The Cangshan Mountains.
Li Hao and his group advanced swiftly. As expected, once they moved beyond the territory of the four great demon beasts, the number of great demons inhabiting the mountain forests dropped dramatically.
Yet high in the sky, that massive goshawk trailed them unceasingly.
It seemed to track them, yet also seemed to provide an escort.
Perhaps it feared Li Hao's group would once again trigger an all-out eruption from the two peak martial masters. After all, the four great demons already knew that the sword master's daughter was among them.
Moreover, the successor of that monster of old was here as well!
Of the four great demons, three still harbored lingering fear toward Yuan Shuo. The terrifying impression he had left in their minds was indelible. Even though Hong Yitang had claimed Yuan Shuo was lagging behind in cultivation, none of the demon beasts truly believed the old monster was someone to provoke.
***
They pushed forward without pause for an entire day and night, covering more than five hundred li. On such rugged mountain trails, this was already the physical limit for Li Hao's group.
Li Hao could have kept going, but the rest of the team was spent.
As their ragged gasps grew heavier, Li Hao halted. "Halt. Rest!"
With that order, many collapsed limp to the ground.
The intense mental strain combined with the non-stop sprint had left them thoroughly drained.
Hong Qing walked over. Beneath her black armor, she was drenched in sweat, though she endured it in silence.
She usually didn't dare speak much to Li Hao; he could be quite intimidating.
Even so, she took the initiative to approach him now, feeling somewhat nervous. "Commander!"
"What is it?" Li Hao looked at her, wondering if this second-generation martial artist found the hardship too overwhelming.
"Well... that is... I feel like my swordplay has improved lately, but when it comes to momentum, something is always lacking. Commander, you're a swordsman—and now the number one swordsman of Silver Moon. Could you... give me some pointers?"
Li Hao gave her an odd look.
*Give you pointers?*
*Number one swordsman?*
*Your father is vastly stronger than me.*
Still, knowing how deeply Hong Yitang hid his true capabilities, Li Hao didn't expose anything. He nodded. "Feel free to ask whatever questions you have. That goes for everyone, not just you."
Hong Qing was overjoyed!
At this moment, she felt Li Hao truly carried the demeanor of a grandmaster of martial arts.
She hurriedly explained, "My sword techniques are proficient, and I have some ideas about momentum, but the crux of momentum lies in projecting spirit intent. I have many concepts in mind, yet I can never bring them forth or manifest the sword momentum I envision..."
She had ideas regarding sword momentum, yet could not truly bring it into form.
Listening to her, Li Hao immediately understood where the problem lay.
It wasn't an especially difficult hurdle.
After a moment's thought, he said, "You lack stimulation."
"Stimulation?"
"A truly hearty, unreserved battle. Either your opponents are too strong or too weak; you lack that feeling of meeting an equal match. You saw my duel with Sun Moxian back then."
"That day, I condensed my sword momentum..."
Hong Qing froze. "Wasn't that an act?"
"..."
Li Hao was struck dumb, only realizing what she meant after a long pause.
Glancing at the others in the team, he couldn't help but chuckle. Evidently, they all assumed he had merely feigned being at the Hundred-Breaker realm during that battle, pretending it was an evenly matched contest.
Li Hao didn't bother explaining, continuing, "What many of you lack is precisely this kind of opportunity. It truly is a fortuitous chance—finding a well-matched opponent who is also an enemy, who disregards life and death and is willing to wage a life-or-death battle against you, letting you fight to your heart's content and draw out everything you have learned and conceived!"
"If you encounter such a foe, bringing forth your momentum won't be very difficult."
"Of course, there are other methods as well."
Li Hao went on, "You can witness stronger momentum. However, comprehending someone else's momentum might not align with your own intentions. But if you encounter sword momentum of the same origin, you might gain different insights."
He thought of Hong Yitang. If Hong Yitang demonstrated his momentum to his disciples, perhaps... these people could comprehend sword momentum.
Yet Hong Yitang had not done so, and Li Hao had an inkling as to why.
Perhaps... he didn't want everyone in Sword Gate to walk his exact path.
