An Opportunity for the Five Forces

Northern Yinyue. Li Hao, whose name had resounded across the realm after that battle, was now leading the Demon Hunt Corps in flight further north. A sprint of eight hundred li in a single night—this was no exaggeration, but a true eight-hundred-li dash, advancing at a blistering speed of a hundred li an hour. On foot! In the ranks, several martial masters were already collapsed with exhaustion. Martial masters were formidable and could endure running for an hour or two, but running eight hundred li non-stop through an entire night pushed even a few late Hundred-Breakers past their limits. Yet not a single person uttered a complaint. On the first night, when they had traversed the mountain woods for a mere hundred li, some had grumbled and harbored resentment toward Li Hao. Now, however, everyone gritted their teeth and persevered, running even as internal injuries flared. There was no other reason: in just a few short days, they had been completely won over by the young man leading them. This was a true martial master! With him at the helm, the Demon Hunt Corps could rampage across the land, hunt supernaturals, and restore the glory of martial masters. Supporting one another, some even carried comrades wounded in battle on their backs. Now, they were brothers-in-arms! None of them were soldiers. Yet after battle after battle, they had begun to understand what it truly meant to be comrades-in-arms. The heavy black armor weighed down on them until it was almost unbearable, yet nobody took it off. It was their lifeline. Without it, facing so many Solar Luminaries in last night's battle, they would have definitely suffered casualties. Thanks to the black armor, Liu Long, and their battle formation, not a single person had died, only sustaining concussive injuries. Dawn broke. The surroundings were deserted and devoid of human presence. Up ahead, Li Hao coughed several times and raised a hand. The people behind him halted at once, their eyes burning with fervor as they looked upon him. Li Hao gazed forward and chuckled. "See that great mountain ahead?" As the saying went: *a mountain in sight can run a horse to death.* Even though that mountain had appeared before their eyes long ago... after running for so long, it still seemed so distant. "That mountain is Mount Cang!" Li Hao gazed into the distance. "Near Mount Cang lies a small city called Silver City! "Silver City is the frontier of Yinyue and the frontier of the Heavenly Star Dynasty. The books say that across Mount Cang lies another realm, named Dali!" Li Hao spoke with a touch of wistful nostalgia. "That place is my hometown! When I was young, the furthest place I ever traveled to was Mount Cang. Today, I am bringing everyone into Mount Cang's territory. Mount Cang is rugged and perilous; since ancient times, it has been said that scaling it is harder than ascending the heavens... "Heading east from Mount Cang, traversing peaks and ridges all the way forward—do not head north. In the north lies Dali. Although they have not encroached upon our borders in a century, no one knows the current situation there... Heading east, we can cut straight across the north of Yinyue all the way to its end, where it connects to Cross-Cut Gorge... We will return to Cross-Cut Gorge!" Li Hao wore a faint smile tinged with chill. "Let them think we fled—fled to Dali... But we aren't leaving. Yinyue is our turf! Why should we run? We will slaughter our way back from Cross-Cut Gorge... No matter how strong the Three Great Organizations are, once we slaughter all their supernaturals, they will be nothing!" "Slaughter our way back and hunt demons again!" "Hunt demons!" "Hunt demons!" The crowd roared in unison, their blood boiling. They weren't leaving! They would fight their way back, traverse Mount Cang, reenter Cross-Cut Gorge, and wage war across the entire land of Yinyue! The land of Yinyue was vast, yet they were more than willing to follow Li Hao and battle across this thorn-strewn frontier. Martial masters lived for this kind of thrill. Li Hao chuckled, then broke into another fit of coughing. Liu Long frowned slightly. At first, he hadn't paid mind to Li Hao's coughing, but now he felt a twinge of concern. Li Hao had been coughing intermittently along the way. Were his internal organs injured? "Let's go, into Mount Cang! Mount Cang gets plenty of rain; it will quickly wash away all traces of our tracks!" Li Hao waved his hand, and the group resumed their sprint. With Mount Cang in sight, even though they knew nothing of the mountain's interior, having Li Hao lead them left no room for worry. It was as if Mount Cang were the radiant path by which they would charge out and kill once more! ... After sprinting for more than an hour longer, Li Hao's group slipped into the Mount Cang range through a rugged natural mountain trail. Towering trees, the cries of wild beasts, and fresh air made them feel reborn. The thick canopy of leaves effectively obscured their footsteps. At this moment, Liu Long spoke in low voices with Li Heng and a few others before quickly stepping forward to catch up with Li Hao, who was scouting the path. "Corps Commander, the spoils have been tallied!" "Speak." "Mysterious energy makes up the largest share, totaling twelve thousand cubes! Most of it was provided by those Three Sols. Aside from the mysterious energy they possessed within themselves, they also carried some energy-storage rings." The six Three Sols alone had provided Li Hao with at least eight thousand cubes of supernatural energy. Factoring in the energy-storage rings they carried, with each person