A Fierce Tiger Leaves the Mountains

September 15. Before dawn had fully broken, a squad of fifty assembled at the main gates of the Martial Guard Army. Hong Qing, Hong Hao, Wang Chao, and Liu Yan had each successfully assembled their squads. Needless to say, both Hong Qing and Hong Hao led sword cultivators—disciples of the Sword Gate. The squads led by Wang Chao and Liu Yan consisted almost entirely of people from the Inspectorate. Only Li Heng and Wu Chao had ended up picking from whoever was left over, leaving their squad looking somewhat motley. At this moment, everyone felt a touch apprehensive. For several Sword Gate disciples, this was their very first official mission. Though they trained rigorously on normal days, the thought of actually being deployed to kill people still left them somewhat unsettled. Just then, Li Hao strode over. He swept his gaze over the crowd, gave a slight nod, and said in a low voice, "Everyone is accounted for. Board the trucks. Squad leaders, show your members how to use the black armor!" After bringing back the black armor the previous night, Li Hao had also learned how the Martial Guard Army operated it. The black armor featured a special mechanism. While its surface looked smooth, it actually had several small studs. As long as they were unlocked in the correct sequence, the black armor would naturally open—something Li Hao hadn't anticipated. As for how Hou Xiaochen had figured it out, Li Hao had no idea. At this moment, two light trucks were parked before the Martial Guard Army's gatehouse. Specially designated for the Martial Guard Army, they came with dedicated military drivers, though one could also drive them without a driver. "Squads One and Two, board the front vehicle! Squads Three, Four, and Five, board the rear one!" Li Hao gave the order. Liu Long was in the front truck along with Squads One and Two, which were led by Hong Qing and Liu Yan. The few female martial masters in the unit had also practically all been divided between the two of them. The group quickly boarded their respective vehicles. As martial masters, even if many hadn't received formal military training, they all understood how to obey simple orders—especially the men from the Inspectorate, who had undergone professional training before. …… Inside the second truck, three squads filed in one after another. Li Hao did not climb aboard, instead vanishing from everyone's sight. The Martial Guard Army's trucks were specially manufactured. The cargo beds were not completely enclosed; there was no roof, and the side panels had slits cut into them to facilitate scouting for enemies. Li Heng was a talkative sort. Seeing that Li Hao wasn't aboard once he got on, he began muttering, "Thirty of us packed into one vehicle, while the front one only has twenty. On top of that, Old Wu's and my squad only actually has nine people. Vice Commander Liu is a Thousand-Battler, but the commander counted him in our squad... As if we'd dare give orders to Commander Liu!" No one paid him any mind. Feeling gloomy, Li Heng spoke up again: "And another thing. We only met our own squad members last night, and we don't even know the people in the other squads yet. The commander is rushing us out on a mission already. Isn't this a bit too... much?" He had never seen anything like it. Fortunately, this was likely just a patrol around the outskirts. Quite a few people actually treated it like an outing; the new commander was just going through the motions. Having spent years in the Inspectorate, Li Heng understood how these things worked. He was only saying this to gain a sense of validation and presence. Wang Chao ignored him. As Wang Henggang's nephew, his uncle had told him something before he left: that Li Hao was no pushover. Young though he was, none of Old Demon Yuan's disciples were simple. Be careful, and just do as you're told once you reach the Martial Guard Army. Therefore, Wang Chao said nothing more and simply instructed his squad, "Put on the black armor!" With that, he began guiding his people on how to wear it. A few curiously strapped the pieces on. Before long, someone spoke up: "Captain Wang, it's pretty heavy. It hinders agility a bit. How about we take it off? We're still in White Moon City, after all..." "Put it on!" Wang Chao replied gruffly. Naturally, the black armor had some weight to it, but for martial masters, it wasn't overly heavy or disruptive. Moreover, the armor was not rigid, so it hardly restricted their movements. Once they got used to it, it wouldn't be an issue. Evidently, the experts of the ancient civilization had taken this into account. They would never forge armor that impaired combat effectiveness without reason. Seeing this, Hong Hao also instructed his squad to start donning the armor. The truck bed wasn't particularly