Renowned Across the World

Up ahead, Li Hao knelt on one knee. He panted lightly, the beating of his heart visible to the naked eye. Three Three Sols quickly closed in—one metal, one water, and one fire. Li Hao was wounded. His injuries were severe! Yet even as the three Three Sols drew near and their mysterious energy erupted before they even arrived, the thought of fleeing never crossed Li Hao's mind. Why flee? He had come specifically to fight them, to slaughter them all and make himself stronger. A surge of water crashed forth! Nine Refinements Force! *Boom!* A fist struck across the empty air with a thunderous roar as supernatural power detonated. Li Hao kicked off the ground and shot into the sky. In the next instant, he plunged from above—one sword sweeping the nine provinces! From all around, the three Three Sols launched swift attacks! The metal-affinity user was the strongest, while the water-affinity user was the weakest. Instead of engaging the water-affinity powerhouse, Li Hao concentrated his assault on the metal-affinity user. His sword rippled, tearing through the ten thousand metal swords once more with a deafening blast. Zheng Ping stumbled, while the other two rushed in with killing intent. At this moment, no one spoke. Words were unnecessary. This was a fight to the death. With a resounding crash, water energy exploded around Li Hao, immediately forming a sphere of water that trapped him inside. Li Hao thrust his sword outward, popping the bubble, only to be met by a sky full of blazing fire! The coordination among the three Three Sols remained exceptionally tight. The trouble and damage they inflicted on Li Hao even surpassed what the previous powerhouses had managed. Li Hao was far from weak right now. With the Blood Saber Art unleashed, he was essentially at the peak of his combat strength, yet he was still hemmed in by these three Three Sols, battered to the point where he could not advance. Moreover, the trio refused to let him land. Li Hao tried several times to touch down and catch his breath, but their combined assault repeatedly knocked him back into the air. Zheng Ping and his companions wore grim expressions as well. Even reduced to such a state, this fellow still possessed such ferocious offensive might. Had he not been injured by someone else beforehand, they would truly have struggled to hold him off. "*Huff...*" Panting breaths rasped from all four pairs of nostrils. They were all gasping for air; such a sustained, high-intensity burst of combat was proving almost too much for any of them to bear. Blood poured from Li Hao like a river. He had not fully absorbed and digested the energy of the red shadow inside him, having assimilated only a portion. The remainder actually hindered the circulation of his inner force. After all, it came from a Three Sols red shadow, and not an early-stage one at that. Farther away, battle had broken out as well. Those were Solar Luminary powerhouses from the Three Great Organizations who had tracked the Three Sols' trail, only to be intercepted by the Demon Hunt Corps. They were fighting right now. The slaughter was silent. Whether it was the Three Great Organizations or the Demon Hunt Corps, aside from the detonation of supernatural powers and the whistling of secret techniques through the air, the combat was virtually soundless. Only in the final instant of death did cries of agony ring out. Both sides were elite! Li Hao paid no heed to the battle over there. At this moment, he put away the Starry Sky Sword. For no other reason than that while the Starry Sky Sword was sharp, it was too short and clumsy to wield properly. Aside from its sharpness, all Li Hao needed from it was its sword energy, making it an encumbrance in this sort of fight. The instant he stowed the sword, Li Hao swung his fist! Tiger Combat Technique! A fierce tiger roared. Halfway through the strike, his breathing technique shifted in an instant—Nine Refinements Force! Erupt! *Boom!* This punch was even stronger than before. Li Hao shattered the water bubble in a single blow and leaped upward. The water-affinity Three Sols moved to trap him again, but Li Hao roared ferociously—the fierce tiger bursts from its cage! Possessed by the spirit of a tiger, Li Hao transformed into a beast, leaping skyward, soaring higher and higher! "He's trying to flee!" Zheng Ping snarled. "Pursue him!" Li Hao wanted to escape! Escape? How could Li Hao possibly flee? In the next breath, he came stomping down like Mount Tai with a thunderous roar. As his foot descended, supernatural power shattered into pieces, and the mysterious energy of the water-affinity supernatural exploded beneath his stomp! That water-affinity supernatural was a mid Three Sols. With his supernatural power stomped to pieces by Li Hao, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face painted with horror. Even that worked? A mountain? At this moment, Li Hao was like a towering mountain crashing down with suppressive force. The others grew dead solemn and attacked in unison, attempting to withstand the falling mountain. Yet in the next instant, the sole of Li Hao's foot exploded as a burst of metal-affinity power erupted like a bird's beak, razor-sharp, piercing cleanly through the water-affinity powerhouse's defenses. His foot acted like a blade, instantly collapsing the man's shoulder inward! Pressing his advantage relentlessly, Li Hao whipped his legs in sweeping kicks, spreading his arms like a soaring bird as he wheeled in midair, sweeping in all directions! *Bang! Bang! Bang!