holding several hundred cubes, the Three Sols alone yielded over ten thousand cubes of mysterious energy. The Solar Luminaries had indeed not provided much—supplying two to three hundred cubes per person was already quite good. When Liu Long and the others killed those Solar Luminaries, a large portion had dissipated in the fight. In the end, this battle had yielded only twelve thousand cubes of mysterious energy. "Divine energy stones, twenty-seven pieces! Feitian's expert carried the most, a full nine pieces, while Red Moon's carried fewer..." Li Hao frowned slightly. Not that many! Only twenty-seven divine energy stones. To replenish his sword energy, he had shattered eight directly, and later replenished it once more, consuming another twelve divine energy stones. The spoils had ended up rather meager. "Twenty-two energy-storage rings, six spatial rings, and in addition, some treasures..." Liu Long hesitated. "We don't recognize some of the treasures, but judging by the fluctuations, they have supernatural energy... They might be transcendent items." There were quite a few energy-storage rings. As for spatial rings, only Three Sols possessed them. Li Hao made a mental tally and was not particularly satisfied with the spoils; they had failed to meet his expectations. He had anticipated that those Three Sols would yield at least forty to fifty divine energy stones. Paupers, the lot of them! They weren't even as wealthy as those two Three Sols from Night Patroller headquarters. The one from Feitian was decent enough—a peak Three Sols who appeared to be held in high regard. However, this was just from today. Over the past few days, they had slain many supernaturals and seized nearly five thousand cubes of mysterious energy. After all, killing over a hundred supernaturals had added up bit by bit to a substantial sum. Those supernaturals had also provided them with three divine energy stones... Indeed, they were that poor. Out of more than a hundred supernaturals, only a few Solar Luminaries possessed a single stone, most likely bestowed upon them by higher-ups. All told, this haul amounted to thirty divine energy stones. Meanwhile, Li Hao had consumed nearly twenty along the way, netting a profit of only ten. He had borrowed thirty from Golden Spear, so Li Hao now had forty divine energy stones in hand. As for mysterious energy, it had reached seventeen thousand cubes. Li Hao looked back at the exhausted crowd and smiled. "Did everyone hear the tally? Let's go find a safe place so we can absorb the mysterious energy. I'll use the Five Animals Breathing Art to convert it into mysterious energy more suited for your cultivation. Seventeen thousand cubes... What are we keeping it for, to let enemies kill us and take it as spoils? Distribute it all! How many of us are there? Only fifty-one counting me, which averages over three hundred cubes per person... More than enough for us to indulge in some luxury!" The crowd was overjoyed! Over three hundred cubes per person! In the past, extracting twenty cubes from slaying a Lunar Luminary was considered good. How many Lunar Luminaries would one have to kill for this? To them, Hundred-Breakers and Lunar Luminaries were comparable in strength, so this was equivalent to the rewards of dozens of life-and-death battles. And one had to win every single time! Whether it was the Inspectorate or the Sword Gate, Hong Yitang and Wang Henggang might be powerful, but they wouldn't give their disciples too many resources. After all, they weren't necessarily wealthy themselves. Even the Night Patrollers weren't that affluent, let alone them. As Li Hao walked, he added, "Furthermore, I have an enlightenment ancient weapon—a broken sword left behind by a swordsman of the ancient civilization. It can be comprehended a full ten times. In a moment, the team captains and the late Hundred-Breakers who killed the most enemies can each take a turn to comprehend it! "If you can step into Hundred-Breaker culmination... Thousand-Battler won't be far off!" At these words, everyone grew even more ecstatic. Li Hao said no more. At this moment, he was rapidly healing his injuries. Not only that, he retrieved several energy-storage rings from his spatial ring. This time, he intended to cultivate and strengthen himself as well. He had all five affinities of supernatural energy: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. On top of that, he had wind, thunder, and darkness affinities. Having slain so many supernaturals, he lacked none of these. Li Hao did not stand on ceremony with the others. According to their original agreement on spoils, he claimed thirty percent for himself, which meant he could take over five thousand cubes of mysterious energy alone. Moreover, he had slain all the Three Sols this time by himself, entitling him to take even more. Li Hao didn't strictly adhere to the distribution formula, however. Browsing through the rings, he extracted five hundred cubes each of the five elemental affinities, plus five hundred cubes each of wind and thunder. After a moment's hesitation, he also picked out five hundred cubes of darkness-affinity energy. Four thousand cubes of mysterious energy in total. However, to digest these four thousand cubes of mysterious energy, he would need to prepare roughly twenty divine energy stones. A single divine energy stone could convert only two hundred-odd cubes of mysterious energy. Furthermore, Li Hao was injured, so twenty stones would barely suffice for his own use. As for the remaining twenty stones, Li Hao needed to keep at least ten in reserve and convert ten into sword energy to facilitate the