In martial arts, especially regarding momentum, what one comprehended for oneself was far stronger than what one copied by watching others.
Still, Li Hao knew that not everyone was Hong Yitang, and not everyone could surpass their master. Hong Yitang's expectations for his disciples were simply too high.
In truth, the best course would be for Earth-Overturning Sword to personally demonstrate sword momentum to them.
Hong Qing hesitated before asking, "Commander, could you demonstrate your sword intent for us? Let us witness just how powerful the sword momentum of a true powerhouse really is."
Li Hao was speechless.
If he didn't know that she was oblivious to her father's true strength, he would have suspected she was mocking him.
Ignoring her absurdly powerful father, she came to learn from him instead.
Demonstrating sword intent wasn't out of the question. After pondering briefly, Li Hao nodded. "I can, but whether you gain anything from it isn't guaranteed. Besides, my sword intent isn't complete yet. If you wait until I take another step forward... it might offer you more inspiration. When my teacher stepped into Thousand-Battler back then, I was there in person, and I gained substantial insights."
"I suggest... you wait a bit longer."
Once he fused the five swords and formed a complete Five Elements Sword, observing it might yield far better results.
Hearing this, Hong Qing could only say, "Then we'll wait for the commander's sword intent to reach completion."
In reality, she assumed Li Hao simply didn't want to impart his secrets, which was only human nature and understandable.
Li Hao said no more.
He had spoken the truth; if Hong Qing and the others observed his sword intent now, they wouldn't gain much.
Setting the matter aside, everyone began cultivating shortly after.
Those at late Hundred-Breaker busied themselves with seeking comprehension.
Those at mid Hundred-Breaker still had time to make another breakthrough and step into late Hundred-Breaker.
***
Li Hao began cultivating as well.
His cultivation actually spurred the entire group's progress. The non-elemental mysterious energy he leaked, having been refined through sword energy, was more potent than ordinary non-elemental mysterious energy.
It provided significant help in strengthening everyone's constitution.
Sitting on a vast amount of mysterious energy, Li Hao certainly wouldn't leave it untouched to become someone else's spoils of war later on.
He began extracting mysterious energy to cultivate.
Previously, each of his five internal organs had reached a capacity of 1,500 cubic meters.
Under normal circumstances, the sword energy extracted from a single divine energy stone could be used to extract nearly 300 cubic meters of mysterious energy, with little variance.
Li Hao had obtained quite a few divine energy stones this time.
Most had been consumed to save Hong Yitang and Southern Fist, leaving around 160 stones. According to his extraction efficiency, that was enough to extract roughly 45,000 cubic meters.
However, Li Hao might not be able to absorb that much mysterious energy.
The physical body ultimately had its limits at each stage.
This time, Li Hao's goal was to bring his five organs to the level of 5,000 cubic meters each, while bringing his flesh and bones to the same standard. The five organs required 17,500 cubic meters, while his flesh and bones would absorb roughly 8,000 cubic meters.
That way, his flesh, bones, and five organs would all reach the 5,000-cubic-meter standard—triple his current strength.
Even if his sword momentum didn't grow stronger, his overall power would see a massive leap.
Absorbing over 25,000 cubic meters... normally, even a peak Rising Light couldn't take in that much. However, martial masters were constantly in the process of reinforcing their supernatural locks, so it was entirely feasible.
Sitting cross-legged, Li Hao reflected on these matters and thought of his teacher. When his teacher left, his heart had absorbed 1,000 cubic meters of fire energy, which had nourished his organs for some years. But because his heart had been injured back then, his teacher's organs might not be exceptionally sturdy.
From his current perspective, Yuan Shuo had probably been around the 1,500-cubic-meter level. Even if he had killed some Red Moon members and extracted Blood God Seeds lately, Li Hao believed that without sword energy to assist, the absorption efficiency would be limited.
For his teacher to reach 2,000 cubic meters would already be an incredible stroke of fortune.
While Li Hao could not yet surpass his teacher in momentum, after this session, he would thoroughly eclipse him in the nourishment of his body and organs.
A faint smile appeared on Li Hao's face.