large. Without armor, they could squeeze in, but once fully armored, twenty-nine martial masters made it feel quite cramped. Seeing everyone else suiting up, Li Heng grumbled under his breath but told his squad to start putting it on as well. Soon, the entire truck bed was filled with black-armored warriors. "Everyone, does anyone know where we're headed today? The commander didn't even mention a destination..." Having strapped on his armor, Wu Chao couldn't help snapping, "Where do you get so many questions from?" "Old Wu, aren't you curious?" "No." "Right, you worked with the commander before. Old Wu, tell me... ahem, is our commander reliable?" Wu Chao ignored him. Reliable? You're asking me? How should I know! Li Hao was quite dependable when handling business, but his guts were by no means small. Wu Chao had spoken with Liu Long for a bit last night. While the boss hadn't said it outright, he had dropped a hint: be careful this time, as Li Hao harbored grand ambitions. …… One behind the other, the two trucks drove out of the Martial Guard Army's station. Meanwhile, Li Hao had already moved ahead. He didn't ride in the vehicles, instead sprinting along the way at a pace no slower than the trucks. Before long, he found Wang Ming yawning inside a sports car. Only when Li Hao drew close did Wang Ming sense his presence. He sat up with a start. "Li Hao... You're way too early!" Li Hao glanced at him, offered no pleasantries, and asked bluntly, "I spoke with you last night. Are you sure you want to come with me?" "Of course!" Wang Ming said excitedly. "To be honest, ever since I ran around with you a few times, going back to the Night Patrollers has been boring to death. When I heard you were heading out for field training, count me in. I promise not to make trouble." "The Martial Guard Army doesn't recruit supernaturals. On one hand, coordination is inconvenient; on the other, it's for concealment... You understand that, right?" "Yeah!" Wang Ming nodded. Of course he understood; Li Hao had explained it over the communicator last night. Seeing this, Li Hao continued, "Since you want to join, I won't turn you away. You have only one task: act as bait! Supernaturals are easily detected, and your Solar-tier strength isn't weak. It would be best if you can lure out some supernaturals who want to target you!" "You won't be operating with us... You'll be on your own. If something happens... I won't be held responsible! The danger is substantial. If a powerful expert suddenly appears and tries to strike you down in an instant... I'll maintain a distance of at least a thousand meters from you. At the very least, that much. Whether you can dodge or survive... that's all up to you!" Li Hao hadn't refused Wang Ming's request to join. Conveniently, he was short on bait. Though his vision was sharp, he couldn't scour every inch of land himself. If Wang Ming could draw out a bunch of supernaturals, that would be ideal. However, acting as bait came with immense risk. Wang Ming grinned broadly. "As long as the benefits are right, being bait is no problem! This kind of life... is what's truly thrilling!" With that, he chuckled loudly. "If we don't butcher a few Three Suns this time, we'll have wasted waking up this early, right?" This fellow's appetite had grown considerably as well. Li Hao gave him a sidelong glance. Old Wang's courage was indeed growing by the day. Li Hao gave a slight nod. Wang Ming cleared his throat and added, "Right, Senior Brother Li... can I bring one more person along?" "Hmm?" "Zhou Qin from last time... the one who keeps a tiger." Wang Ming explained, "If I run around all by myself, it'll draw suspicion instead. A Solar rushing all over the place with nothing to do—supernaturals aren't stupid, they'll realize right away that it looks like bait... But if Zhou Qin comes with me, whether we're drag racing or cruising around, we'll look like wealthy young masters out seeking fun... Alone, it really doesn't look the part." "Is he at the Lunar Nether tier?" "Yeah, full moon stage of Lunar Nether. A bit weak, sure..." Li Hao said flatly, "We are going out to kill people, as you well know! You understand how great the danger is. This isn't an outing. If you insist on bringing him along, I won't stop you, but if he dies, I won't step in!" A Lunar Nether-tier supernatural going out for amusement—Li Hao was no babysitter. He hadn't asked Wang Ming to recruit anyone else, so if the man died, he wouldn't care. Zhou Qin... with the surname Zhou, Li Hao didn't know whether he was related to Deputy Director Zhou of the General Administration Bureau. Still, Li Hao didn't care much either way. Whether there was a connection or not didn't matter to him. Wang Ming grinned. "No problem! If he dies, he dies. The guy just wants excitement. If he really