conversion of mysterious energy for the entire squad, allowing them to rapidly empower themselves. What was in hand had to be used. Only when used did it become true strength. If saved, who knew whose benefit it would ultimately serve? Ten divine energy stones couldn't convert too much of the remaining thirteen thousand cubes, but the others couldn't absorb that much anyway. At the Hundred-Breaker level, absorbing several dozen cubes in a single session was pushing their limits. Converting two thousand cubes would allow an average of forty cubes per person, which was more than enough for them. Li Hao continued along the mountain trail. After walking for a while, he stepped off the natural path to weave through especially treacherous trails, even scaling sheer cliffs. In this manner, the group traveled for more than an hour, penetrating deep into Mount Cang until they finally found a natural cave. Upon entering the cave, Li Hao quickly sealed the entrance and said, "Begin cultivating now. When everyone is at their most exhausted is precisely the best time for us to cultivate... Do not rest. Rest breeds laxity!" "Yes!" Everyone responded in unison, each filled with anticipation. None of them removed their black armor. Li Hao shattered several divine energy stones directly, swiftly converting large amounts of mysterious energy. All five elemental attributes were present, alongside unaligned mysterious energy that was stripped away, quickly permeating the cavern. The martial masters began absorbing it one after another. This was not their first time. Although they remained amazed by Li Hao's methods, after several repetitions, everyone had grown accustomed to it. They had also experienced the benefits of this converted energy: not only was it easier to absorb, but it also strengthened the physical body and five internal organs with exceptional balance. For now, they couldn't truly appreciate the full extent of this benefit. Only upon reaching Thousand-Battler would they understand what strengthening the five internal organs truly signified—it meant that the path of spirit nourishing was opening up to them. Liu Long was the one who understood this best. Over the past few days, he had gained tremendously. As a Thousand-Battler, his absorption speed was rapid, and he specifically absorbed five-element energy. After several days, he clearly felt his five internal organs grow significantly stronger. He felt only envy toward the others. These fellows were blessed without realizing it. Right now, none of them understood. Once they stepped into Thousand-Battler and began spirit nourishing, they would realize what immense benefits strengthening the five internal organs during the Hundred-Breaker stage brought. Each absorption session saved everyone at least several years of cultivation time. Over ten thousand cubes of mysterious energy was merely a number. The true benefit was far greater than that numerical value. If Hou Xiaochen and the others knew of this, they would likely be willing to pay ten or a hundred times the price to trade for this specialized energy. ... Li Hao paid them no further attention and began healing and cultivating himself. His lungs were bleeding continuously. Yet they were also constantly healing. The Metal Sword momentum was too fierce, its explosive power too violent, and it was constantly struggling. Every tremor brought forth a fit of coughing. His five internal organs were still not strong enough! And weak internal organs were dragged down by a physical frame and skeleton that were not sufficiently sturdy. Thus, Li Hao prioritized strengthening his flesh and bones, choosing wind and thunder energy as his top options. Soon, sword energy from the little sword surged forth, and a rumble of thunder echoed within his body. Li Hao required only these refined energies; the unaligned energy was released directly outwards and absorbed by the martial masters. Unaligned energy could also strengthen the physical body, but for Li Hao, the effect was marginal. For Hundred-Breakers, however, the effect was vastly superior to ordinary mysterious energy. Inside the cave, fifty-one people remained eerily quiet. Only Li Hao's occasional coughing and the rumbling thunder within his bones lent a trace of human presence to the silent cavern. Members of the Demon Hunt Corps broke through one after another. From early to mid-stage; from mid to late-stage. The Ten-Slayer realm martial masters who hadn't broken through before had all advanced earlier, and now each was progressing toward the mid and late stages. Several late Hundred-Breakers were even vaguely sensing force—not through ancient weapons, but through their own comprehension. Hong Yitang's daughter, Hong Qing, alongside Hong Hao, Wang Chao... each possessed their own unique insights. Liu Yan was the same, as were martial masters with their own distinct heritages, such as Li Heng. At this moment, Wu Chao, Li Heng, and Chen Jian had all advanced to late Hundred-Breaker. Over the past few days, everyone had made tremendous progress. A few days of battle and cultivation surpassed several years, or even a decade, of their previous efforts! The number of late Hundred-Breakers in the Demon Hunt Corps had noticeably surged. Liu Long had also made considerable progress. He had even begun attempting to lock force—locking water momentum into his kidneys. His internal organs were still somewhat weak, causing sharp pangs during the locking process, but this was already immense progress. It signified that he was advancing toward the peak Thousand-Battler realm. Compared to before, he was significantly stronger. Dealing