* A rapid series of detonations and metallic clangs echoed. Like an inexhaustible beast, Li Hao delivered a savage kick that sent the weakest fire-affinity user flying, then touched down instantly, cracking the ground beneath his foot. Blood seeped outward, staining the earth red. Li Hao's leather boots had completely disintegrated, exposing the pale bone of his feet. "*Pfft!*" A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips. Li Hao panted heavily as the three supernaturals surrounded him once more, every one of them bearing wounds. Yet Li Hao was beginning to feel fatigued. The Nine Refinements Force... had still failed to break through. A breakthrough in the midst of battle... the books made it sound simple, but in the chaos of real combat, there simply was not enough time to contemplate, let alone achieve a breakthrough. This frustrated Li Hao greatly. He had originally intended to seize this opportunity to break through to the ninth fold, condense the Water momentum, fuse the three momentums, and make slaying a few Three Sols effortless. Yet now... reality proved otherwise. Li Hao spat out some blood and gave a soft chuckle. Forget it, no use forcing it. Since he could not achieve a breakthrough in battle right now... he would merge the Metal momentum, the third momentum: the Metal Sword momentum! The Metal Sword momentum was formidable. Li Hao had originally planned to merge it after strengthening his lungs further, but at this point, who cared about that? At worst, he would just cough a bit more afterward, just like Hou Xiaochen and the others. Once his five internal organs regained balance and could accommodate the Metal Sword momentum, everything would naturally be fine. In the next instant, a burst of metal-affinity power detonated in his lungs. Clanging impacts echoed from his supernatural lock as the lock within his lungs was scored with grooves, on the verge of fracturing. Yet Li Hao did not care in the slightest, because the timing happened to be perfect—the energy of the red shadow inside his body surged into his lungs, reinforcing the supernatural lock there. He had previously been fretting over having nowhere to digest that red shadow's energy. The fissures on the supernatural lock healed rapidly. A blast of metal-affinity power erupted from Li Hao's body. The expressions of Zheng Ping and the other two shifted drastically. Zheng Ping roared, "Kill him, quickly!" Li Hao seemed to be undergoing some strange transformation. At that moment, the shockwave through Li Hao's lungs made blood splatter, and a coughing fit immediately broke out. "*Cough, cough, cough...*" Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. Merging the Metal Sword momentum was the most difficult of all. However, the Metal Sword momentum represented explosive power pushed to the absolute extreme. If successfully integrated, Li Hao's strength would undoubtedly skyrocket. The Starry Sky Sword reappeared. Li Hao instantly drained all the sword energy within it and absorbed it into his body, causing his injuries to knit together rapidly and halting any further damage. The wounds within his five internal organs healed swiftly as well. Moving as lightly as a deer, Li Hao flickered and vanished from beneath Zheng Ping's sword. In the next instant, a chill ran down Zheng Ping's spine! Right then, Li Hao's spirit intent surfaced, and the image of his ancestor's sword strike flashed across his mind! Three sword momentums! The golden point instantly merged into the tiger's head—the fierce tiger bursts from its cage! *Buzz!* A sword thrust forward, shattering the air. Sword energy pierced through the surroundings as the ground split apart. Li Hao's speed was terrifyingly swift. In an instant, the Starry Sky Sword thrust out. Pale with dread, Zheng Ping dodged frantically. Just as he was about to evade the strike, Li Hao stamped his foot, sending a tremor through the earth that jolted Zheng Ping right back into path! *Pfft!* The sword pierced straight through Zheng Ping's back. At the same time, dual attacks of fire and water descended upon Li Hao. Those two supernaturals did not care whether Zheng Ping was caught in the blast radius, unleashing their attacks without hesitation! *Boom!