into the field... and that was acceptable. As for the ruin he had previously invited Li Hao to explore, delaying a few days would make no difference. The Battle Heaven City ruin wouldn't open until the twenty-eighth of this month at the earliest, still half a month away. Besides, it might not even open this month; if it didn't, it would be pushed to next month. There was plenty of time. …… Up front, Li Hao spoke again, his voice booming: "The Martial Guard Army is filled with experts! But our Demon Hunt Corps has fifty-one people: two Thousand-Battlers, twenty Hundred-Breakers, and the rest are all Ten-Slayer realm... very weak! Not a single one of us has reached Hundred-Breaker culmination!" "Therefore, we now have our first objective... for every member to reach the Hundred-Breaker realm! That is our simplest goal!" "The rise of supernaturals is not without benefits for martial masters. I have decided that tomorrow, we will march out of the city on patrol, hunt down members of the Three Great Organizations, and slay them! Mysterious energy, Blood God Seeds, and divine energy stones will all be the nourishment for our transformation!" "In particular, members of Red Moon almost always carry Blood God Seeds... I will find a way to borrow an Origin God Armament to extract them. As long as we kill enough Red Moon members, every single one of you will reach late Hundred-Breaker!" Li Hao's voice echoed like a great bronze bell: "I hear a large batch of Red Moon experts has gathered in Silver Moon! These people are the very foundation of our power, the bedrock of our rise! Once everyone reaches late Hundred-Breaker, I still have Dao-enlightening ancient weapons that can allow ten people to comprehend force! The ten Hundred-Breakers who kill the most enemies and achieve the greatest merits will all have a chance to comprehend force... Whether you succeed will be up to you! But at least the opportunity will be yours!" "And if your fortune is good enough, like mine—Hundred-Breaker today, late Hundred-Breaker tomorrow, force comprehension the day after—who is to say you won't step into the Thousand-Battler realm within days? Anything is possible!" He made it sound so effortless. The younger martial masters in front of him grew visibly excited, but the seasoned veterans remained entirely calm. *Painting grand cakes—I can do that too.* *How could it be that easy?* Red Moon was one of the Three Great Organizations, brimming with powerful figures. You might not even find them, yet here he was, speaking as though their heads were ripe for the picking. He was getting ahead of himself. If they actually ran into them, who would kill whom remained to be seen. Li Hao was strong, but a Thousand-Battler was only comparable to a Solar-tier combatant. Even if Li Hao could match a Three Suns expert, so what? Did Red Moon lack Three Suns powerhouses? Thus, only the disciples of the Sword Gate felt a rush of excitement. They were younger, and Hong Qing and her peers rarely deployed on missions, so their blood stirred with eager anticipation. The veterans from the Inspectorate, on the other hand, were wily old foxes. They remained completely unmoved. *Every member reaching Hundred-Breaker... easy to say.* A martial master breaking through to Hundred-Breaker was indeed far simpler with the help of mysterious energy, but that didn't mean swallowing mysterious energy guaranteed an advancement. As for Blood God Seeds... that required at least one per person. Twenty-nine Ten-Slayer martial masters would need at least twenty-nine Lunar Nether-tier Blood God Seeds, meaning the slaughter of twenty-nine Lunar Nether supernaturals... perhaps even more! After all, not everyone in Red Moon possessed one. Besides, with twenty-nine Lunar Nethers, wouldn't there be Solar and Three Suns experts alongside them? Would twenty-nine Lunar Nethers just line up and wait to be butchered? The more experienced they were, the more they felt Li Hao was merely dangling empty promises. And calling this the *first* objective... did he mean to imply he had even loftier ambitions waiting? …… Around the perimeter, other martial masters wore amused expressions. Someone murmured with a smirk, "The lad has guts! The Martial Guard Army was founded so many years ago, and even now, nearly half of us are still in the Ten-Slayer realm." Here he was, fresh out of the