with a late Solar Luminary was no longer a major challenge, and he could contend with a peak Solar Luminary, though the outcome would depend on the actual fight. Liu Long looked silently toward Li Hao. All of this had been brought about by this young man. This fellow was truly terrifying! Soon, everyone sank into the pleasant sensation of cultivation. There was none of the agony usually associated with absorbing mysterious energy, only comfort. ... At the same time that Li Hao and his group were rushing toward Mount Cang through the night... Several figures stepped into northern Yinyue. At the site of last night's battlefield. Several powerhouses stood suspended in midair, quietly observing the traces left behind by the battle. A middle-aged woman with bluish hair reached out, pulling a shattered boulder into her grasp. After inspecting it closely, she sighed softly. "What a Demonic Sword!" The sword energy was exceptionally sharp! Even after dissipating overnight, the sword energy remained formidable. This person's attainment in the sword had already reached the divine. Among Yinyue's swordsmen, who could rival him? Heavenly Sword? Nowadays, perhaps only Heavenly Sword could match this man. Yinyue had produced formidable experts since ancient times. Sure enough, even in this era of decline, figures continued to walk out from this land. Li Hao, a hitherto unknown fellow, had made his name resound throughout the dynasty with a single battle last night. Not far away, a cloaked figure crouched down to examine a mutilated corpse before shaking his head slightly. "Shattered directly underground... This Li Hao is also proficient in earth force!" "Sword momentum, earth force, and possibly fire force..." "No, metal force!" "..." The powerhouses traded remarks, but soon fell silent. This Li Hao was truly a monster! "Judging by the secret techniques of the Five Animals Sect, although Li Hao doesn't follow the Five Animals' forces, they can be viewed in the same light. From the look of things, he has comprehended at least three, or even four forces... remarkably similar to Yuan Shuo's Five Animals Art!" "To say he comprehended multiple forces in a single month is impossible!" The blue-haired woman said coldly, "If you told me he advanced from the Ten-Slayer realm to late Hundred-Breaker in a single day, I would believe it! But comprehending multiple forces within a month is impossible. Therefore... this Li Hao must have comprehended multiple forces long ago!" Rapidly strengthening physical frame and blood vitality was something everyone could accept; as long as one possessed enough treasures, there was hope. Force, however, did not depend on treasures. Even if you were granted daily access to an enlightenment ancient weapon, you wouldn't necessarily comprehend force every day. Thus, at this moment, the experts concluded that Li Hao must have comprehended force long ago, perhaps for more than a year. Everything shown on his record was nonsense. Three years ago, when Yuan Shuo took Li Hao as a disciple, Li Hao might have already been an extraordinary martial master. Otherwise, he might have received the true teachings three years ago, rather than just two or three months ago as the outside world claimed. Over the span of three years, comprehending one force per year was within the realm of possibility for a top-tier genius. Banshan looked toward the woman and asked in a low voice, "Haixiao, where do you think he stands right now?" "Peak Three Sols, of the newly ascended sort," Haixiao stated flatly. "Of course, he is a martial master with formidable spirit intent and multiple forces, so he is somewhat stronger than an ordinary peak Three Sols, though only marginally. Looking at the battle traces, his final kill of our Red Moon members was a protracted, bitter struggle, and he must have sustained severe injuries himself. "If he truly possessed the strength to rival a Rising Light, killing the three of them would not have been so difficult!" Banshan nodded slightly. "Yue Pu was slain by his ambush. Although killed swiftly, it doesn't mean his strength vastly exceeded Yue Pu's... Indeed, it is the strength of an initial peak Three Sols." As seasoned experts, they could deduce a general assessment from the traces. Even so, it was utterly terrifying. How old was Li Hao? Barely twenty. Yet he could already slay a peak Three Sols, surpassing even some of the top Heaven-Favored Divine Masters of the Central Region. Moreover, he was a martial master, not a supernatural. If he were to advance to supernatural right now... wouldn't he instantly become a Rising Light? That was the truly frightening part! Of course, at Li Hao's level, advancing to supernatural was exceedingly difficult. Even if he could, he might not choose to do so. If he had been a supernatural, he would already be a Rising Light... Such an achievement could only be rivaled by a few top-tier prodigies from the Central Region, found in small numbers within the Three Great Organizations and the Night Patrollers. Furthermore, those people were all active in the Central Region. None of them had crossed over to Yinyue yet. From Yama's side, a figure had arrived as well—not the Equality King, but the Wheel-Turning King. The wind-affinity Wheel-Turning King acted with restraint before the two Rising Lights, yet showed no overt fear as he said coldly, "I ran into this Li Hao before in the ruins. Back then, he disguised himself as a Hundred-Breaker and fooled my senses. No wonder the Three Great Organizations suffered such catastrophic losses last time... Needless to say, it was undoubtedly this man striking from the