One Step to Heaven, One Step to Hell

As the two Silver Moon martial masters unleashed their full might, the tide of battle was rewritten. Formidable martial masters proved once more that on this land, martial masters were the true sovereigns! Yet martial masters also seemed to carry flaws and drawbacks—or rather, because there was no established path ahead, each of these trailblazing powerhouses had developed one problem or another. They had to lock down their own power, never daring to let it erupt lightly. Normally, they either kept low profiles in seclusion or presented themselves as weak. It wasn't that they didn't want to fight with their lives on the line, but that they couldn't. Staking their lives meant destroying years of bitter cultivation in an instant. At this moment, Southern Fist and Earth-Overturning Sword dashed straight toward Li Hao. They didn't fear the four great demons running away, nor did they fear the beasts waiting for their supernatural locks to snap completely... If that happened, their future prospects would be ruined, but their combat power would surge violently. In that state, killing the four great demons might become even easier. Right now, the four great demons understood very well that suppressing these two men was the best outcome. They couldn't afford to push them into unsealing their combat power any further. Otherwise, it would only end in mutual destruction. They even hoped the puny martial master in the distance could help keep that erupting power in check. If not... battle would be inevitable! …… Southern Fist was in even more of a panic than Earth-Overturning Sword. Hong Yitang's internal organs were merely gravely injured. Southern Fist, however, was in a different predicament: he wasn't injured, but on the verge of turning into a super! That was not the outcome he wanted, so he moved even faster than Hong Yitang! In the blink of an eye, he arrived before Li Hao. The fiery energy inside him had erupted to its absolute limit, and he was on the cusp of fully becoming a super. Southern Fist roared, "How do we do this? Can you fix it? If not... I'll beat those four beasts to death first!" He was going half-mad! For so many years, the hardships he had endured and the price he had paid to walk this path and strengthen his vitality and blood were beyond anyone's imagination. Only people like them knew how thorny this path truly was. Every step of the way had been hacked out through thorns and brambles, brushing against death countless times. Yet there was no road ahead! That sheer despair had forced them to seek their own destinations for the martial path. And now... he was about to turn into a super. Covered in blood, Southern Fist looked at Li Hao with desperate longing in his eyes. Could a supernatural lock that was on the verge of snapping completely really be restored? As for the Blood God Seed... a single Rising Light-tier Blood God Seed was utterly useless; it had no power to repair his supernatural lock. At this moment, Li Hao also felt a scorching wave wash over him! It was the power of erupting fire energy. He could even sense Southern Fist's heart fracturing. If he truly transitioned into a super... he might not even survive the process. His heart might simply fail to bear the burden and burst on the spot. Li Hao knew their internal organs were not actually strong. Both Southern Fist and Hong Yitang were somewhat bluffing. If the fight dragged on, they might unleash an even more terrifying might, or their organs might shatter entirely, killing them. It was a fifty-fifty gamble, but if the four great demons took the bet, all four beasts might die. Without a word, Li Hao swiftly circulated the Five Animals Breathing Technique. A stream of sword energy entered his own body before flowing directly into Southern Fist. A tremendous force surged back in response, nearly making Li Hao spit blood! Such boundless vitality and blood left Li Hao astounded! This vitality... was terrifyingly potent! Was this the kind of power needed to thrash top-tier great demons? Three blood exchanges? Bullshit! He suspected Southern Fist might have undergone more than ten blood exchanges. What a terrifying monster. "Martial Uncle He, hurry and try absorbing it into your heart! Has the supernatural lock snapped completely?" "Not yet..." Without wasting words, Southern Fist urgently drew in the energy. He didn't know what kind of energy it was, but he didn't care—he had to absorb it first. The sword energy surged into his body, and a moment later, Southern Fist's eyes lit up, only to dim just as quickly. "It works... but it's a drop in the bucket!" A drop in the bucket! Li Hao's expression