gets killed, I guarantee nobody will make a fuss. To tell you the truth, Senior Brother, my friends have been bored out of their minds. If he weren't going stir-crazy, why would he go catch a tiger to play with? With him around, if it weren't inconvenient, I'd even bring two female companions and drive a couple of cars. That's what a genuine sightseeing tour looks like! Toss in a few bodyguards, and anyone looking would instantly peg us as dissolute young masters from wealthy families out on a lark. Guaranteed nobody would suspect a thing!" This was his own reasoning. He felt that was what real bait should look like. Two men, both supernaturals, serving as bait—how convincing was that? Seeing Li Hao remain silent, Wang Ming added, "If you want to find people, Senior Brother... I can summon them right away. Guaranteed to be quick, won't waste any time! The girls go without saying; they're my friends too, all thrill-seekers who wouldn't blame anyone if they got killed! As for bodyguards, having them or not doesn't really matter. After all, we're supernaturals ourselves. We're young, bold, and it's only natural if we look down on everyone." Li Hao frowned at him. To be frank, he didn't quite understand how these people thought. These second-generation scions seemed somewhat different from what he had expected. Rather than drowning themselves in wine and women until they could barely walk, each of them seemed possessed by strange notions, all itching for some excitement. If he were in their shoes, Li Hao felt certain he wouldn't harbor such suicidal urges to chase thrills. Seeing Li Hao's silence, Wang Ming hurriedly said, "If you think it's inappropriate, Senior Brother, just forget it. I was only thinking of making the disguise more flawless." After a moment's thought, Li Hao said, "Are there any descendants of major figures? The kind whose families would come looking for trouble if they died?" "None!" Wang Ming replied immediately. "Even if there were, they wouldn't come looking for trouble. Rest assured on that, Senior Brother. Would I ever screw over one of our own?" Li Hao raised an eyebrow and swept his eyes over him. Only after a long pause did he say, "Old Wang, do as you see fit. From here on, I won't look after you. You take your route, I'll take mine. We don't even need to stay in touch. All you need to do is draw out a large number of ill-intentioned supernaturals... I won't concern myself with the rest!" Wang Ming nodded instantly and asked, "Then the destination is..." "First, follow the main road toward Cross-Cut Gorge! Once you reach Cross-Cut Gorge, I'll contact you again. This time, we will either cross the gorge or sweep right through it... Supernaturals are bound to be hiding there!" "Understood!" Wang Ming nodded eagerly, a surge of excitement running through him. This was going to be a major operation! Ever since returning to White Moon City, he had indeed felt bored out of his mind. There weren't many missions and no thrilling battles. Even though he was only one step away from the mid Solar tier, he had remained stuck. He simply couldn't work up any enthusiasm for the minor assignments of the Night Patrollers. Even though the Night Patrollers had been targeting the Three Great Organizations these past few days, it was all thunder and no rain. Hao Lianchuan had led people to kill a few members of Red Moon, but the strongest among them had only been at the Solar tier and was quickly eliminated. A massive force had deployed only to kill a handful of Red Moon supernaturals, and the spoils distributed afterward weren't even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth! Li Hao said nothing more and turned to leave. Wang Ming was fairly well-informed, but of course, Li Hao hadn't kept any secrets from him either. If this fellow insisted on taking risks... let him be. Li Hao held this attitude toward both martial masters and supernaturals. None of them were children; each had to take responsibility for themselves. Wang Ming was also right: acting that way would make them look even more like second-generation scions out on an excursion... In fact, they didn't just look the part—they genuinely were. …… Before long, Li Hao caught up with the Martial Guard Army's two trucks. Instead of continuing to run, he swiftly leaped onto the second vehicle. His sudden arrival startled Li Heng and the others so badly they nearly mistook him for an attacking enemy. Fortunately, they quickly recognized Li Hao's face and breathed a sigh of relief. …… At the Night Patrollers headquarters. Hou Xiaochen had returned. At this moment, he was gently caressing the Fire Phoenix Spear, seemingly immersed in comprehension. After a long while, he offered a faint smile, having reached an understanding. *Li Hao!* *It really was you!