shadows!" Last time, everyone had thought the Night Patrollers had simply gotten lucky. Now, however, nobody thought that way anymore. The lethal blows back then had certainly been struck by Li Hao. Haixiao was indifferent to this, merely frowning as she said, "He fled with his people... Red Moon isn't particularly adept at tracking. Feitian excels the most at tracking. Banshan, can your side pursue them?" As an organization of assassins, if they weren't skilled at tracking, how could they lock onto targets? Feitian's members were all adept at tracking. Banshan, concealed beneath his cloak, merely frowned slightly and said in a calm tone, "Elder Haixiao, use your shadow god to track them." "Out of the question!" Haixiao shook her head. "I suspect this Li Hao possesses the Heavenly Eye! He can see shadow gods. Otherwise... how could he have coincidentally discovered our people so quickly every single time? Thus, a shadow god might be spotted by him." "The Heavenly Eye?" Banshan was taken aback at first, then furrowed his brow as realization dawned. "The Heavenly Eye... you mean those exceptional individuals who can perceive spiritual entities?" "Yes, precisely them!" Haixiao said solemnly, "Li Hao possesses formidable spirit intent, bearing several similarities. Such people may not necessarily become very strong in martial arts or supernatural abilities, but they can see certain unique substances. And once one of them crosses the threshold of Rising Light... they become utterly terrifying. Their spirit can manipulate everything. Such horrific beings have already appeared in the Central Region! "Shadow gods belong to a similar class of substance, invisible to ordinary eyes. Yet Li Hao... might be able to see them." Otherwise, why had Red Moon's operatives been uncovered by him so quickly every time? Furthermore, the red shadows seemed to inflict no harm upon Li Hao. From the traces at the scene, the shadow god had been taken by him as well; she had even felt the shadow god's dying wail. Such individuals existed everywhere. Yet very few managed to survive. Moreover, once they began cultivating, they were prone to dying from explosive backlash. But if they survived and crossed certain thresholds, they rapidly grew into top-tier powerhouses—truly terrifying. Factions everywhere were secretly scouring for these people. Up to now, however, very few had accomplished anything significant. Most had perished, while the surviving few were kept at various regional headquarters to aid in research. Some were even stationed within ancient ruins, as they could perceive hazards and opportunities invisible to others. Haixiao's deduction caused Banshan and the others to grow solemn. If this was true... it seemed to affect Red Moon the most, while having little bearing on them. In truth, Li Hao could see the supernatural energy within the human body, something people with the Heavenly Eye could not do. Li Hao himself didn't know this, and naturally, neither did they. However, someone who cultivated to Li Hao's level was exceptionally troublesome. Certain specialized techniques were completely ineffective against him. Illusions, hypnotic abilities, and obscuring tricks could hardly deceive cultivators with the Heavenly Eye. Haixiao spoke again: "Banshan, this Li Hao doesn't harbor hatred only toward my Red Moon. When he strikes against Feitian and Yama, has he ever shown mercy? Even Yuan Shuo was better than him; at least Yuan Shuo only targeted my Red Moon, whereas Li Hao... targets all of us!" Yuan Shuo hadn't exclusively targeted Red Moon, but under normal circumstances, he wouldn't go out of his way to trouble the other two organizations unless he happened across them, since they possessed no red shadows. Li Hao, on the other hand, devoured everything in his path. No red shadows? Then he would slay them for their mysterious energy without the slightest hesitation. This was what made him truly terrifying. In his eyes, there were only those he could kill and those he could not. Those he could not kill were few; those he could kill were the vast majority. As for whether he offended all Three Great Organizations or just one, he couldn't care less. Banshan pondered for a moment and nodded. "Very well. However, I cannot stay here indefinitely. If we fail to find Li Hao within five days... I must depart." As for where he would go... Cross-Cut Gorge, naturally. On the twenty-eighth of this month, Battle Heaven City in Cross-Cut Gorge might open again. If he didn't return, leaving only a single Rising Light elder present could easily lead to trouble. Red Moon, of course, didn't care about lacking a single Rising Light; they currently still had twenty to thirty Three Sols present. In this regard, neither Yama nor Feitian could compare to Red Moon. Red Moon was mad enough to mobilize the forces of nineteen provinces, something Feitian and Yama would never do. The more they sent, the more they lost. Just look at how many experts Red Moon had lost during this period. In Yinyue alone, nearly ten of their Three Sols had perished. Today was September nineteenth. There were perhaps only nine days remaining until Battle Heaven City opened in Cross-Cut Gorge. Agreeing to search here for five days was already giving Red Moon ample face. Of course, Banshan also wished to capture or kill Li Hao. This youth was somewhat terrifying! Haixiao nodded, then looked toward the Wheel-Turning King. "Wheel-Turning, what about you? I refuse to believe Yama sent only the Equality King. Do the other lords of the Ten Yama Halls have no free time? Now that you've arrived, aren't you afraid of being slain by Li Hao