The next instant, a surge of energy enveloped the entire group.
Li Hao, Liu Long, and everyone else in the team quietly absorbed the leaking energy to cultivate.
For the others, strengthening the physical body alone didn't seem to offer immense immediate help, and the reinforcement had its limits.
Yet they knew a bit about Spirit Nourishing and understood it was tied to the strength of the five organs.
All of them carried a glimmer of anticipation. Once they grasped momentum, perhaps... they too could embark on the path of Spirit Nourishing.
***
Time slipped by.
In the blink of an eye, another day passed.
It was now September 22.
The small valley where Li Hao and the others rested was completely shrouded in energy. In the sky above, the goshawk circled several times without daring to descend. It merely watched from afar, filled with surprise and perplexity. *Are these humans cultivating?*
*What dense energy!*
***
Rumbling sounds echoed continuously from inside Li Hao's body!
Arcs of thunder energy vibrated across his bones.
Wind-element energy reinforced his flesh, while within his five organs, the supernatural locks grew increasingly formidable. The supernatural lock in his lungs, which had previously barely contained his metal sword momentum, now clamped down firmly upon it.
The metal sword momentum could no longer break free!
Near Li Hao, Liu Long's internal organs trembled as his blood surged like a roaring river. Waves swept around his kidneys as he attempted multiple times to lock his momentum into them, yet he always fell just short.
His organs still weren't strong enough!
At this stage, he had not reached the level required to lock momentum. Once he locked his momentum, it would herald his entry into Spirit Nourishing, which also meant that in terms of realm, this martial master could be considered equivalent to a Three Suns super.
In actual combat strength, he might even surpass an early Three Suns.
Sitting right beside Li Hao, Liu Long absorbed a great deal of energy. Non-elemental energy primarily strengthened the entire body without targeting specific areas. Over the course of the day, merely absorbing the energy leaking from Li Hao had noticeably bolstered Liu Long's entire body.
Yet... it wasn't enough!
He still couldn't bring the average capacity of his five organs past 500 cubic meters.
No matter how much non-elemental energy he absorbed, it lacked the specialized efficacy needed to rapidly fortify the organs.
Just as Liu Long grew agitated, full of regret and ready to give up, a stream of energy suddenly penetrated into his body.
Startled, Liu Long opened his eyes and looked up. Li Hao had also opened his eyes and looked back at him. Without a word, Li Hao closed his eyes and resumed cultivating, but streams of Five Elements power began filtering toward Liu Long.
Evidently, Li Hao had sensed Liu Long's predicament and channeled Five Elements energy to help nourish his organs.
Liu Long's expression shifted, but he remained silent.
His thoughts were a tangled mess.
He knew a fair amount about Spirit Nourishing.
He also understood that nourishing five momentums within the five organs was best. To nourish only one momentum... would such Spirit Nourishing truly be formidable?
Even if it rivaled Three Suns, what came next?
He could only continue strengthening this single momentum. What would he lock into the other four organs?
He knew Li Hao's goal was to fuse five sword momentums, and Yuan Shuo's goal was to fuse the five animal momentums. But he... could only nourish the water momentum of the Nine-Fold Forging Force.
Liu Long felt a wave of frustration and stifling sorrow.
Did a Thousand-Battler with only a single momentum truly have no future?
Did one have to achieve complete perfection?
He thought of his father... the former second spear of Silver Moon, the mighty Silver Spear. His father had made his name across the realm through the Fire Dragon Spear.
*So... the Nine-Fold Forging Force isn't necessarily limited to water momentum. Perhaps... one momentum can also divide into five!*
Liu Long pondered the thought, but it remained mere contemplation. He sighed inwardly; at present, he lacked such comprehension and insight, and it was impossible to split one momentum into five out of thin air.
He had to enter Spirit Nourishing first before worrying about the rest.
Setting his worries aside, he stopped questioning the power entering his body. What Li Hao gave him... he would accept.
As Li Hao grew stronger, the enemies they encountered became increasingly terrifying.
Though Liu Long had made rapid progress as a Thousand-Battler martial master, even capable of handling late or peak Solar Flares, it was still far from enough!