* *To think you truly shattered the God-Splitting Spear Intent. That was unexpected indeed.* Just then, Chief Steward Yu knocked and entered, saying softly, "Li Hao has taken his men out. The unit was only formed yesterday, and before he even had a chance to fully familiarize himself with the roster, he set out... Li Hao's dossier never suggested he was so reckless!" Li Hao's background was crystal clear: he was a young man who looked before he leaped, by no means as impetuous as he appeared now. The Red Moon murder case in Silver City had only been uncovered because of Li Hao's deliberate orchestrations. Had Li Hao not pursued the investigation relentlessly and kept a covert watch for an entire year, perhaps even after his death no one would have known that the victims had fallen to Red Moon's hands. Red Moon's operations had been exceedingly discreet. Yet now, why was Li Hao in such a rush? Hou Xiaochen stroked the spear lightly and murmured, "He likely has his own thoughts. Perhaps after seeing more of the world, he felt the disparity in strength. Furthermore, he probably wants to support Yuan Shuo—or rather, share some of Yuan Shuo's burden... Yuan Shuo marched into the Central Region with great fanfare to slaughter Red Moon members. Do you truly believe Yuan Shuo is arrogant to such an extent?" Chief Steward Yu pondered for a moment before asking softly, "The Minister means... Yuan Shuo acted so boldly and arrogantly in order to divert Red Moon's attention?" "What else?" Hou Xiaochen gazed into the distance and sighed softly. "His disciple is a thorn in Red Moon's side, and Silver Moon has become a whirlpool of conflict. If he didn't step forward to divert those powerhouses' attention, Orange Moon and Yellow Moon—who are currently hunting him down—might already be on their way to deal with Li Hao!" If Yuan Shuo hadn't stirred up chaos, allowing Red Moon to dispatch so many experts, who would their target have been? One hundred percent Li Hao! Many people actually understood this logic clearly. Even Ying Hongyue could see through it completely. Yet compared to dealing with Li Hao, whose fame was not yet widespread, Yuan Shuo was someone who had to be eliminated. Everyone knew how terrifying Yuan Shuo was. The man had broken through the shackles; if left unchecked, he would soon become a mortal threat! Had Ying Hongyue not been tied down himself, he would certainly have gone after Yuan Shuo in person. Orange Moon and Yellow Moon held the second and third seats in all of Red Moon, yet they had set aside countless major affairs in the Central Region to focus entirely on Yuan Shuo—which spoke volumes. Ying Hongyue already regarded Yuan Shuo with the utmost seriousness! As for Lanyue and Purple Moon remaining in Silver Moon, their primary objective was also Li Hao; the ruins and Hou Xiaochen were secondary. Lanyue's previous scheme had been to take Li Hao away while Hou Xiaochen was engaged in battle. To deal with this master and disciple, four of Red Moon's Seven Moons had placed their focus on them. Hou Xiaochen continued, "You said yourself that Li Hao is someone who plans before acting. Why has he stopped planning now? Simply because he has run out of time. His master marched alone into the Central Region on his behalf; otherwise, if Yuan Shuo had kept a low profile, who could have found him? Li Hao understands this perfectly well. Just because he doesn't say it doesn't mean he doesn't know. If you think he is ignorant of this, you underestimate him far too much!" Chief Steward Yu nodded slightly. Still, she remained somewhat puzzled: "Yuan Shuo does not have only one disciple. It has only been three years since he took Li Hao under his wing. Their bond may be deep, but is Li Hao truly worth such a massive price from Yuan Shuo?" "Li Hao is one factor, but there is another... Yuan Shuo himself refuses to accept his lot!" Hou Xiaochen seemed to know Yuan Shuo very well. He smiled and said, "He refuses to accept that those who were once beneath him are now stepping on his head! Previously, he felt despondent and despairing, so he didn't show it. But once he caught sight of an opportunity... When people like him grasp a chance, they can turn a single point of fortune into ten. Yuan Shuo also wants to push himself under pressure. Only amidst mortal peril does he stand a greater chance of catching up to those who surpassed him." "Sky Sword, Tyrant Saber—those people are all alive and thriving. Ying Hongyue even more so. Southern Fist and Golden Spear are doing well, and he has other old acquaintances in the Central Region. Do you think Yuan Shuo can accept that?" A twofold reason had driven Yuan Shuo's madness. From Linjiang onward, he had slaughtered his way forward, aiming straight for the Central Region. Though he concealed his tracks, every kill exposed his