* A thunderous blast rang out. Zheng Ping's eyes went wide as he was engulfed in flames and impaled by water arrows. He forced his head around to look at Li Hao. Right now, Li Hao gripped the short sword buried deep in Zheng Ping's heart, his appearance mangled beyond recognition, his face and body covered in horrific burn marks. Zheng Ping suddenly laughed. He bore no grudge against his companions for attacking him along with the enemy; placed in their position, he would have done the exact same thing. He was laughing because Li Hao had still underestimated supernaturals! Although this fellow had grown vastly stronger in a split second, flashing behind him and driving a sword through his heart... Li Hao was in no better shape himself. The attacks of Three Sols were not so easily weathered. In his obsession to kill Zheng Ping, Li Hao had been heavily wounded by the other two! Yet in the next heartbeat, Zheng Ping's eyes bulged! Li Hao inhaled deeply, and a peculiar energy erupted within his body. Rays of light instantly flared across his scorched flesh. In the blink of an eye, while his wounds were not fully healed, they ceased worsening, and new flesh even began to sprout. Sword energy! Li Hao looked at him coldly and threw a punch. With a loud *bang*, the man's head shattered into pieces! What are you looking at? What are you laughing about? Li Hao had no idea what he found so amusing. Did you think that injuring me meant I was helpless? Seeing this, the remaining two Three Sols took flight without a word! A heavily wounded Li Hao could recover in an instant—how could they possibly fight that? Flee! They had not fled earlier only because Li Hao had been gravely injured. But now, they had watched with their own eyes as Li Hao took a single breath and began recovering... How were they supposed to fight this? Li Hao inhaled deeply, shifting his breathing technique once more! A sword of breath was spat from his lips! Shadowless Sword! The breath sword was fast to the extreme, piercing through the void in an instant. The water-affinity supernatural, who had just leaped into the air, had his back impaled by the strike. He stumbled, his supernatural power collapsing, and crashed to the ground. The early-stage Three Sols of the fire affinity had already taken flight, attempting to escape through the air. At this moment, Li Hao drew his sword, fusing the three sword momentums into one! A cough sounded like a death knell as he barked fiercely, "Sever!" Sever your life! *Buzz!* Sword energy soared into the heavens, illuminating the earth. In that moment, the strike pierced through heaven and earth. With a thunderous boom, the sword energy vanished. In midair, the fire-affinity Three Sols froze in his tracks, then looked down with a bitter expression... and with a resounding *boom*, his body blew apart completely! The water-affinity Three Sols sprawled on the ground was still alive, his face pale with terror! Dead! All dead! Of six Three Sols, five had perished in the blink of an eye! "Demon Sword..." the water-affinity Three Sols murmured. This man... was even stronger than Yuan Shuo. At least compared to when Yuan Shuo had killed Brow-Height Staff, the Li Hao of this moment was indeed somewhat stronger than Yuan Shuo had been back then. A savage look crossed his face. The moment Li Hao approached, he lunged violently toward him, intending to mount one final counterattack before dying. Even if he could not kill Li Hao, he would inflict grievous wounds! Yet Li Hao planted his feet like a colossal bear, simply spreading his arms and allowing the man to lunge in. Wrapping his arms around him, Li Hao unleashed the Bear Combat Technique, the strength in his arms multiplying countless times in an instant. *Boom!* A lethal bear hug! His arms clamped down like iron bands, crushing the man on the spot. Both arms snapped, the ribcage collapsed inward under the pressure, the internal organs ruptured completely, and the man's head drooped down, his dying eyes still turned toward Li Hao. Why? Why was he so strong? Why could his injuries heal in an instant? Why? He did not understand, could not comprehend, and died with profound resentment. Li Hao had no interest in guessing what the man was thinking. He tossed aside the broken body of the water-affinity Three Sols, surveyed his surroundings, and looked in a certain direction. In the next instant, he kicked off the ground and slashed a sword strike through the air! Suspended in midair, a supernatural powerhouse who had retracted his energy wore a terrified expression, remaining perfectly motionless in hopes that the night would conceal his presence. Yet... in the next instant, the sword energy arrived! With a squelch, he was torn to shreds on the spot! Li Hao did not stop. Landing, kicking off, and shooting into the air, he stomped downward. With a deafening crash, a patch of ground caved in entirely, and a Solar Luminary hiding underground blew apart on the spot! Still Li Hao did not pause. A tiger's roar shook heaven and earth, and in the darkness, a figure seemed to be forced out from another pocket of space. Filled with disbelief, he roared, "Impossible!" This was an assassin from Feitian. His raw power was not exceptional, but his ability was extraordinarily unique—he could conceal himself within the darkness, merging with it completely so that no one could possibly detect him. He had even assassinated Three Sols before and was considered an exceptionally gifted genius in Feitian, poised to become the next Three Sols or even a Rising Light. Yet now, forced out by a single roar from Li Hao, he could not believe his senses. Li Hao gave him no chance to finish. He threw a punch, blowing the man to pieces with a resounding crash. Impossible? Bright suns are shining right before my eyes—what's so impossible about it? Only when you can deceive these eyes of mine can you talk about the