instead?" A wind-affinity peak Three Sols wielding an Origin God Armament was formidable, but a momentary lapse in vigilance could still see him killed by Li Hao. At present, only those in the Rising Light realm could deal with Li Hao. Thus far, Yama publicly had only one Rising Light in Yinyue—the Equality King. But had none of the other eight hall masters arrived? The battles in the Central Region had quieted down considerably of late. Red Moon had successively pulled four Moons to this region to surround and kill Li Hao and Yuan Shuo, and the Equality King had come over as well. Feitian had likely sent an elder-level figure, but Banshan had at least attained Rising Light. The Wheel-Turning King frowned slightly and said, "Elder Haixiao need not concern yourself with me. I shall wait a little longer. Under the Equality King, the masters of the Sixteen Hells will soon arrive..." At these words, Haixiao and Banshan fell silent, their expressions growing serious. It seemed Yama was taking this seriously as well. The Equality King was a Rising Light powerhouse. Unlike the Wheel-Turning King, he oversaw the sixteen branch divisions of the Sixteen Hells, commanding sixteen experts who were nearly all at the Three Sols level. Once those people arrived... they would be no weaker than a Rising Light. Combined with the Wheel-Turning King—a peak Three Sols who carried an Origin God Armament—even Haixiao might not be his match. Banshan likely carried an Origin God Armament as well, leaving Haixiao as the only one without one. Although Haixiao was an elder, Origin God Armaments were scarce, and not every elder possessed one. Figures like Purple Moon and the Wheel-Turning King were responsible for overseeing entire regions and held high nominal status. Haixiao was merely one of many elders, of which Red Moon had quite a few. Of course, it was rumored that Feitian had lost an Origin God Armament in Battle Heaven City last time, which might have belonged to Banshan, meaning he might no longer have one. As these thoughts crossed Haixiao's mind, she looked into the distance and spoke: "Li Hao hails from Silver City. Silver City is merely a small city..." Just as she spoke, a chuckling voice came from afar: "Threatening Li Hao by using Silver City? Don't even think about it, and don't make reckless moves! Li Hao's parents were killed by you, his childhood friend was killed by you, and his teacher was driven away by you... He's all alone in the world. Can Silver City threaten him? Don't be foolish; if you stir up immense trouble, no one will be able to save you!" Haixiao's expression turned cold as she looked into the distance. A figure appeared—none other than Southern Fist. "He Yong?" The group was momentarily startled. This man... actually dared to come here? He Yong laughed heartily. "What, I'm not allowed to come? The Night Patrollers are at war with you, not my Imperial Clan! What, do you plan on dragging the Imperial Clan into this as well? I have no interest in you lot. I'm also looking for Li Hao. That kid is so formidable; I'd like to spar with him. His teacher ran off, but he isn't half bad either..." Haixiao glared at him coldly. "The Imperial Clan? You're merely a martial master drillmaster—do you think you're worthy of representing the Imperial Clan? If I truly kill you, I'd like to see whether the Imperial Clan dares to make a move against my Red Moon after eighty years in seclusion!" This He Yong was merely borrowing prestige. What Imperial Clan nonsense! Yet He Yong showed no fear, laughing boisterously. "Give it a try then! Besides, do you really think I could just run out from the Imperial Clan on a whim and stay away indefinitely? My Imperial Clan also takes some interest in the affairs of the Eight Great Families. Haixiao, why don't you share some details? If I'm pleased, a wave of my hand will summon several dukes or even prince-regents to join you in wiping out Hou Xiaochen!" "..." Silence fell. Dukes, prince-regents... These ancient noble titles were rarely mentioned nowadays, yet everyone knew that these figures possessed both strength and authority! He Yong's words seemed to suggest that he had come here bearing a specific mission. The Three Great Organizations were well aware of the feud between the Imperial Clan and the Nine Departments. Eighty years ago, the Imperial Clan had been forced to abdicate. Between them and the Nine Departments lay the blood feud of a stolen realm! It was only that they maintained a superficial balance nowadays. Haixiao pondered for a moment and chose to ignore him. There was no need to offend the Imperial Clan, yet there was also no reason to become overly entangled with them. Internal intelligence within Red Moon indicated that the Imperial Clan was unwilling to remain dormant; at the very least, their Black Armor Army still guarded that imperial palace where no one dared enter or exit. Although the Heavenly Star King had abdicated, and the Heavenly Star King who had lost the realm eighty years ago was dead, the current generation's Heavenly Star King was said to be a formidable figure who refused to remain a mere figurehead, harboring ambitions to restore his realm. These Imperial Clan members all possessed methods and strength of their own... With these thoughts in mind, Haixiao ceased communicating with He Yong. He Yong didn't care. Brandishing the name of the Imperial Clan was rather useful; under normal circumstances, neither the Three Great Organizations nor the Nine Departments wished to provoke complications with the Imperial Clan at this stage. It was far too troublesome! Just like now: Haixiao and the others