shifted slightly. He had infused a substantial amount. Having just devoured an Origin God Armament, his sword energy was at its peak concentration, and he hadn't been stingy with it at all. Yet Southern Fist called it a drop in the bucket! Li Hao said nothing. He rapidly drew out more sword energy and channeled it into Southern Fist. Southern Fist absorbed it voraciously, compressing it entirely into his heart. He didn't need Li Hao's guidance; he already knew how to strengthen supernatural locks. However, a moment later, flames burst from his skin again. Sweating profusely with panic, Southern Fist cried, "It's no good... it's too little..." Li Hao was stunned. Too little. He was already doing everything he could, pouring vast amounts of sword energy into him—even more generously than he had treated his own teacher. This could only mean Southern Fist's supernatural lock was overwhelmingly powerful! Without hesitation, Li Hao retrieved eight divine energy stones from his storage ring. Then, he began rummaging through storage ring after storage ring, pulling out one divine energy stone after another. As he searched, he kept channeling energy into Southern Fist. The sword energy from an Origin God Armament was still immense. Vast waves of sword energy flooded Southern Fist's body, gradually suppressing the fiery aura. Although sparks still crackled off him, his condition was barely stabilized from deteriorating further. Li Hao didn't even blink. Right now, the sixteen Three Suns experts had provided a massive haul of divine energy stones. A quick count showed at least a hundred or more—the largest quantity Li Hao had ever seen at once. In an instant, he shattered all of them. In the blink of an eye, he was engulfed in divine energy. Southern Fist's expression shifted slightly. Even to someone like him, this many divine energy stones was no small sum. This kid Li Hao... A swirl of complex emotions welled up inside him, but he kept silent. A moment later, Hong Yitang arrived, coughing up blood continuously. He didn't interrupt Southern Fist, knowing Southern Fist's condition was far more dire. Hong Yitang had only suffered severe internal injuries, whereas Southern Fist was about to mutate into a super, so Southern Fist naturally took priority. Hong Yitang swiftly searched through the storage rings of the two Rising Lights and the peak Three Suns expert, which also contained plenty of divine energy stones. The Wheel-Turning King and Banshan in particular were wealthy. Haixiao, on the other hand, was dirt poor. Both the Wheel-Turning King and Banshan were regional leaders. Hong Yitang managed to scavenge nearly two hundred divine energy stones from them. As for Haixiao... she had only around thirty on her entire person. Pauper! A Rising Light, yet so pathetically broke! Hong Yitang tossed the divine energy stones onto the ground, along with the wind bell. Without pausing, he shot toward the severed mountain in the distance. "Roar!" The four demon beasts followed closely behind, landing one after another. Hong Yitang coughed incessantly, blood trailing from the corner of his lips. Holding his black longsword, he looked at the great demons. "Divine energy stones... all of them! And... that lotus in the valley... I want half..." By now, he could see the golden lotus. It was no longer green, but radiant gold. A faint smile appeared on his face. "I told you before, we were just passing through, but you insisted on fighting! Now we've both suffered... You give up your divine energy stones and half of this lotus, and as for us... if we can't stop our condition from deteriorating, then what comes next... cough cough... you know full well!" The four great demons were extremely aggrieved and frustrated. Reaching this stage meant severe losses for everyone, benefiting no one. But... who could have known these humans were so terrifying? Had they known earlier, they never would have pushed to kill them. At this moment, their minds went back to that man from years ago. Martial masters... Were Silver Moon martial masters truly all this terrifying? The golden eagle's mental voice rippled, "The divine energy stones can be given to you... If they are enough for you to restore your seals, then..." It wanted to ask whether they could keep the golden lotus. It was simply too precious! Hong Yitang smiled faintly without speaking, merely looking at the four beasts. A fierce glint flashed in the tiger's eyes. The giant ape glanced at Southern Fist in the distance, looking restless as well. Hong Yitang gave a light laugh, not pressing further, but leveled his longsword at the golden eagle. "Right now, immediately! Don't assume