impossible. Looking around in all directions, Li Hao saw no more glowing spheres of light. However, he knew that some had fled earlier. This battle could not be concealed. Back when he killed Yue Pu, he had already sensed several Solar Luminaries in the vicinity who, realizing how terrifying he was, had fled long ago. Now, after fighting for so long, Li Hao had no way of tracking where those fellows had run. Sealing off the information was completely out of the question. He had only killed these few because they had dared to watch all the way to the end—they were practically begging for death! Still, only those few from earlier had escaped. Those people had only witnessed him instantly killing Yue Pu through an ambush; they had not seen his sword energy healing his wounds or the fusion of the three sword momentums, which gave Li Hao some peace of mind. They probably had not seen the eruption of the Blood Saber Art either. Not too bad. A moment later, a squad clad in black armor hurried over. Liu Long, drenched in blood, said in a low voice, "The supernaturals attacking from the surroundings have all been slain. However... some supernaturals seem to have fled in secret, and several earth-affinity users escaped underground. We couldn't catch them." They had only killed those who stayed behind. Against those who ran, they were powerless. At this moment, everyone looked at Li Hao with burning, fanatical adoration in their eyes. One man fighting six Three Sols, and slaying every last one! Li Hao smiled. The next moment, he raised his fist and roared, "Demon Hunt!" "Demon Hunt!" The thunderous roar echoed across the desolate plains, reverberating through heaven and earth! Tonight, Li Hao's name was destined to become renowned across the world! Among martial masters, another titan had emerged—one who might even surpass Yuan Shuo, for Li Hao was far too young, and his record was simply too astonishing. One against six, and all of them slain! Far in the distance, hearing that roar, the fleeing supernaturals were scared half out of their wits! Run! Run for dear life! Li Hao had won! Six Three Sols supernaturals from the Three Great Organizations, joined by more than ten Solar Luminaries in an encirclement, yet Li Hao had led his men to slaughter every single Three Sols. Fewer than five supernaturals had truly managed to escape; everyone else was buried on this nameless hill. ... Out on the desolate plains. Killing intent shook the heavens. Though they had fought only a handful of battles, the Demon Hunt Corps was consumed by an extraordinary madness and zeal at this moment, wishing they could follow Li Hao to charge straight into the Central Region right now. This was their commander! Slaying six Three Sols on his own... in a single battle, not over a cumulative tally! Three Sols, the titans in their eyes. Tonight, an entire batch of them had died right here. Li Hao coughed lightly. "Collect the corpses and clear the battlefield, quickly! We're withdrawing... I'm giving you ten minutes to pull out with me. This time... we'll be on the run. Soon, Rising Lights might come hunting for me..." "*Cough, cough, cough!*" As the coughing fits continued, a few people were reminded of Hou Xiaochen. Yet the moment they looked at Li Hao, Hou Xiaochen was instantly tossed to the back of their minds. So what if he was Hou Xiaochen? Could he have compared to Li Hao at this age? Besides, Hou Xiaochen was Hou Xiaochen, while Li Hao was the one leading them to slaughter their enemies across the lands and grow stronger by the day. In the blink of an eye, the crowd dispersed in all directions to clean up the battlefield. Six Three Sols, along with several slain Solar Luminaries... The spoils from this battle would certainly not be small. Most Three Sols carried storage rings, far beyond what Solar Luminaries could boast. They had divine energy stones and energy-storage rings; even their own bodies, once slain, yielded over a thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy. Ten minutes later, Li Hao waved his hand, and fifty-one figures swiftly withdrew into the darkness. ... Not long after their departure. The news spread rapidly through the mouths of the surviving supernaturals. An earthquake struck! ... At the Red Moon stronghold. Lanyue stood in a daze, slightly lost, staring at the room full of powerhouses, momentarily at a loss for words. Several people who had not heard the transmission were looking at him. Lanyue's face was filled with utter shock. At this moment, he could not even spare a thought for Hou Xiaochen, the suppression from the four major agencies, or the sweep they were currently conducting... He felt completely disoriented. "Lanyue!" Purple Moon's voice snapped him back to reality. Frowning, Purple Moon asked, "What happened?" Lanyue's mouth felt parched. He swallowed hard, moistening his throat, before slowly saying, "Across Cross-Cut Gorge... Zheng Ping and the others caught up to Li Hao..." That was good news! Everyone looked puzzled. In the next breath, Lanyue laughed with a strange expression. "And then... Yue Pu from Feitian arrived, as did Tiebi and Meiji from Yama... Six Three Sols joined forces to capture Li Hao..." The crowd waited for the outcome. The next instant, Lanyue slumped into his chair, leaning back against the seat, and exhaled heavily. "They're all dead!" *Boom!