gate, declaring that every single member would become a Hundred-Breaker. Hundred-Breaker today, Thousand-Battler tomorrow. If reaching the Thousand-Battler realm were that easy, would the entire Martial Guard Army possess so few of them? There were plenty of Hundred-Breaker culmination experts, but crossing over into the Thousand-Battler realm was a formidable hurdle. They might have comprehended force, but many had done so through ancient weapons. That method carried a distinct flaw: the force was difficult to nurture and expand! Lacking a profound personal comprehension of force, nearly a hundred Hundred-Breaker culmination experts had remained stranded on the threshold of the Thousand-Battler realm. …… Li Hao did not care whether they believed him. He had simply stated his goals; once he achieved them, belief would follow naturally. If he couldn't even pull this off, then these eyes of his were utterly wasted. If raising twenty-nine Ten-Slayers into Hundred-Breakers proved too difficult, what was the point of joining the Martial Guard Army? To play house with children? Once he accomplished it, everyone would know whether he had been spouting hot air. "Now, I declare the Demon Hunt Corps officially established! With Chiliarch Golden Spear and Vice Chiliarch Mu Lin as our witnesses, from this day forth, I am your commanding officer!" Behind him, Golden Spear and Mu Lin gave faint nods. Golden Spear had actually intended to say a few words... but Li Hao gave him no opening. Li Hao felt there was no need for idle chatter. He also assumed that as a senior veteran, Golden Spear probably had no desire to deliver a long-winded speech. Thus, he immediately declared, "We thank the two lords for witnessing the establishment of the Demon Hunt Corps today. Let us see them off!" *Clap, clap, clap!* He began applauding enthusiastically! All around, the martial masters rolled their eyes. What kind of perfunctory inauguration ceremony was this? Golden Spear and Mu Lin were equally speechless. *This brat...* They had nothing to say. Oh well; Li Hao had recruited the Demon Hunt Corps himself and hadn't taken a single copper from the Martial Guard Army yet, seeing as payday hadn't arrived. Let him do as he pleased! As long as Li Hao wasn't afraid of trouble, even if he got them all killed, Wang Henggang and Hong Yitang would take it out on him, not them. Had Li Hao drafted men from their ranks, the two would never have let him act so recklessly. Golden Spear and Mu Lin turned and left, refusing to play along any longer. In their eyes, Li Hao was treating this like a game. Taking the team out for field drills? More likely a scenic tour. …… Li Hao paid them no heed. Looking back at his corps members, he continued, "Additionally, we need to select five squad leaders! Ten members per squad. Once the leaders are decided, the other nine must obey orders without acting on their own!" "In the future, I will only assign missions directly to the five squad leaders!" Li Hao looked at the crowd. "If I pick them myself, you probably won't be satisfied! We don't have many people, and only twenty are Hundred-Breakers, so we will choose among the Hundred-Breakers... Of course, if any Ten-Slayer believes they can slay foes above their realm, you are welcome to participate!" "Any of you twenty who wish to be squad leaders will spar to prove it." The martial masters exchanged glances, hesitating for a moment. Li Hao smiled. "No interest? Then let me add one thing. According to Martial Guard Army rules, all spoils from our missions belong to us. As commander of the Demon Hunt Corps, I hold full distribution authority. Naturally, I won't take much—only thirty percent! Vice Commander Liu, as a Thousand-Battler, takes ten percent. The remaining sixty percent will go to all of you." "That sixty percent will be split among the forty-nine of you. Each squad leader oversees nine people. After merits are tallied and distributed, the leader receives an additional ten percent from the spoils of each of their nine members, effectively doubling their haul!" "..." The moment he said this, everyone's expression shifted. Leaving aside whether they would secure spoils for now, what about later? The squad leader would receive an extra ten percent of what every member earned! The others would only lose ten percent, which didn't seem like much, but the squad