stalling is in your favor. If this drags on... with such a massive commotion, there might be a surprise waiting for you! The Cang Mountains harbor countless demons, but how many dare set foot onto Silver Moon soil? Do you want to test your luck today?" At these words, a sharp light flickered in the golden eagle's massive eyes. Without another word, it swooped down. With one claw, it snatched the bloomed golden lotus. It had eight petals, but only six golden seeds. The golden eagle flew back up, sending four petals and three golden seeds drifting toward him, its mental voice echoing again: "This is not a treasure for bolstering vitality and blood. To you, it may not be of much use... If it proves useless... we hope to trade other treasures for it in the future!" The golden eagle felt it would be an absolute waste in human hands. This was no treasure for tempering flesh or blood; this was the Heavenly Gold Lotus, a specialized treasure meant purely for spirit and sapience, capable of opening intellectual clarity. "Cough, cough..." Hong Yitang chuckled, examining the treasure in his hands before saying with a light laugh, "How could it be useless? Do you take me for an uncultured bumpkin like Southern Fist? Isn't this... that thing that enhances spirit intent? It's recorded in ancient texts. Golden lotus petals, though I haven't heard much about the seeds. It opens with eight petals, but the ancient texts also mention it only grows in a very peculiar sea..." He glanced at the small lake below and smiled. "This lake is anything but ordinary! Under normal circumstances, such a treasure shouldn't grow here... but that's none of my business anymore. In that case, today's battle is at an end!" The golden eagle and the other great demons fell into silence. Watching Hong Yitang turn to leave, the tiger suddenly transmitted a mental thought: "Is that demon from back then... still alive?" "Of course!" Hong Yitang smiled. "Though he was sealed away for several decades and fell behind a bit, I believe he'll soon soar to the heavens. Arrogant as that bastard is, there's no denying his unmatched talent. Soon enough... you might run into him again!" The expressions of the great demons shifted. Still alive! Among the thirty-six, that man had been the strongest back then. Now, one of the seven so-called useless swords and one of the two pathetic fists he had mocked had displayed such terrifying, overwhelming might today! Then... what about that demon himself? This swordsman claimed that man had fallen behind, but even if he had, he would catch up. Furthermore, of the thirty-six Silver Moon powerhouses from back then, only two had appeared today, yet both were so formidable. Just how many such powerhouses were still out there across Silver Moon? "Are you the strongest among the thirty-six?" the golden eagle suddenly asked. Hong Yitang chuckled. "No idea. You can go test them and ask around. All I know is that Sky Sword and Tyrant Saber are both quite formidable. Southern Fist is most likely inferior to them. Northern Fist's whereabouts are unknown, and Golden Spear is probably slightly weaker than me... As for the rest, you can ask them yourselves one by one." "……" Silence fell. Sky Sword, Tyrant Saber... At this moment, even the great demons felt weighed down. Hadn't they said the martial masters of Silver Moon had faded into total obscurity? Was this what they called obscurity? "Oh, I forgot to mention—there's one person who is definitely terrifyingly strong!" "Ying Hongyue, master to that water-element Rising Light from earlier..." Hong Yitang suddenly laughed. "You can go play with him. That guy, come to think of it, if he's been preparing all along, right now... he could probably crush each of you with a single punch." The four great demons lapsed into silence once more. Ying Hongyue! "That guy is strong, very strong... He's just waiting for the right moment. Right now, he might be at a similar level to me, but he's definitely more formidable. I'm lacking certain things, while he might not lack anything at all!" Hong Yitang let out a light laugh and floated away. Among the Thirty-Six Heroes, Ying Hongyue was likely the strongest today. With no shortage of Blood God Seeds, he had probably mended his flaws long ago. …… In the distance. Li Hao continued to extract sword energy. The fiery glow on Southern Fist's skin gradually died down, though it was still lacking slightly. Li Hao let the sword energy spread a bit longer before finally pulling his hands back. Southern Fist panicked. "No more?" "Yeah," Li Hao nodded. "Martial Uncle He, your supernatural lock is roughly stabilized now. Martial Uncle Hong's internal organs are