* A wave of shock swept through everyone present. Purple Moon was stunned as well. "Did Yue Pu and the others dare ambush Zheng Ping...?" Indeed, that was everyone's first thought. Internal strife! Or rather, conflict among the Three Great Organizations had broken out, resulting in mutual destruction. Lanyue smiled with profound bitterness. "No... Li Hao killed them all!" "What?" Incredulity reigned; nobody could accept such a result. The smile faded from Lanyue's face. He let out a soft breath, and a folding fan appeared in his hand. He fanned himself gently, as though trying to calm the turmoil within his heart, regaining his composure. "All dead. Yue Pu was slain by Li Hao right at the start. Not long after Li Hao killed Yue Pu... a massive battle erupted. Someone saw him kill the heavily defended Tiebi with a single sword strike... and after that... there was nothing left!" With that, he let out a soft chuckle. "Everyone talks about how formidable Yuan Shuo is, and how terrifying Hou Xiaochen is... But why... has no one ever mentioned that Li Hao... is just as terrifying?" Had anyone ever said it? No. Not a single soul had ever claimed that Yuan Shuo's disciple was a powerhouse. Whenever Li Hao was brought up, it was always 'Yuan Shuo's final disciple' or 'the sole heir of the Eight Great Families'... Labels of that sort, yet not one person had ever said that Li Hao was formidable! Otherwise, this battle would never have ended like this. Six Three Sols lives and over a hundred supernaturals' lives had been spent to prove Li Hao's terrifying might. In an instant, the entire hall fell dead silent. Everyone was processing this revelation, their faces frozen in disbelief. Li Hao... Yuan Shuo's disciple! Just last month, he had merely crossed swords with Brow-Height Staff's disciple and barely scraped a victory. Had he concealed his strength last month, or had he truly grown to such a terrifying degree in less than thirty days? He must have hidden his strength! They refused to believe that anyone could leap from a Hundred-Breaker to someone capable of slaying six Three Sols in a single month... Even accounting for an ambush and the element of surprise, Li Hao was unquestionably at the pinnacle of the Three Sols realm! Whether he could even contend with a Rising Light was anyone's guess! At this moment, the entire Red Moon organization fell silent, digesting the news. Purple Moon was even more shaken; of all the people present, she was the only one who had spent an extended period around Li Hao. Back when they went to the ruins... Had the Li Hao of that time truly been this terrifying? Back then, Li Hao had seemed so simple and honest. Looking back now, had the Li Hao she met truly been the same person who had slain six Three Sols tonight? ... A tempest swept across the entire land of Yinyue. At the Night Patrollers. Chief Steward Yu emerged, her face looking exceedingly pale. Right now, the entire Night Patrollers branch was in an uproar. Hao Lianchuan looked dumbfounded, utterly petrified, as he reported in a daze, "Minister... Li Hao... tonight in the Yinbei region, Li Hao killed six Three Sols: one peak Three Sols, two late Three Sols, two mid Three Sols, and one early Three Sols... The news has already spread. Rising Lights from the Three Great Organizations have appeared and seem to be heading toward Yinbei..." Hou Xiaochen remained silent, merely reviewing the documents. After a moment, he said softly, "Some surviving supernaturals are calling Li Hao the Demon Sword. What do you think?" What do I think? I can't even believe my own eyes! Hao Lianchuan stood frozen, speechless. This was not a one-on-one duel against a Three Sols. Had that been the case, he had seen it before and would not be standing here in a stupor. It was one against six, and Li Hao had killed them all! That was what made it truly terrifying! He was even wondering whether Li Hao could take on a Rising Light in single combat right now. Six Three Sols fighting together could surely battle a Rising Light, couldn't they? Without a doubt! Yet... Li Hao had killed every single one of them. Regardless of how many unforeseen factors were involved, the fact remained that Li Hao had won. "Minister... do we send reinforcements?" "Reinforcements?" Hou Xiaochen coughed and chuckled. "No! Go find the others immediately. Join forces and sweep through the Yinnan region! Not just you—Little Yu goes as well. I will intervene as appropriate, and I will call upon the others... to scour the entirety of Yinnan!" Did they need to send reinforcements? Wouldn't that be dancing to the Three Great Organizations' tune? As long as they launched a swift sweep of Yinnan, the Three Great Organizations would be stretched thin. Whether to pursue Li Hao north of Cross-Cut Gorge or unite to resist the Yinyue authorities—they would be forced to choose. That was the best course of action! "Mobilize the entire Martial Guard Army... Li Hao's Demon Hunt Army has made a resounding name for itself tonight. Before long, even the Central Region will know of Li Hao and this newly formed Demon Hunt