ignored him, yet didn't dare lay a finger on him. Had it been someone from the Nine Departments, they definitely would have attacked. The experts conducted their inspection and soon departed in separate directions. Banshan left alongside Haixiao. As for using Silver City to threaten Li Hao... just as Southern Fist had said, would it be of any use? His family and friends were all dead, and his teacher had fled. Could they threaten Li Hao with random passersby? Did they truly take Li Hao for a living bodhisattva? Furthermore, striking Silver City could easily provoke a frenzied crackdown from Yinyue's official authorities, far more severe than the current situation. After considering this, Haixiao quickly abandoned the idea. The Wheel-Turning King departed swiftly as well, preparing to await the arrival of the masters of the Sixteen Hells. Yama clearly intended to attempt capturing Li Hao if possible. Only after everyone had left did Southern Fist leap down into the previous battlefield. He searched around, inspected the area, and gained a clear picture in his mind. What a Li Hao! He was walking the path of fusing spirits into the five internal organs—just like his teacher, fusing five forces into the five viscera! Metal, fire, and earth seemed complete. Did that mean water and wood had yet to take shape? Fusing three forces had allowed him to slay a peak Three Sols... When Yuan Shuo fused two forces in conjunction with the Blood Saber Art, he had killed Eyebrow-High Staff, who was also considered a peak Three Sols... *Are this master and disciple competing with each other? In that case, Li Hao's strength is already comparable to Yuan Shuo's back then.* *Word has it that Yuan Shuo has manifested three forces as well, putting him slightly ahead of Li Hao...* He mused that the master and disciple were likely near equal in strength. However, if Yuan Shuo proceeded step by step, he would eventually fuse all five forces. Li Hao, on the other hand, faced a dilemma—comprehending two more forces was no easy feat. *Water momentum... Liu Long seems to cultivate water momentum. Does the Nine Refinements Force follow water momentum? In that case, only wood force remains. Does that kid have any leads?* Southern Fist analyzed the situation, uncertain whether Li Hao had any ideas. Yet at the scene, he sensed traces left by the Nine Refinements Force. Moreover, there was a surging wave momentum. Li Hao likely already had a plan for water momentum. *Wood force...* Southern Fist thought for a while, then suddenly smiled. He actually knew of a wood-affinity sword technique in Yinyue's martial arts world, said to have been unearthed from an ancient ruin. Its master back then had supposedly been known as the Wood Swordsman. However, that sword technique was not very famous. *The Catkin Sword... the Wood Swordsman...* He wondered if the Catkin Sword had any successors left. The creator of the Catkin Sword was dead, and his sole successor had apparently died years ago as well. Did that mean the heritage had been severed? The Catkin Sword was not among Yinyue's Seven Swords. Back then, it was said to rank among the top ten swordsmen of Yinyue, but without making the Roster of Heroes, who would pay attention to you? *If this kid could obtain the Catkin Sword's heritage, he might have hope of comprehending wood force. What a pity... it's lost. As for others, I don't know if there are any other wood-affinity sword arts.* Shaking his head slightly, Southern Fist cast the thought aside. If Li Hao was lucky, he might obtain it. After all, it was recorded in ancient texts, and other ruins might contain it as well. If unlucky, he would have to rely on himself; perhaps another secret technique or epiphany could help him comprehend wood force. It was just that the Catkin Sword would allow him to directly comprehend wood force step by step, saving Li Hao a great deal of time. He observed the scene a bit longer, then quietly withdrew. Following Southern Fist's departure, more figures arrived in succession, all swiftly surveying the area before departing. Across the land of Yinyue, it wasn't just the Three Great Organizations and the Night Patrollers watching, nor was it just the Imperial Clan sending eyes. The Nine Departments, as well as several prominent figures, all had informants monitoring the situation. Soon, detailed intelligence regarding Li Hao was delivered to various quarters. Three types of force! He might be walking the path of fusing forces via the Five Animals just like Yuan Shuo; Li Hao's path as a martial master had yet to reach its limit. ... At the same time. Inside the cave, Li Hao concluded his cultivation. Exhaling a long breath, he felt his physical body had grown significantly stronger, and the injuries to his internal organs had healed considerably, though his lungs still felt slightly uncomfortable. As for the darkness-affinity energy, he had absorbed it completely. He didn't notice any drastic change. The only difference was that his presence was even more concealed. Li Hao found it somewhat redundant; he wasn't someone who relied on ambushes. Martial masters naturally concealed their presence; what use was this damnable darkness energy making him conceal it even further? *At least the coughing has improved considerably...* Previously, Li Hao had coughed every few minutes; now, he gave a light cough perhaps once an hour. His lungs still had slight discomfort. His internal organs had reached fifteen hundred cubes of capacity; once they reached two thousand, there would definitely be no further issue. However, he had consumed too many divine energy stones, and Li Hao currently didn't have enough to squander. *My body, bones, and internal organs are all stronger!