leader's gains would instantly double! The disparity was massive! Hong Qing couldn't resist asking hurriedly, "Commander, if that's the case, won't the gap between squad leaders and regular members become enormous?" "Of course!" Li Hao nodded. "Strength talks! If you have the confidence, fight for it! If you earn it, the opportunity is yours. Besides, it's not permanent. It's just a ten-man squad; we could swap leaders every day without much disruption. So every month, we will hold a reelection. Whoever feels strong enough can issue a challenge... Everyone will have a shot." "But Ten-Slayers are already weaker than Hundred-Breakers. Doesn't this mean we arbitrarily lose ten percent of our spoils?" A Ten-Slayer martial master spoke up anxiously. When self-interest was at stake, no one stayed silent. Li Hao chuckled. "Ten-Slayers advance more easily. As for Hundred-Breakers, as long as they aren't culmination experts who possess force, catching up to them isn't impossible! Have a little confidence in yourselves. Besides, being weak... and still expecting an equal cut? You call that fair? Fairness is built on a foundation of comparable strength!" "And as squad leaders, they will naturally be expected to bear more. When slaying enemies, they lead the charge; they won't be sitting back collecting dividends. Our corps is small. Who pulls their weight and who slacks off—am I blind? Do you think I won't see?" At that, the Hundred-Breaker martial masters began itching for a fight. Even though no spoils had been claimed yet, locking down a squad leader position now was certainly no loss. Among the twenty Hundred-Breakers, eight were at late Hundred-Breaker—a full forty percent. That was already a high proportion. If only the late Hundred-Breakers competed, at least three would miss out. Moreover, several mid Hundred-Breakers were harboring ambitions of their own. Within the Hundred-Breaker realm, gaps existed, but they were not insurmountable. A Hundred-Breaker had no hope against a Thousand-Battler, but plenty of mid Hundred-Breakers had triumphed over late Hundred-Breakers before. Early Hundred-Breakers, however, stood little chance. The gap wasn't small; late Hundred-Breakers possessed at least twice their inner force. Under normal circumstances, turning the tables was nearly impossible. Once Li Hao finished speaking, twelve people stepped forward. All eight late Hundred-Breakers entered the fray, joined by four mid Hundred-Breakers eager to challenge their superiors. Among them, all three members of Li Hao's old Silver City squad stepped up: Liu Yan, who was late Hundred-Breaker, and Wu Chao and Chen Jian, who were mid Hundred-Breakers. Of the remaining nine, Li Hao recognized several. Hong Qing went without saying, as did her senior martial brother, Hong Hao. The Inspectorate side also put forth candidates, including Li Heng, whom Li Hao had just singled out. He was young, but already a mid Hundred-Breaker. "Twelve people competing for five spots means seven must be eliminated..." Li Hao assessed them with a smile. "First, one-on-one matches to leave six standing. The six losers will each have one chance to challenge the winners, though you cannot challenge the same person. Whoever wins replaces them! Once that's settled, one more will be eliminated from the remaining six... Once you're down to six, I'll decide how to cut the last one. Let's keep things efficient; running a round-robin is tedious and wastes too much time..." He had his own plans and didn't elaborate. Turning toward the twelve candidates, he reached out casually. A branch from a distant tree flew into his grasp, instantly severed into twelve pieces. "Pick one each. Twelve sticks of varying lengths, paired in identical pairs. Those who draw the same length are opponents. Some late Hundred-Breakers will inevitably face mid Hundred-Breakers—don't think you got lucky; you drew them yourselves!" Without complaint, the contenders stepped forward to draw lots. A moment later, the matchups were determined. Li Hao declared, "No need to fight one by one. All six pairs fight simultaneously to settle this quickly!" The contestants exchanged looks, but the drill grounds were vast enough to accommodate them all. …… Leaving them to it, Li Hao walked to the side with Liu Long. The others also cleared back, making room for the duelists. In the center, the