Army... Golden Spear has stayed in hiding for far too long; it's time he showed his face!" Hou Xiaochen stood up, looked toward the north, and smiled. Li Hao! You... truly have what it takes! I knew that anyone capable of breaking through my Soul-Splitting Spear intent couldn't be ordinary. As expected, you were hiding most of your strength. You certainly let it all out tonight. It seems you have no intention of continuing the charade. Hao Lianchuan said no more, turning to leave swiftly. He needed to contact the various parties at once to initiate the grand sweep! They had to force the Three Great Organizations to keep their elites south of Cross-Cut Gorge; otherwise, it would be difficult for Li Hao and his men to escape. As for rushing over to rescue them... that was far too dangerous. The Three Great Organizations had likely already sealed off the Cross-Cut Gorge area. Charging in blindly would only risk getting bogged down in a quagmire. ... At the General Administration Bureau. Under the dim light, Director Zhao coughed and looked at Deputy Director Zhou with a smile. "Yuan Shuo's disciple... Truly, Yuan Shuo is not someone to be crossed, and neither is his student. When the bloodline of the Eight Great Families truly awakens, ordinary people simply cannot withstand it..." With that, he coughed again. "How did your grandson get tangled up in this as well?" "Him?" Deputy Director Zhou laughed. "He was just curious. Plus, the family kept him on a tight leash, so he went looking for excitement. This time, he's probably had the daylights scared out of him. Those youngsters are likely running back for dear life right about now..." "Now that the Three Great Organizations are heading to Yinbei to hunt Li Hao... those kids could be in danger." Deputy Director Zhou shook his head. "No matter, they should be fine. There was no mention of their involvement tonight, so they probably received word early and ran ahead of time. Li Hao and the others are martial masters who can conceal themselves, but those kids cannot. The moment battle broke out, they likely fled back immediately." Director Zhao nodded slightly. Judging from Li Hao's track record, he would have anticipated this. The young man was someone who planned before acting and would not leave them exposed to be slaughtered. "Some are calling Li Hao the Demon Sword... What do you think?" Deputy Director Zhou took a deep breath. "Demon Sword or not, I can't say. All I know is... after this battle, Yinyue will once again become the center of everyone's attention. That master and disciple seem terrified that Yinyue might be ignored, always finding ways to stir up trouble." "Indeed. One in the south, one in the north, both killing people. Yuan Shuo also killed a peak Three Sols tonight and is currently on the run... That would normally have attracted some notice, but now hardly anyone will care. They'll only care about his disciple—the fellow who reached the peak the moment he stepped into the light!" Director Zhao sighed with deep emotion. Young people these days are truly terrifying. And Yuan Shuo, do you know? Your student has grown at a terrifying pace; his achievements are already beginning to outstrip your own. You've been dragging your feet for days, killing just a handful of Three Sols, while Li Hao has already slain eight! No, perhaps even more. Zhang Ting is dead, and Hao Lianchuan claimed he didn't do it, so that must have been Li Hao as well, right? Does that make it nine Three Sols? Could there be others we don't know about? That master and disciple—when they didn't act, they were quiet, but the moment they struck, the formerly exalted Three Sols powerhouses were slaughtered like expendable clowns. In the blink of an eye, the two of them had butchered double-digit Three Sols across the lands of Yinyue! ... Every faction was reeling! The news spread like wildfire, sweeping across the realm. Demon Sword Li Hao! Old Demon Yuan's final disciple had slain six Three Sols in a single battle in Yinyue, stepping upon the bones of the Three Great Organizations to make his name renowned across the world! ... In the Central Region. Across the Northern Sea lay the first province, known as Haiyao Province. At this moment, the tempestuous news spread there with incredible speed. Yuan Shuo had just slain a Three Sols and was currently in hiding, evading pursuit. The place he chose to hide was unusual—having casually slaughtered a group of supernaturals, he had taken refuge inside one of Feitian's own strongholds. Right then, lines of text suddenly surfaced on a nearby mirror. Tending to his wounds, Yuan Shuo looked up, his mouth falling wide open. Also nursing her injuries, the Jade Light Sword heard the commotion and looked over. Seeing his jaw agape and his face frozen in a daze, she wondered in confusion whether enemies were attacking. Following Yuan Shuo's gaze, she saw text appearing across the mirror. "Urgent Intelligence: "A monumental event occurred tonight in Yinyue Province. Yuan Shuo's disciple, Li Hao, engaged six Three Sols single-handedly in northern Yinyue, slaying Feitian's powerhouse Yue Pu; Red Moon's Jin Jiu, Duan Chao, and Zheng Ping; and Yama's Tiebi and Meiji. "Threat level in Yinyue