presence, and he made little effort to cover them up. He was intentionally placing himself in extreme peril at every waking moment. Such madness made many who were watching him feel uneasy. If this man did not die, he would become a catastrophic threat in the future. Starting from slaying Three Suns experts, Yuan Shuo had now even begun killing combatants at peak Three Suns. And Jade Light Sword, who traveled alongside him, was reportedly showing signs of stepping into the Spirit Nourishing realm as well. Initially, Jade Light Sword had only seemed comparable to weaker early-stage Three Suns supernaturals. Yet before long, news arrived that she had slain an early-stage Three Suns expert with her lightning-fast sword. Once these veteran martial masters seized an opportunity, every one of them grew stronger with terrifying speed. Chief Steward Yu now understood completely. Hou Xiaochen, however, smiled. "Couldn't you see this for yourself? Why come ask me?" Jade Rakshasa was no fool. A fool could never have become the manager of the Night Patrollers. She handled the Night Patrollers' daily affairs; Hou Xiaochen rarely involved himself in them. Only after thinking it over did Chief Steward Yu reply, "I could perceive some of Li Hao's thoughts, but I was still somewhat perplexed. He is exceedingly confident—or rather, remarkably calm... Whether encountering Golden Spear or even stronger beings, he appears respectful, but he never seems truly awed or shaken. This doesn't quite match his background. He came from Silver City and rarely stepped outside since childhood... How could he manage that?" "When one has witnessed greater heights, such composure comes naturally." Hou Xiaochen wasn't surprised in the least. "Perhaps he has seen something—beheld beings of unimaginable power. That is why he dared to swing his sword, dared to sever the God-Splitting Spear Intent! Having glimpsed a higher heaven and earth, even if his current strength falls short, why would he be awestruck by a lesser realm?" Chief Steward Yu looked thoughtful and nodded. "Then do we need to send people to secretly protect him?" Li Hao was a thorn in Red Moon's side. Red Moon was likely very interested in his movements. At present, Red Moon might not know, but they would discover sooner or later that Li Hao had left White Moon City. When that happened, danger would follow. Hou Xiaochen laughed. "No need... Every martial master must forge their own path. He won't die so easily. If he does, it merely means he lacked fortune. Just keep applying pressure on Red Moon and tying down their experts. Whether Li Hao can break through Red Moon's encirclement on his own will depend on him." "You weren't like this toward Yuan Shuo back then..." "Is the likes of Lanyue comparable to Ying Hongyue?" Hou Xiaochen's expression turned solemn. "Though Yuan Shuo and his disciple curse Ying Hongyue as worthless, you know what kind of man he is. A person capable of leading Red Moon to rapid prominence is not someone trash like Lanyue can match. Besides, Lanyue is merely of the second generation!" He took Ying Hongyue very seriously. In truth, no one dared to underestimate him. As the leader of one of the Three Great Organizations, a figure who could rampage across the Central Region, anyone who looked down on Ying Hongyue was bound to suffer misfortune sooner or later. "Understood!" Chief Steward Yu said no more. Just as she turned to leave, Hou Xiaochen thought for a moment and spoke up: "You... should make preparations!" Chief Steward Yu paused slightly in her tracks. Hou Xiaochen said softly, "It's about time. Give it a try. Starting from the Rising Light tier, one can begin attempting it. While the drawbacks cannot yet be thoroughly resolved, there are workarounds. The Blood God Seed is reasonably effective. Of course, Blood God Seeds are not limitless, and those at the Rising Light tier are especially scarce. Sooner or later, Red Moon will reclaim all their Blood God Seeds..." "So, before Red Moon takes that step, do it as soon as possible!" A Blood God Seed could compensate for certain drawbacks, yet such things were not in endless supply. It was a palliative measure, treating the symptoms rather than the root cause. Only if Yuan Shuo's Five Animals Breathing Technique could be successfully adapted might it offer a true cure. The reason so many experts had their eyes fixed on Yuan Shuo was precisely this: even if its effectiveness proved slightly inferior to a Blood God Seed, one absolutely had to possess a genuinely suitable cultivation technique. Otherwise, once the Blood God Seeds were exhausted and gone, what would they do next? Relying on external objects to resolve drawbacks was not something everyone could achieve. Nor was it a normal path! Chief Steward Yu exhaled gently and nodded. "All right!" The