If he could lock his water momentum into his kidneys this time, perhaps he too could contend with Three Suns.
***
Li Hao continued cultivating. Sensing Liu Long's situation during the process, he directed some Five Elements energy his way.
Afterward, Li Hao left him to his own devices.
The captain knew how to lock momentum; whether he could succeed was another matter.
After all, the captain hadn't been in Thousand-Battler for long. Nor did he possess sword energy as a cheat code like Li Hao. The massive reserves of sword energy gave Li Hao a constitution robust beyond imagination, likely second only to the current Southern Fist.
Southern Fist's immense vitality also meant his flesh was exceptionally sturdy; otherwise, it could never endure such torrential vitality.
Cubic meter after cubic meter of mysterious energy was absorbed, extracted, and digested by Li Hao...
Divine energy stones shattered one after another.
Vast torrents of energy flooded into Li Hao's body.
His five organs strengthened at an astonishing pace.
***
In the blink of an eye, another day passed.
Many members of the team had reached saturation. They stepped out of the cultivation perimeter to practice their fist and sword techniques...
Several mid Hundred-Breaker martial masters repeatedly exerted their energy, hoping to return and absorb a bit more to break through into late Hundred-Breaker. Quite a few had already crossed that threshold over the past two days.
Aside from Li Hao and Liu Long, the team consisted of forty-nine martial masters. Late Hundred-Breakers now formed the majority, numbering more than thirty, with only a small portion still remaining at mid Hundred-Breaker.
At late Hundred-Breaker, inner force could be projected from the skull, a feat that posed a degree of difficulty for some.
Yet originally, these people had merely been at the Ten-Slayer realm.
They had only followed Li Hao out of White Moon City on September 15. Today was September 23; in less than ten days, their progress had been astonishing.
Those who were already at late Hundred-Breaker were now striving toward momentum.
That included Li Heng, Wu Chao, and even Chen Jian, all of whom had started at mid Hundred-Breaker...
Every one of them was working toward gathering momentum.
Liu Yan, who had already been at late Hundred-Breaker, swung her dual sabers without pause. Aside from the sounds of martial practice, not a single word was spoken. From time to time, everyone glanced over at Li Hao, who was still frantically absorbing energy.
At this point, aside from Li Hao, Liu Long was the only other person capable of absorbing more.
From Liu Long's body came the occasional clanking sound of dragging chains, leaving many in the team utterly bewildered.
*Chain sounds!*
*Where is that rattling coming from?*
Spirit Nourishing was still far beyond their reach, a realm they could not yet fathom.
This was perhaps the longest stretch Li Hao had ever spent absorbing supernatural energy.
***
Cultivation continued until the evening of September 24.
Only when the sky turned dark did Li Hao finally exhale a long breath and open his eyes.
Three days and three nights!
Uninterrupted absorption of mysterious energy made him feel completely reborn.
Checking the strength of his five organs, each had reached roughly 5,000 cubic meters. At this moment, Li Hao felt that simply executing the Five Animals Art would be no weaker than his sword momentum.
His momentum hadn't grown noticeably, only gaining a sensation of fullness.
This session had consumed an enormous amount of mysterious energy. Li Hao alone had absorbed over twenty thousand cubic meters, while Liu Long, under his care, had absorbed several thousand cubic meters of Five Elements energy.
All told, nearly thirty thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy had been expended.
A full 110 divine energy stones had been consumed.
Only around fifty divine energy stones remained in his storage ring, though he still possessed ample mysterious energy—over forty thousand cubic meters spanning various elements.
Li Hao stood up and took a deep breath.
He threw a punch!
*Boom!*
A thunderous crash rang out. The power exceeded his expectations, yet Li Hao frowned slightly. His explosive force... wasn't as great as he had anticipated.
Examining himself carefully, he identified the issue.
His five organs were exceedingly strong, his flesh was robust, and his bones were firm, but his vitality had become the short plank in the barrel, falling behind the rest. While reinforcing his flesh and organs naturally bolstered his vitality, its growth rate couldn't keep pace.
"Southern Fist..."