twelve martial masters sized each other up, in no hurry to rush in. Liu Long asked quietly, "Do you think... Liu Yan and the boys can make squad leader?" "Sister Yan shouldn't have a problem. Her strikes are ruthless; an ordinary martial master is no match for her. The Sword Gate folks lack life-and-death combat experience, while the Inspectorate group feels like they've grown soft. Big Brother Wang seems to have looked after them too well—they've lost their feral edge and picked up a slick, bureaucratic demeanor." Liu Long nodded faintly. It was true; he had noticed it as well. He knew these men personally, and a few indeed felt greasy and softened, stripped of the savage grit they had possessed back in Silver City. "As for Brother Chao and Brother Jian... hard to say. They have combat experience, but the others aren't raw recruits either. Every martial master has some fights under their belt, and those two are only mid Hundred-Breakers after all." And newly advanced ones at that; winning would not be easy. As they spoke, the six pairs of martial masters clashed across the grounds. The first fight to conclude was not Liu Yan's, but Hong Qing's. Longsword in hand, Hong Qing lunged with astonishing speed. Her opponent was a late Hundred-Breaker martial master from the Inspectorate, yet within ten seconds of crossing blades, Hong Qing's sword sent him flying, leaving a bloody gash across his chest. Liu Long's brow furrowed deeply! He knew that man well—he had been Liu Long's former deputy and was once stronger than Liu Yan. Now, having grown accustomed to an easy life, he hadn't even lasted ten exchanges against Hong Qing despite being a late Hundred-Breaker! Hong Qing beamed with delight. Just as her bout ended, Liu Yan's twin blades were already pressed against her opponent's throat... not deep, but drawing a line of crimson that turned the Sword Gate martial master pale as a sheet. He had been terrified the woman might actually slaughter him. In the blink of an eye, two fights had concluded, and both victors were women. What was more, both of their opponents had been late Hundred-Breakers. The remaining four matches featured mid Hundred-Breakers, none of whom had been paired against each other. Liu Long suspected Li Hao had rigged the lots; otherwise, the odds of such pairings were remarkably slim. Shortly after those two finished, a third winner emerged: Hong Hao sent Chen Jian flying with a single thrust. Chen Jian crashed to the earth, unable to rise, looking utterly dejected. He had hoped his defensive skills would let him outlast the man, but defeat had come swiftly. Liu Long sighed softly. "The Earth-Overturning Sword's techniques are truly formidable. His disciples might lack field experience, but their fundamentals are rock-solid. This Hong Hao is formidable too, hardly weaker than I was back when I was a late Hundred-Breaker. The only thing he lacks is a bit of killing intent..." That was already high praise! Liu Long had carved his way up through sheer bloodshed. Li Hao nodded, continuing to watch. With three bouts settled, the fourth wrapped up shortly after. Where a clear gap in strength existed between martial masters, fights ended quickly. Before long, a stout martial master from the Inspectorate slammed his forehead into a mid Hundred-Breaker from the Sword Gate, sending him flying and securing the spot. Liu Long murmured, "Wang Chao, Wang Henggang's nephew. He cultivates the Iron Cloth Armor as well. Not bad at all—very solid fundamentals!" Li Hao nodded again. He was indeed quite capable. He seemed considerably tougher than Chen Jian. Four matches were decided, leaving two still underway: Wu Chao against a late Hundred-Breaker from the Inspectorate, and Li Heng against a late Hundred-Breaker from the Sword Gate. Wu Chao specialized in speed and spent the entire duel dodging, giving the Inspectorate martial master an agonizing headache. Unable to land a blow, he couldn't end the fight quickly. Watching the other four matches conclude while he still hadn't laid a finger on Wu Chao, the man grew furious and roared, "Skinny Wu, are you going to run forever?!" Evidently, the two were acquainted, perhaps even old friends from the Silver City Inspectorate. "Cut the crap! Catch me first, then talk!" The two darted across the grounds. Meanwhile, Li Hao shifted his gaze to Li Heng's duel. Li