on the verge of shattering, so it's better to treat him first." "I..." Southern Fist hesitated. He had regained control over his supernatural lock, but it was still fragile, and he wanted to absorb more. Yet seeing Hong Yitang return, he could only hold his tongue. Forget it. The guy was half-dead; if he tried to demand more, he might get sliced in two. By now, he was fairly satisfied. It was just... he couldn't shake his bewilderment and shock over what kind of energy Li Hao possessed. It could actually fuse directly with supernatural locks to repair them at high speed. Unbelievable! Yuan Shuo's recovery from his injuries, his breakthrough to Thousand-Battler, and his rapid advance to Spirit Nourishing had to be tied to this special energy. While he was lost in thought, Hong Yitang landed, glanced at Southern Fist, and coughed. "What are you scheming?" "Nothing." "Got bad ideas in your head?" "How could I?!" Southern Fist fumed. "Are you looking down on my moral character?" "You have moral character?" Hong Yitang sneered. "Where would you get any? You've reduced yourself to a royal slave, and you still claim to have character?" Southern Fist scoffed, "Drop the act! Are you any better?" "Of course. At least I never became a royal dog!" "Hmph!" "Hmph all you want, it's the truth." Hong Yitang coughed for a moment, then turned to Li Hao, his eyes flickering slightly. "What made you decide to lend us a hand? Wouldn't it have been better to let us fight the four great demons to the bitter end? You could have scavenged a mountain of treasures and several powerhouses' corpses... If we had killed the four beasts, we would likely have died too, and all the spoils would have been yours!" If it had truly come to that, Li Hao would have reached the heavens in a single leap. The corpses of two peerless martial masters, the carcasses of four supreme demon beasts, an intact golden lotus, Origin God Armaments, divine energy stones... The odds of that happening hadn't been low at all. Had the battle escalated that far, even Hong Yitang might not have been able to keep control. Li Hao glanced at him, thought for a moment, and said, "Emotion." "Emotion?" Both men paused. What emotion? "My teacher's emotion," Li Hao said calmly. "One day, my teacher told me he had no hope of stepping into Thousand-Battler in this lifetime. His heart was damaged, so he planned to spend the rest of his days quietly in Silver City. If things went sour, he'd unleash one final burst of strength to kill the Red Moon supers who came for him." Li Hao smiled faintly. "Back then, my teacher carried an emotion... perhaps despair? Or unwillingness to accept fate? I had originally planned to stay hidden and just watch the show. But at that moment, both you and Senior Southern Fist showed that exact same emotion... That was why I spoke up." Hong Yitang fell silent. Southern Fist's expression shifted, and he said nothing. Despair? It had been pure despair. The moment he severed his supernatural lock, he had been plunged into utter despair, feeling his entire life was ruined. Even becoming a powerful super held no appeal for him. Li Hao's words at that moment had been a lifeline, a beacon in the dark. After a long pause, Hong Yitang finally said, "Your methods... are truly extraordinary! The Eight Great Families... impressive!" He chuckled and said no more. Li Hao also remained silent, continuing to channel sword energy into Hong Yitang. Hong Yitang was like a bottomless pit; no matter how much energy entered, it vanished without a trace, leaving no outward sign. No amount of sword energy was too much for Hong Yitang to absorb instantly. On the ground, divine energy stones shattered one after another. The four great demons had just delivered their divine energy stones as well. It wasn't a huge amount—altogether, only five or six hundred... Well, it wasn't a small sum either, but to Hong Yitang, it hardly matched their stature. Combined with the stones from the Three Great Organizations, there were nearly nine hundred divine energy stones in total, and they were shattering continuously. Endless energy poured into Hong Yitang's body. When only about a hundred divine energy stones remained, Hong Yitang stood up. Li Hao looked at him, and Hong Yitang smiled faintly. "That's about enough. Keep the remaining stones for yourself." With that, he tossed over another storage ring. "There's some miscellaneous junk inside from the Wheel-Turning King and the others. In addition, here's one petal and one lotus seed—consider it your reward. Also... don't take them recklessly. Only consume them once you've fused all five forces down the road; otherwise, one force will