* *My overall strength has increased a bit, but... not by much. The core issue remains force. I haven't comprehended water momentum yet, but I have a lead; it shouldn't take much longer.* *Wood force... that's the real problem!* Li Hao sighed softly. Fusing four forces would undoubtedly elevate his strength to the pinnacle of peak Three Sols, or allow him to contend with an early Rising Light. Paired with the Blood Saber Art, he could definitely rival an early Rising Light. However, regarding the fifth force, he had no clues whatsoever! Wood force... where could he comprehend it from? In the Five Animals Art, the Deer Prance technique corresponded to wood force, but Li Hao's path differed from his teacher's. Furthermore, the Five Animals Art was not a sword art, so there were few commonalities. Even if Li Hao comprehended deer momentum, it would likely not carry the wood attribute. Although force did not possess inherent attributes and relied on later comprehension to assign them, if the initial direction was wrong, the force comprehended would not simply conform to whatever attribute one desired. As he pondered, Li Heng thrust a sword forward excitedly in the distance, lowering his voice to brag to Wu Chao beside him: "I feel like I'm about to comprehend force! I'm truly a genius—only two days into late Hundred-Breaker and I already feel force within reach! Once the Catkin Sword is unleashed, willow leaves flutter, branches entwine, trapping and killing alike. I have a feeling that once my force forms, it will combine offense and defense into one! Running Wu, what will you have to compete with me then?" "The Catkin Sword..." Li Hao was taken aback and looked toward Li Heng. He knew Li Heng was the successor of the Catkin Sword. Back then, the successor of the Catkin Sword had stayed in Silver City, only to be killed shortly after. Li Heng, as a half-baked practitioner, had never wielded the Catkin Sword particularly well, failing to display its true might. Now, hearing that he was about to comprehend force, Li Hao was instinctively startled. *So quickly?* This meant the sword art itself possessed the capability to lead directly to force. Not just any secret technique could lead to force once cultivated to a certain level. The Nine Refinements Force could, and the Five Animals Secret Art could, but those were top-tier secret arts possessed by the Thirty-Six Heroes of old. Could the Catkin Sword do so as well? *Willow leaves flutter, branches entwine...* *Combining offense and defense?* At this moment, Li Hao turned his gaze toward Li Heng. Why did this sound... somewhat like wood force? A strange feeling welled up within Li Hao. *Just as I grew drowsy, someone brought me a pillow?* However... Li Heng tended to exaggerate. Was he just spouting nonsense, or did he truly feel close to comprehending force? Mid-boast, Li Heng suddenly felt a gaze fixated on him. He whipped his head around, and upon catching Li Hao's peculiar look, he swallowed hard and shut his mouth instantly. At this point, he no longer harbored the slightest defiance toward this man, only reverence. Never mind him; even if his cheap grandmaster were resurrected, the Catkin Sword had failed to rank among the Thirty-Six Heroes back then. Li Hao, on the other hand, would likely displace one of them to take a spot on the Roster of Heroes. Li Hao merely looked at him without speaking. It was all just his own speculation for now. Besides, Li Heng was full of empty talk and bluster... Better to wait and see! If he truly comprehended force, it would likely manifest soon. When that time came... he could inquire. Secret arts were precious and rarely taught to outsiders, but this fellow's sect was extinct, and he had only joined halfway. Offering enough benefits might very well secure the Catkin Sword secret technique in exchange. If the creator of the Catkin Sword were still alive, Li Hao naturally wouldn't seek it through Li Heng; protocol dictated approaching the creator himself. Since Li Heng was the sole surviving sprout of the lineage, however... it presented little issue. Li Hao pushed the thought aside. The urgent priority was comprehending water momentum. Once water momentum was achieved, he would possess the capital to confront a Rising Light! *As long as my strength grows with each passing day... all the intelligence you possess will be a thing of the past!* Li Hao looked into the distance. Even with boulders obstructing his view, he could sense that Rising Lights were definitely pursuing him. We'll see about that! He would soon reach the final step in comprehending the Nine Refinements Force. Once water momentum was formed, even if they didn't seek him out, he would seek them out. He was sorely lacking divine energy stones—surely Rising Lights had plenty of them? Glancing back at the martial masters in the squad, Li Hao revealed a smile. There were many mid Hundred-Breakers now, early Hundred-Breakers were a minority, and late Hundred-Breakers were plentiful. Li Hao even vaguely sensed that several of them might comprehend force on their own. Sure enough, life-and-death combat was the best opportunity for a martial master's comprehension. No wonder martial masters loved fighting, constantly sparring and engaging in lethal clashes. If the squad could gain a few more Thousand-Battlers, and Liu Long could take the first step into spirit nourishing... these people would be capable of slaying Three Sols. With such rapid progress, even Li Hao felt that the Demon Hunt Corps would soon shake the entire realm!