elevated. Previously, Li Hao led fifty martial masters of his Demon Hunt Army to slaughter over a hundred supernaturals, displaying a bloodlust far exceeding that of Yuan Shuo! "Li Hao's threat assessment upgraded; recommended for elevation to Rising Light threat level. Members accepting missions targeting Li Hao should possess strength of at least mid-stage Rising Light." Wu Hongshan's eyes widened in shock, and she snapped her head toward Yuan Shuo. Her face was completely blank with disbelief! This... was talking about your student? That obedient, sensible, educated Li Hao? Indeed, those were the exact words Yuan Shuo had always used. In Wu Hongshan's impression, his student was indeed a cultured, gentle young man—well-mannered, obedient, and fond of smiling... And now... what was this? Someone with the same name? Who just happened to share a master named Yuan Shuo as well, right? Slaying six Three Sols in a single battle! Yuan Shuo snapped out of his daze, his expression momentarily blank before regaining his composure. Seeing Wu Hongshan staring at him, he smiled faintly. "What are you looking at me for?" "Your disciple?" "That's right. What about him?" "The one you called... obedient?" "Yeah, isn't he obedient?" Yuan Shuo laughed out loud, his laughter tinged with helplessness. "Stop staring. I have no idea how the brat improved so quickly either. I knew he'd reach Thousand-Battler soon, maybe even rival Three Sols before long... But... but... damn it all, how was I supposed to know he could take on six at once and win!" With that, he shook his head in exasperation. "That brat... is in huge trouble now! I came all the way out here so people would finally stop paying attention to him, and what does he do? Steals my spotlight and instantly gets assigned a higher threat level than me!" What kind of nonsense was this? Who was providing cover for whom, exactly? And how on earth had the kid pulled it off? Even Yuan Shuo couldn't wrap his mind around it. In his current state, he might also be able to achieve what Li Hao had done, but... he had already manifested three momentums and fused the third! All he lacked was the ability to freely use the Blood Saber Art... which he couldn't help, having no sword energy. If he used it recklessly without securing a blood shadow in time, he would be finished. Thus, he would not use it carelessly. Even so, he was ridiculously powerful. While he couldn't claim to rival a Rising Light, he considered himself invincible among Three Sols, capable of sweeping through them all. Yet his disciple didn't seem far behind at all! Wu Hongshan took a deep breath. "This disciple of yours... is unbelievable! Still, with even Feitian broadcasting the news everywhere, I'm afraid the entire dynasty will learn of his prowess tonight. That is hardly good news." "What's there to fear?" Yuan Shuo had adopted an open-minded view. What was there to be afraid of? If they come, kill them! If you can't beat them, run; if you can't outrun them, accept your fate. It was that simple. He laughed. "Good lad, impressive! Still... his master isn't half bad either. At least I killed a Three Sols tonight. Adding it up, I've killed close to ten Three Sols along this journey... Mm, I've got to keep it up, can't let that brat overtake me! Jade Light, hurry up and heal. Once your wounds are mended, we keep killing... Running all over the place, and my disciple is already catching up to my Three Sols body count—how embarrassing would that be?" Wu Hongshan said nothing. Her heart, however, remained turbulent for a long time. Yuan Shuo's student—his youngest disciple, no less—had slain six Three Sols in a single night. It made her feel utterly disheartened. Not long ago, she had struggled through a grueling battle against an early-stage Three Sols, only managing to kill him with Yuan Shuo watching over her. Compared to Li Hao now, she felt she truly had no face left! ... Every faction was shaken. The major organizations were buzzing with fervent discussions. In the southern suburbs of Yinyue. Inside a grand villa, Southern Fist sighed with emotion. "Damn, the kid's terrifying! He wanted to spar with me last time—thank goodness I didn't agree, or I might have lost half my life!" Beside him was that same woman from before—the Heart-Piercing Beauty, currently Madam Bai. Late at night, an isolated man and woman, and she was a married woman to boot... Had Li Hao been here, he surely would have had plenty to grumble about internally. At this moment, the Heart-Piercing Beauty was equally shaken, though she soon regained her composure and said softly, "This Li Hao is indeed full of surprises! That said, he does have ties to the Bai family. Hu Dingfang is his senior martial sister's husband... Brother He, do you think we could win Li Hao over?" Southern Fist bared his teeth in a grin, shot her a glance, and said with a suddenly chilling gaze, "Don't even think about it. That fellow is more vicious and cold-blooded than Yuan Shuo! If you fail to win him over, be careful he doesn't devour you whole! The first time I laid eyes on that kid, I knew he wasn't someone to be trifled with. That day when Hou Xiaochen was killing people, I watched him stand there without batting an