grow overwhelmingly strong and shatter your balance!" Li Hao put away the remaining hundred-odd divine energy stones. The small sword still held a fair amount of sword energy; devouring the Origin God Armament had largely replenished what he spent. In essence, the two martial masters had consumed nearly eight hundred divine energy stones to mend their injuries. In truth, they hadn't needed that much just to heal; both Southern Fist and Earth-Overturning Sword had reinforced their foundations even further than before. Li Hao stowed the divine energy stones, and Hong Yitang nodded toward the wind bell. "Take this as well!" Li Hao took the wind bell. Standing up, he silently regarded the two men, his gaze calm and one hand resting behind his back, his thoughts unreadable. Southern Fist glanced at Hong Yitang. Hong Yitang chuckled, let out a breath, and said, "Go on your way. Do what you need to do. Southern Fist and I will cultivate here for a day and keep our four demon brothers company for a chat." Southern Fist curled his lip and said nothing. Li Hao looked at the two of them, then quietly retreated. Watching him leave, Hong Yitang added, "Don't forget, there are still some corpses. You can collect their mysterious energy... It's of little use to us, but you should need it." Though a great deal had dissipated, two Rising Lights and seventeen Three Suns had fallen this time. The total amount of mysterious energy was astronomical. A Three Suns powerhouse could provide at least a thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy. Rising Light was known as the Nine Suns tier, meaning their internal mysterious energy was at least three times that of a Three Suns. Even the weakest Rising Light could easily yield four to five thousand cubic meters. A strong one could yield upwards of ten thousand. For a Rising Light to cultivate from Starlight Master to Rising Light, the mysterious energy consumed was more than ten times that amount. Without a word, Li Hao moved swiftly, quickly harvesting the mysterious energy and collecting a large number of energy-storage rings. A moment later, Li Hao vanished into the distance. …… Only the two men remained in place. In the distance, the four great demons stood in the valley of the severed mountain, watching them without making a move. They were merely observing whether the two humans had suppressed their power. Seeing that their terrifying auras had subsided, the demons breathed a collective sigh of relief. They had finally suppressed it! At this moment, Southern Fist suddenly spoke: "Hong, you're not planning to track him down after I leave, are you?" Hong Yitang ignored him. Southern Fist eyed him for a few moments, then added, "It's that little sword, isn't it?" Hong Yitang still said nothing. "You're a swordsman. If you get your hands on it, maybe... you could become invincible under the heavens!" Hong Yitang chuckled. "Is that so? If I gave you a pair of gauntlets, could you become invincible under the heavens?" "Is it weapons that make one invincible, or people?" Hong Yitang looked at him. "In this world, did weapons come first, or did people? Aren't weapons forged by men? The ancients could forge them, so can modern people only rely on their weapons to dominate the world?" Southern Fist fell silent. Hong Yitang gazed into the distance, toward the direction where Li Hao had disappeared. "He Yong, tell me... in that final moment, was he prepared to draw his sword against us? Don't you think he's completely out of his mind sometimes, acting so foolish... actually daring to save the two of us? Can you believe he's Yuan Shuo's disciple?" That moment might have been the most dangerous moment of Li Hao's life. More dangerous than any other! Two supreme powerhouses stood right in front of him, and he was already braced to draw his sword and fight... How laughable that just a second earlier, he had been saving their lives. All three martial masters understood it perfectly in their hearts. It was a gamble with his life. Li Hao's life on the line. And the absurd thing was, the gambler had delivered himself straight to their doorstep. Southern Fist grew slightly irritated. "I never had that thought. If anyone did, it was you! I'm not as strong as you; if you got greedy, you might have attacked me too!" Hong Yitang glanced at him. "I don't need it. Besides... that sword belongs to the Eight Great Families. Can we even use it without their bloodline? How great things are now—now that we know about this, we can bring some divine energy stones to his door and ask for his help... If you kill the goose that lays the golden eggs and find you can't even use it, won't you cry your