Heng was merely a mid Hundred-Breaker, but his skill was remarkable. The Sword Gate disciples were all skilled swordsmen, and Li Heng wielded a sword as well. His technique was breezy and ethereal, lacking the piercing weight of the Sword Gate, fluttering light as willow fluff—bearing some resemblance to the Shadowless Sword. Liu Long introduced him again: "That's Li Heng. He was on the enforcement team too, a real chatterbox. Not very old, thirty-two... or maybe thirty-three this year. His sword style has quite a history. Silver City once had a wandering swordsman whom no one realized was a martial master at first. Later, by coincidence, he revealed his skills a few times and took a liking to Li Heng, taking him under his wing and passing down some swordplay. Later, that swordsman traveled far away and died. White Moon City notified us to collect the body, and only then did we learn he was the successor to the Willow Catkin Sword..." The Willow Catkin Sword was not one of the Seven Swords, but had Silver Moon ranked ten swords back in the day, the Willow Catkin Sword might well have made the list. To be counted among the top ten swordsmen during the peak of Silver Moon's martial forest was no small feat. A second-generation disciple of such a master was bound to be formidable. Though Li Heng was only a mid Hundred-Breaker facing a disciple of the Earth-Overturning Sword, his Willow Catkin Sword left his opponent struggling to mount an effective counterattack. The Earth-Overturning Sword was undeniably powerful! Yet even with the same sword style, different practitioners achieved different mastery. After several minutes of stalemate, Li Heng flicked his blade and struck his opponent's wrist, disarming him. He was the first mid Hundred-Breaker to defeat his opponent. Li Heng panted heavily, but grinned broadly. With that match over, Wu Chao was still running circles around the Inspectorate martial master. Li Hao was at a loss for words! For the first time, he realized that excessive speed could be thoroughly obnoxious. Everyone else was done; had these two even exchanged a blow? Wu Chao was panting so hard his tongue nearly hung out, but the man could truly run. He had run the late Hundred-Breaker ragged. The man couldn't catch him, yet the moment he stopped chasing, Wu Chao would dart in for a sneak attack, leaving him thoroughly exhausted. Finally, the late Hundred-Breaker snapped: "I'm done!" "You surrender?" "I don't surrender, but I'm not fighting anymore! Wu, even if you advance, there are still six of you, and one more has to be cut... You're fast, but someone will be faster!" Cursing, he walked away. He was far slower than Wu Chao and couldn't catch him to save his life; what was the point of continuing? Wu Chao was overjoyed. As for being challenged later, he was prepared—he would just keep running. Being fast was nothing to be ashamed of. With that, six victors had emerged. The six losers now fixed their eyes on Li Heng and Wu Chao. Those two were the weakest. Unfortunately, each had only one chance to issue a challenge, and only one person could challenge a given winner. For a moment, the martial masters hesitated—what if they all picked the same two? No one wanted to challenge Hong Qing, Liu Yan, or Hong Hao. Wang Chao, Wang Henggang's nephew, possessed formidable Iron Cloth Armor that was hard to crack, so no one felt confident about beating him either. The two mid Hundred-Breakers had become the soft persimmons. Li Hao looked at the six losers and smiled. "It seems everyone only wants to challenge Wu Chao and Li Heng, while the other four are safe... Those defeated by Wu Chao and Li Heng can sit out; don't waste our time. If you couldn't beat a mid Hundred-Breaker the first time, challenging them again is pointless. As for the remaining four, spar among yourselves in pairs. The two winners can pick whoever they want to challenge. Fighting one extra match is only fair—who told you to lose earlier!" No one objected. In fact, the four didn't even need to fight, because Chen Jian and the other mid Hundred-Breaker immediately forfeited. They had only entered to test the waters, and having been defeated so quickly, fighting more matches served no purpose. Thus, the remaining two—the ones previously bested by Hong Qing and Liu Yan—stepped up, each picking one target to challenge. Li Hao