day had finally come. Returning to the path of a martial master! She never mentioned the title Jade Rakshasa anymore, for she was no longer the Jade Rakshasa of the jianghu from years past. Yet now... if she successfully returned, the Jade Rakshasa who had once run rampant across the realm would be back. Hou Xiaochen's tone grew grave as well. "Though I've made some preparations, they may not be sufficient. If you fail..." Supernatural power would dissipate, the physical body would suffer grievous trauma, and one would be crippled if not killed outright. Transitioning from a supernatural back to a martial master was far from simple. The cost of failure was virtually indistinguishable from death. And even with success, numerous complications would remain, all of which might require greater opportunities to mend. "It doesn't matter!" Chief Steward Yu was unconcerned; she did not fear failure. "Then return and meditate in seclusion for a few days. You needn't bother with mundane affairs during this time." "Understood." Chief Steward Yu departed. Once she was gone, Hou Xiaochen gave a soft cough, shook his head, and let out a sigh. Looking out the window, he wondered whether anyone had completely resolved these sequelae yet. None of the figures in Silver Moon had managed it. What about the Central Region? The Imperial Family? The Nine Departments? The paramount figures among the Three Great Organizations? And what about those dormant powerhouses lurking across various provinces? Whoever took this step first would likely be the one to trigger a total upheaval. For now, the balance still held. Just how many beings like himself existed remained an unknown, but there were certainly not a few. All of them were merely waiting for an opportunity. …… At the same time. In a shadowy place—what appeared to be a cave or subterranean cavern shrouded in darkness. Amidst the deathly silence of the cavern, a dark silhouette suddenly materialized. "Pavilion Master, Li Hao appears to have left White Moon City." A cloaked figure—Feitian. The experts of Feitian stationed in provinces were all referred to as Pavilion Masters. Evidently, Banshan, Feitian's representative in Silver Moon, was right here. From the darkness, Banshan's voice drifted out slowly: "Li Hao... Instead of staying hidden obediently in White Moon City while Red Moon converges on Silver Moon in force, he has actually ventured out... Yuan Shuo's disciple is just as daring as Yuan Shuo himself!" "Pavilion Master, do we need to take any action?" "No... Just keep watching him! Red Moon has operated in Silver Moon for many years; Hou Xiaochen won't find it so easy to sever their network of informants. You can conceal something for a time, but not forever. Red Moon will discover Li Hao's movements sooner or later... Let us observe for now!" "Yes!" Soon, the cloaked informant vanished. A moment later, faint illumination appeared within the cavern. Banshan was not alone in the dark. Another cloaked figure stood there, who had remained terrifyingly silent and still just moments ago, undetected by the previous scout. Banshan spoke up: "Elder, is Li Hao truly the only remaining descendant of the Eight Great Families?" An Elder. The Feitian organization was extraordinarily mysterious; even the Night Patrollers knew very little about them. They operated like an assassin guild, killing for hire—though what they demanded was not money, but cultivation treasures. The Night Patrollers understood little of Feitian's structure. While it was the most secretive of the Three Great Organizations, general details were known: Feitian possessed a Council of Elders composed of top-tier assassins. From beneath the cloak in the darkness, the Elder's voice sounded somewhat raspy: "Perhaps others still live, but for now, on the surface, only Li Hao remains! However... that person from Red Moon, who knows whether he might actually be from one of the Eight Great Families himself? His knowledge of the Eight Great Families exceeds ours. Over the years, Red Moon has always laid out plans first, with us following behind... Does Ying Hongyue truly bear the surname Ying?" Banshan fell silent as well. True enough. Ying Hongyue was also from the Silver Moon martial arts world. Whether he was a scion of the Eight Great Families had been speculated upon by both Feitian and Yama, but with few clues to go on, whether he was or wasn't changed nothing now. Following Li Hao's exposure in Silver City, information regarding the Eight Great Families had been laid bare, and Red Moon no longer bothered concealing their intentions. "Then should we strike first? If Li Hao is abducted by Red Moon, uncontrollable variables might arise. Red Moon acted with extreme caution for the Eight Great Families, laying plans in Silver City for over a decade. Clearly, their