eyes out?" Southern Fist's gaze shifted. Hong Yitang laughed. "So you see, I never had such designs, because I have wisdom. As for you... perhaps you're lacking a bit in that department." Southern Fist bristled with rage. "If you dare sneer at me again, see if I don't punch you to death!" "I don't believe you can." "……" Since Hong Yitang didn't believe it, Southern Fist had nothing to say, because he truly couldn't beat him to death. Annoyed, he quickly changed the subject: "Forget it, I won't kill you. Give me one petal and one lotus seed!" "Why should I?" Hong Yitang sneered. "Give me one good reason. Could you have survived on your own? I had a chance... What right do you have to ask me for them?" "You..." Southern Fist said irritably, "You took two lotus seeds and three petals—that's too much... Can't I help you eat some?" "No!" Southern Fist was depressed enough to spit blood. What terrible luck. Fortunately, his heart's supernatural lock hadn't shattered, and it had even grown somewhat stronger. That could be considered a blessing in disguise. Hong Yitang added, "When you ran toward me earlier, I didn't hold it against you. Consider that giving you face!" Southern Fist cursed under his breath. *If I hadn't run to you, wouldn't you have suffered too?* He exhaled, glanced at the four great demons in the distance, and asked in a low voice, "Are those beasts considered the strongest in the Cang Mountains?" "Who knows? This is just one place, one mountain among the Nine Mountains and Eighteen Folds. Maybe... stronger ones are further back!" "So Dali was destroyed?" Southern Fist frowned. "Not necessarily. Dali's martial masters are fiercely powerful, not much weaker than Silver Moon's. Those barbarians are tough bastards. Back then, they fought Silver Moon martial masters in the Cang Mountains until rivers ran with blood... They might still be waiting for a chance to march into Silver Moon." "Who cares?" Hong Yitang chuckled. "What does that have to do with us? I've seen a few people from Dali, but... no need to mind them. We haven't even sorted out our own mess at home." Southern Fist nodded slightly. He looked again toward the direction Li Hao had taken. "Once that kid gets out this time... he's in huge trouble! The Three Great Organizations lost so many people trying to hunt him down. They might not know yet, but they will sooner or later." Hong Yitang laughed and glanced at the distant demon beasts. "What does it have to do with him? Weren't they killed by those great demons? The Three Great Organizations wouldn't dare recklessly pick a fight with them... We know how dangerous the Cang Mountains are, and Ying Hongyue and the others know it just as well!" Southern Fist nodded. "I just didn't expect these beasts to advance so quickly. The royal family has records, but according to them, the terrifying figures are in the central region. Who knew the outskirts would be this freaky?" The two chatted, mentioning Li Hao no further. As for what they truly thought in their hearts, perhaps only they knew. Whether they had harbored killing intent at that final moment was something only they could say. For martial masters—formidable martial masters—the most vital trait was restraint. Regardless of whether killing intent had surfaced, both had restrained themselves. Martial masters could be violent, ruthless, and cold-blooded, yet true martial arts grandmasters possessed one more quality: the ability to curb the desires of their own hearts. Yuan Shuo, Hong Yitang, Southern Fist, including Hou Xiaochen... These martial masters killed without batting an eye, yet in certain moments, a touch of tenderness would surface. In that moment, Li Hao had saved them. He had given them hope... and no matter how much desire lingered in their hearts, it was suppressed. Now, the two martial powerhouses crouched on the ground, roasting meat over a fire. It was the severed tail of the giant serpent from earlier. Hungry, they started a barbecue right on the spot. In the distance, the giant serpent stared at its severed tail, a savage glint flashing in its eyes before quickly dissipating. These two humans... were beings it could not afford to provoke. As for why they hadn't left yet, the beasts all understood: they were waiting for that other human to get far enough away. At this moment, the giant ape suddenly sent a mental ripple: "That weakling from earlier... did you see how he left?" The golden eagle remained silent. It had actually noticed something. The tiger gazed into the distance, its mental voice echoing: "He... is that man's disciple!" The giant ape transmitted another thought: "I knew it—it was you two back then!" "……" The two giant beasts said nothing. They couldn't be bothered to respond. *Yes, it was us, so what? What of it?