watched for a while, then lost interest. None of these martial masters possessed force. Without force, martial masters merely had refined hand-to-hand combat skills; there was nothing extraordinary about them. For the two mid Hundred-Breakers to triumph over late Hundred-Breakers, they naturally had their own strengths. Ten minutes later, drenched in sweat, Li Heng managed to defeat his challenger with the Willow Catkin Sword once more. Fighting two consecutive matches against higher-tier opponents left him utterly exhausted. Normally a chatterbox, he couldn't muster a single word. On the other side, Wu Chao was dripping with sweat as he ran. His challenger, a Sword Gate disciple, slashed furiously with his sword, each strike sharper than the last, yet he consistently failed to pin Wu Chao down. "Brother Chao really is fast." Li Hao watched for a moment. He hadn't paid it much mind before, but now curiosity stirred. "Does Brother Chao also come from a renowned lineage?" Chen Jian's Iron Cloth Armor was common enough, with countless branches. Movement lineages, however, rarely had famed masters. Wu Chao was blisteringly fast. Li Hao had known this since the days when Wu Chao, facing Red Moon supernaturals, had managed to flee with Black Panther and Yun Yao, successfully shaking off their pursuers. Seeing him now, he appeared significantly faster than an ordinary late Hundred-Breaker. Liu Long pondered for a moment before murmuring, "There are things I didn't want to bring up, but... as I said before, everyone in the squad has their secrets. Those who chose to stay in Silver City each had their reasons. Wu Chao... Wu Chao is actually Wu Xinghong's grandson..." *Wu Xinghong?* Li Hao searched his memory with no luck. He looked at Liu Long, who smiled faintly. "You might not know his name, but he had a moniker: Grass-Skimmer." "Oh!" Li Hao realized, somewhat surprised. "Him... He was quite famous back then. He wasn't among the Thirty-Six Heroes only because his combat prowess was lacking, but his movement technique was unmatched. Many said he deserved a place in the Roster of Heroes!" Though not one of the Thirty-Six Heroes, being hailed as the foremost master of movement in Silver Moon was extraordinary. Wu Chao was actually his grandson? "Then why did Brother Chao... join the squad?" "Wu Xinghong was killed. Not only that, the entire Wu family was slaughtered... Supposedly done by Feitian. A supernatural from Feitian set their sights on their movement technique. We don't know exactly who struck, but the Wu family was indeed wiped out." "Feitian?" Li Hao felt a headache coming on. Their squad was truly a piece of work. His own enemy was Red Moon, Liu Yan's was Yama, and now Wu Chao's was Feitian. Good grief—the Three Great Organizations were fully accounted for! "Yes. Feitian has many assassins, coming and going without a trace... While they might not be able to use a martial master's movement technique, how could Feitian not be interested in the secret arts of Silver Moon's premier movement lineage?" Liu Long shook his head and sighed. "Wu Chao wasn't home at the time, which was how he survived. Later, he came to Silver City because of its remoteness, and because your teacher was there. He knew the Night Patrollers were protecting your teacher, so he initially came seeking refuge." Li Hao understood. Of their five-member squad, he now knew Liu Yan's background and Wu Chao's background. Only Chen Jian and Yun Yao's stories remained untold. Evidently, they had stories of their own. Of course, Li Hao didn't care anymore. Having offended all Three Great Organizations, one more enemy made little difference. As they talked, Wu Chao continued leaping and dodging... until finally, the Sword Gate martial master gave up. Unable to land a strike, and considering Wu Chao was an old comrade of Liu Long and Li Hao, the man weighed his options and conceded. With that, the duels concluded. Looking at the utterly spent Wu Chao and Li Heng, then glancing at the other four, Li Hao said flatly, "Those four don't need any further assessment; they are officially squad leaders. Wu Chao, Li Heng, do you have any objections?" What objections could they have? Neither had a single thought left in their heads. Right now, anyone could knock them over. Still, both felt a twinge of frustration and reluctance—this meant one of them was