ambitions are vast!" "Wait and see... Hou Xiaochen and his people are still around; they won't simply allow Red Moon to succeed!" "Understood." The conversation ended there. However, Feitian wouldn't truly wash their hands of the matter. As emissaries of the dark, they would keep a constant eye on developments. …… The two trucks gradually drove out of White Moon City. The bustling metropolis receded into the distance. Li Hao looked ahead and scanned the surroundings, watching for light orbs. His departure from the city had likely drawn attention from certain parties. Was anyone tailing them? After observing for a while, he detected no supernaturals following. Within a radius of at least a thousand meters, no light orbs appeared—or perhaps they were too weak for him to see? The vehicles drove steadily along the main road. Jolting along for several hours left everyone feeling drowsy. Only when the vehicles passed through a stretch of woods did the men perk up. Before they could think further, Li Hao's voice rang in their ears: "Dismount!" In an instant, martial masters leaped off the trucks. A few who failed to react in time were pulled down directly by an unseen force. A group of black-armored martial masters landed on the ground from both vehicles. Meanwhile, the two trucks continued driving forward. Li Hao didn't stop there. Large boulders appeared out of thin air in his hands, which he shoved into the truck beds before pulling the canvas covers over the tops, concealing the interior. His voice echoed by the ears of the two drivers: "Keep driving without stopping all the way to Yaoguang City! Go grab a meal there; we will handle our own food!" These were military drivers assigned by the Martial Guard Army. While not powerful experts, they followed orders strictly and would never disobey a centurion. The two drivers thought nothing of it and continued driving. Only, the chatter in their ears had quieted down; in the second truck, that talkative fellow Li Heng seemed to have fallen silent. …… Li Hao watched the trucks disappear into the distance before speaking: "Keep your movements quiet and leave as few traces as possible. This is the Tianshan Forest area. We'll cross over the mountains on foot, then move out once night falls!" The crowd exchanged glances, feeling this was somewhat unnecessary. Yet at this moment, no one dared to object. Certain martial masters familiar with this forest area groaned inwardly. This forest spanned a vast area. Driving straight through wouldn't take long, but crossing over the mountains from another direction meant at least a hundred li of rugged terrain. Clad in heavy black armor, even martial masters would be exhausted half to death. A moment later, the group of fifty-one slipped through the woods without making a sound, vanishing from the main road. …… Beyond Tianshan Forest. Far off in the distance, someone was observing through specially crafted binoculars. Only when the two trucks emerged from the forest did the distant observer frown slightly. The truck beds had been uncovered before; why were the canvas canopies drawn shut now? Was it because the sun had grown hot? Or was it for concealment? This made observation difficult. That was the troublesome thing about martial masters: without close-range inspection, one couldn't detect anything. If it were a truckload of supernaturals, there would be no need to watch so closely. Wherever they went, they shone like lightbulbs, making their movements easy for powerful experts to track. …… On this day, Li Hao's departure from the city still caught the attention of many observant eyes. The two trucks laden with martial masters remained under scrutiny from afar. No one conducted close-range surveillance, knowing that Liu Long had stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm, and Li Hao had very likely achieved it as well. A Thousand-Battler martial master's force was extraordinarily sharp. It was only when the vehicles entered Yaoguang City, and the drivers finished their meal, returned to the trucks, and waited for further orders without any movement from the cargo beds, that suspicion finally arose—yet no one dared approach recklessly to investigate. Meanwhile, dusk was slowly falling. On another front, a group of second-generation scions sped along in their sports cars—handsome young men and beautiful women chatting and laughing as they headed toward Cross-Cut Gorge, drawing some passing notice. Still, people paid them little mind, dismissing them as merely a pack of spoiled youths out letting off steam. By this time, Li Hao had already led the Demon Hunt Corps across several mountain ridges, skirting every location where light orbs were present. Without causing the slightest ripple, the fifty-one members vanished entirely from everyone's sight.