* "That man truly isn't dead. The young one earlier has also comprehended some special force, but... it seems somewhat different from that man's." "Normal. As they say, one person, one path; the martial path has thousands of variations. Those who learn from me live, those who imitate me perish. The martial path must be walked by oneself." The great demons lapsed into quiet contemplation. The giant serpent hesitated several times, wanting to speak. Four petals and three golden seeds remained. Were they going to divide them or not? The petals could be split evenly, but they were short one golden seed... It felt that most likely... the missing one was its share. The others hadn't even brought it up, clearly waiting for it to accept the reality and volunteer to forgo the seed before dividing the rest... The giant serpent felt rather dejected. As expected, those three were a clique. Because it hadn't been beaten by that man back then, it was treated like an outsider. …… Meanwhile. Drenched in sweat, Li Hao sped away in silence. Perspiration soaked through his clothes. In that final moment, he had been ready to draw his sword. Even though he had brought it upon himself, he didn't regret it, though a heavy gravity lingered in his heart. Fortunately... in the end, neither of them made a move. He didn't know whether it was out of gratitude for saving their lives, or concern over dividing the spoils, but at the very least, he had escaped with his life. Not only had he survived, his harvest was immense. He had witnessed a grand-scale battle. He had seen top-tier martial powerhouses fight with his own eyes—not through an illusion, not through a barrier, but in person. He had also obtained numerous treasures... In the storage ring Hong Yitang gave him were a golden lotus seed and a golden petal, both priceless treasures. Aside from that, he had gained over a hundred divine energy stones, which roughly replenished what he had spent earlier. Furthermore, there was an enormous amount of mysterious energy: seventeen Three Suns and two Rising Lights had provided him with around thirty thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy. He was running out of energy-storage rings to hold it all. Besides, the fallen enemies had carried plenty of energy-storage rings themselves. Li Hao hadn't counted carefully, but even if each carried a few hundred cubic meters, that was still over ten thousand. Added to what he had kept before... Li Hao roughly estimated that he now carried around fifty thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy! An astronomical sum, and likely even more, because Banshan of Feitian and the Wheel-Turning King of Yama were local commanders; they couldn't have carried merely a few hundred cubic meters in reserve. That would be severely underestimating the Three Great Organizations. Only Haixiao was genuinely a pauper. *With all these people dead here... the Three Great Organizations are probably going to lose their minds.* Li Hao sighed inwardly. Losing so many people at once was a blow none of the three could easily swallow. But that had nothing to do with him; the more that died, the better. Moreover, that wind bell could be kept as a backup reserve. If his sword energy was ever exhausted and his divine energy stones ran dry, it could save his life. This excursion would also bring him an improvement. For water momentum, watching Haixiao fight might offer some inspiration. Yet the key wasn't water momentum, but sword momentum! Hong Yitang's sword! The only pity was that he hadn't experienced it firsthand. It was a slight regret; had he survived beneath that blade, he might have gained a special insight into the sheer might of the contemporary era's greatest swordsman. As for Sky Sword... Li Hao didn't dwell on him. Who knew how strong Sky Sword was? He might not even be stronger than Hong Yitang. A short while later, he returned to their previous location. Liu Long was on guard outside. Seeing Li Hao return, he breathed a sigh of relief and said worriedly, "I thought you'd gotten into a fight with someone. Just now, the entire Cang Mountains fell dead silent, followed by the sounds of battle... Did the Three Great Organizations clash with those great demons?" "Yes!" "What was the outcome?" Everyone looked at Li Hao anxiously. The battle was over? Then what happened? Li Hao exhaled. "The Three Great Organizations were completely wiped out! Seventeen Three Suns and two Rising Lights dead. Banshan, the Wheel-Turning King, and what appeared to be a water-element Rising Light from Red Moon