eye. When Red Hair was killed, the kid didn't even blink—completely unmoved by the fall of a powerhouse, without the slightest hint of fear... People like that, if you can't afford to provoke them, leave them well alone!" He had seen it clearly that day. Moreover, during the days he had followed Li Hao afterward, that fellow might have worn a smile on his face, but his heart was colder and more ruthless than Yuan Shuo's. He knew Li Hao's background. No parents, only a master fleeing the world, and a friend killed by Red Moon last year. He hadn't known Liu Long and the others for very long either. Deep down... the man had very little warmth left in his bones. Whatever sentiment he possessed was likely concentrated entirely on Yuan Shuo. Provoking someone like that was a terrible idea. Madam Bai nodded slightly, dropping the subject. Yet Southern Fist warned her once more, "Also, don't let Hu Dingfang and his wife go meddling—playing the emotional card might not work! That fellow sought out Wang Henggang from the Inspectorate, and he sought out Hong Yitang, whom he barely knew, but he never approached his senior sister or her husband. For all we know, he might even be harboring thoughts of clearing out the sect on his master's behalf! Be careful. Yuan Shuo might still care about past bonds, but Li Hao won't—not that there are any bonds between them anyway. It's common practice for a final disciple to help clean house for his master. You're a martial master yourself; you should understand that!" Madam Bai's eyes flickered, and she nodded, abandoning the thought entirely. Indeed, the status of a final disciple sometimes eclipsed even that of the eldest disciple. If he truly came to clear house, even Yuan Shuo might not object upon learning of it. Even so, she could not resist asking, "Brother He, do you think... he can escape?" Could Li Hao manage to slip away under an encirclement led by Rising Lights from the Three Great Organizations? "Hard to say!" Southern Fist said in a heavy voice. "Right now, the only one hell-bent on destroying him is Red Moon. Yama and Feitian might not keep their Rising Lights out there hunting him indefinitely. After all, the Battle Heaven City ruins are about to open, and none of the Three Great Organizations will overlook that opportunity... Still, Red Moon probably won't give up. A member of their Council of Elders has likely already set out—Elder Tsunami from the Northern Three Provinces, who was stationed near the Northern Sea and commands water-affinity power, has probably headed over." The Northern Three Provinces had previously been overseen by an elder near the Northern Sea, a master of water-affinity arts. Now that he had arrived in Yinyue, Lanyue would not leave easily, having to remain vigilant against Hou Xiaochen. However, that elder might very well join the pursuit. As for Feitian, Banshan might have headed over as well. Regarding Yama, it remained unknown whether they had other powerhouses arriving. Otherwise, the Equal-ranking King might not necessarily go, while the Wheel-Turning King was merely at the peak of Three Sols; if he ran into Li Hao, he might lose his life, so he wouldn't go lightly either. After musing for a moment, He Yong exhaled and chuckled. "Let's wait and see. Besides... I'm heading over to join the fun. I'll be back when the ruins open..." "You're going too?" Madam Bai was startled. What was he going there for? Southern Fist strode straight out of the room, chuckling cheerfully. "Just to watch the show. They wouldn't dare provoke me lightly anyway—I represent the royal family, after all..." With those words, his figure vanished. Madam Bai's expression shifted. Southern Fist had remained holed up here without leaving all this time, yet today he had suddenly found the inclination... Could his going cause unexpected complications? ... On this day, the wind rose from humble beginnings. Overnight, the name of Li Hao spread throughout Yinyue and echoed across the Heavenly Star Dynasty. Yinyue's martial masters once again became the focus of attention from all quarters. The Eight Great Families also returned to the forefront of many people's minds. Meanwhile, in the Central Region, within a massive mountaintop palace strewn with corpses, a man seated in the center of the hall was flipping through intelligence reports. When he saw the newly arrived dispatch, he froze for a moment, then cursed under his breath, "Fuck! My daughter's still over there... Goddammit, I thought you'd lie low for a while at least. You're so damn fast!" Cursing and grumbling, the man seemed thoroughly exasperated! You bastard! I thought you'd spend some time training your troops, but it's only been a few days, and you've already pulled off something like this? Having vented his anger, he spat on the ground and looked at the field of corpses with a troubled frown. "Are all the Rising Lights dead? Such a massive stronghold, I've slaughtered everyone and held it for two whole days—and not a single Rising Light has come to check on the situation?" He sighed. Forget it, better pull out first. With Li Hao raising such hell, Ying Hongyue was probably tearing his hair out right now and might not have the time to deal with him anyway.