about to be cut. Li Heng grew nervous. He knew Wu Chao had followed Liu Long and was Li Hao's former teammate. If Li Hao made the call, his chances were slim. "Commander..." Li Heng rushed to say, "Old Wu and I know each other from before. Old Wu is fast, but I'm not slow either... I was thinking, why don't Old Wu and I share a squad? He handles scouting, I handle combat. We can be leader and vice leader, splitting forty percent each of the merits from the other eight members..." "We might be slightly weaker than the other leaders individually, but together, we won't lag behind!" He framed it grandly! In truth, he was simply terrified of being eliminated. Li Hao chuckled. He hadn't even spoken, yet this fellow had already proposed a solution. Wu Chao, still gasping for air, thought it over and chimed in, "Commander, I think that sounds fine too... Even though Li Heng has only scratched the surface of the Willow Catkin Sword, his swordplay is decent enough..." Li Heng shot him a glare, cursing inwardly. This guy had rubbed him the wrong way back in Silver City, and now they were lumped together. He felt utterly exasperated. "Very well then!" Li Hao couldn't be bothered to waste more effort. "It's settled. As for your squad members, pick them yourselves! If people are willing to follow you, great; if not, the remaining members will be drafted in turns!" "Try to build a distinct profile—either balanced offense and defense, all-out defense, or all-out attack... Just don't make it a random mishmash. Don't go copying Wu Chao and filling a squad with runners. You two might sprint off, but what about the rest?" The crowd burst into laughter. Li Hao added, "That's all for today. Sort yourselves out and finalize your squads before tonight. Tomorrow morning, we set out!" Even Liu Long was dumbfounded. This was far too rushed. He knew Li Hao's ambitions; the kid was aiming for high-stakes operations, not petty skirmishes. Seeing Li Hao turn to leave, Liu Long hurried after him, murmuring, "The corps was just formed. The members don't know each other well, and everyone is still a stranger. Setting out tomorrow morning... isn't that pushing too fast?" "We need to buy time!" Li Hao replied via voice transmission: "We don't need to fear danger—wearing black armor drastically boosts our defenses. We'll build cohesion on the march. I'll pick weaker targets for them to temper themselves in battle; I won't go after formidable foes right off the bat. Boss, don't you trust my eye?" Liu Long considered it and nodded. That, at least, was dependable. "What if we run into a truly powerful entity...?" "Below Rising Light, I fear no one! If we truly encounter a Rising Light... Boss, you lead the others and run. I will hold them off!" Rising Light! A realm that had once seemed unfathomably distant was treated so casually by Li Hao today. If a Rising Light appeared, he would hold them off. Liu Long fell silent. Li Hao was strong, but if a Rising Light truly appeared, could they really leave Li Hao behind to face it alone? "Understood," Liu Long muttered, saying no more. Li Hao didn't linger either. He headed straight for Golden Spear's office. He needed to borrow some divine energy stones—yes, borrow them, to be repaid upon their return. Injuries were inevitable for martial masters; to avoid combat attrition, he needed an abundant supply of sword energy. He would borrow dozens, perhaps a hundred stones first. Once he returned, he would naturally have the funds to repay the debt. As for the inconvenience of revealing the sword energy, that was no issue; by then, he would have an explanation ready. At this moment, Li Hao harbored clear ambitions... If he could nurture this Demon Hunt Corps into a formidable force, he would have capable hands at his disposal. Otherwise, acting alone was convenient, but at times, terribly inefficient. Shortly after, Li Hao walked out of the office. After a long silence from Golden Spear, Li Hao had ultimately secured thirty divine energy stones. The price was taking fifty suits of black armor; if he failed to repay the stones, the remaining fifty suits would belong to the Martial Guard Army. Fifty suits of black armor were clearly more valuable than thirty divine energy stones—the stones were consumables, whereas the armor was not. Li Hao hadn't haggled much. He was confident he would repay the debt.