are all dead..." In an instant, everyone's eyes went wide with shock and horror! All dead? Terrifying! Liu Long swallowed hard. "All dead? Then... what about those great demons?" "They're fine." "That's horrifying!" Liu Long said with relief, "Thank goodness they didn't spot us, otherwise..." He added, "Then let's hurry and move. By the way, earlier... earlier it seemed like sword momentum manifested. I thought you had joined the fight. It wasn't you? Could one of the Three Great Organizations' powerhouses have been a formidable martial master?" They were quite far from the battlefield, but Hong Yitang's sword intent had still rippled across the distance. Li Hao glanced at Hong Qing. Although her expression was hidden behind her black armor, her eyes held a trace of reverence. Speechless for a moment, Li Hao finally said, "It wasn't me. It was another swordsman... but he was beaten to death too!" Since Hong Yitang hadn't revealed himself, Li Hao couldn't be bothered to disclose anything to his daughter. "What a pity... Though, since he was from the Three Great Organizations, good riddance. That swordsman must have been incredibly strong—when his sword intent rippled over earlier, even our weapons trembled!" Hong Qing chimed in hurriedly, "Yes, he was so formidable! My sword kept vibrating; it was terrifying. Good thing he died, or if it had gone on, I felt like my sword would have flown right out of my hands!" *Good thing he died...* *You can tell that to your father yourself in the future.* Li Hao suddenly smiled. "Right, good riddance! Hong Qing, next time you see your father, tell him about this—mention that a powerful swordsman appeared. He might even know him." "Oh!" Hong Qing looked bewildered. Tell her father? Even if he knew the man, what of it? He was already dead. "Let's go. While the battle has just ended and the great demons are still shaken... we press on, stick to the original plan!" Eastward, toward Cross-Cut Gorge. As for turning back now, forget it. Setting aside the four great demons, running into Hong Yitang and Southern Fist on the way would be awkward. Now that this battle was over, Li Hao believed there wouldn't be any more terrifying entities ahead. They were only skirting the edge of the first mountain. If there were creatures even more terrifying than those four, Li Hao would truly throw his hands up in defeat. The group swiftly pressed forward. Li Hao's thoughts drifted to the golden lotus seed and petal inside his storage ring. In addition, the small sword had grown slightly longer, making it much more comfortable to wield. In his mind, scenes from the earlier battle resurfaced. Li Hao hadn't just observed Hong Yitang and Southern Fist; he had watched the great demons fighting as well. The golden eagle, tiger, and giant ape all corresponded to the Five Animals Art. This time, Li Hao had truly witnessed the authentic momentum of fierce beasts! *Wait... those beasts seem to have a history with my teacher. Could it be that teacher observed them back in the day?* Li Hao wondered. If that was true, should he prepare a coffin for his teacher if he ever came to the Cang Mountains? He had far too many enemies here! Also, among the Thirty-Six Heroes of the past, his teacher had fallen somewhat behind. Even if his teacher fused all five forces, Li Hao felt he would still struggle to match the Hong Yitang of today. As for Southern Fist, that was harder to say; without breaking his supernatural lock, Southern Fist's strength was limited to roughly the mid-stage of Rising Light. With three forces fused, his teacher was nearly invincible among Three Suns. If he fused all five... Southern Fist without breaking his lock might not be his match. Besides, it wasn't as if his teacher couldn't break his lock either. *Southern Fist can be caught up to, but Earth-Overturning Sword... will be difficult!* To catch up to Hong Yitang, one would likely need to reach the realm beyond Spirit Nourishing. Thoughts flickered through his mind. In this moment, Li Hao finally understood why those powerful martial masters all acted so meek and restrained: fighting with their lives meant destroying their own future paths. It seemed Hou Xiaochen and the others were mostly in the same boat. *Weak internal organs and fragile supernatural locks are both fatal flaws. At best, the lock snaps; at worst, the organs shatter...* Shaking his head, he stopped dwelling on it. He was still far from that stage, and even when he reached it... it wouldn't affect him much. Who knew? Maybe he'd strengthen his internal organs to the level of tens of thousands of cubic meters of supernatural energy. He'd scare them all half to death!