He thought of Southern Fist's monstrous vitality, which eclipsed his own by far more than a single notch. How had Southern Fist developed such terrifying vitality despite having ordinary internal organs?
His physical body was immensely strong now, yet this strength only made Li Hao realize how many aspects of the human body could be reinforced. Eliminating every single weakness was virtually impossible.
No wonder martial masters tended to specialize in a single path.
They either honed overwhelming vitality, an ironclad body, razor-sharp sword momentum, or ferocious saber intent...
Hong Yitang's sword momentum was formidable, and his physical body was plenty strong as well, yet even someone as powerful as Hong Yitang had only perfected his flesh and sword momentum without strengthening his organs.
He too possessed glaring shortcomings.
*It's too difficult for a martial master to be all-encompassing,*
Li Hao mused inwardly. With a gentle wave of his hand, metal sword momentum erupted. Previously, unleashing it instantly would have ruptured his flesh, but this time, when it burst forth at his fingertips, a torrent of sword momentum flared outward.
This time, it only caused his fingertip to bleed.
Before, his entire finger would have been blown to pieces.
Li Hao familiarized himself with his newfound power. Nothing went out of control; he was merely unaccustomed to the enhanced force. As he adapted, his control over this new strength reached effortless mastery.
His bolstered physical body even accelerated his mastery of the Nine-Fold Forging Force.
Li Hao's muscles rippled as he delivered a gentle punch—once, twice... eight successive bursts in an instant.
Eight folds no longer placed any strain on him.
However, the ninth fold still failed to manifest.
Frowning slightly, Li Hao threw another punch. Once, twice... still eight bursts.
He continued testing. Nearby, the clanking of chains still resonated from within Liu Long's body—he was constantly suppressing his water momentum. It seemed he had entered the stage of locking momentum; once he secured the water momentum, he would formally step into Spirit Nourishing.
However, Li Hao had no idea what Liu Long's next step would be.
For now, strengthening a single momentum was the only option.
Back then, his teacher had deduced Spirit Nourishing based on his own technique. Li Hao was in no position to overturn his teacher's concepts or alter the cultivation method—such as having all five organs jointly nourish a single momentum. Li Hao had considered the possibility, but did not know the practical steps.
Leaving Liu Long to his efforts, Li Hao repeatedly threw punches, one after another.
By the time the sky was pitch-black, Li Hao threw a punch that faintly manifested a ninth surging wave... though it still felt somewhat lacking, not quite as seamless as the previous bursts.
Even so, Li Hao smiled.
Not bad!
It was enough. This proved he could execute the ninth fold; he merely lacked polish and needed more time to master it. With persistence, he would achieve grand accomplishment in the Nine-Fold Forging Force before long.
Li Hao then walked over to Li Heng, who was practicing nearby.
Li Heng had been engrossed in his swordplay. Sensing someone behind him, he turned around and jumped in surprise, quickly halting his practice. "Commander!"
Li Hao gave a faint nod and smiled. "Your swordplay isn't bad. The Willow Catkin Sword... lifting heavy as if it were light. Outsiders think this style is soft and feeble, unaware that a willow branch stings fiercely when whipped—soft yet rigid, carrying a sharp bite."
A smile crossed Li Heng's face, hidden beneath his black armor.
"The commander has a sharp eye. The Willow Catkin Sword is truly formidable; it's just that... my mastery is still lacking."
Curious, Li Hao asked, "Does the Willow Catkin Sword have distinct tiers?"
"Yes, it does!"
Li Heng held nothing back. Seeing that Li Hao was in the mood to chat, he tried to guess Li Hao's thoughts as he explained, "The Willow Catkin Sword doesn't have many tiers, just four in total."
"The first tier is the basic entry level: mastering the breathing technique and sword stances qualifies."
"The second tier is transforming inner force into a sword, which is rather difficult..."
Li Hao nodded, thinking to himself that it was quite impressive.
He had only achieved transforming inner force into a sword upon reaching Hundred-Breaker culmination; in fact, accomplishing that was precisely what had propelled him into culmination.
Evidently, achieving grand accomplishment in this second tier practically required the strength of Hundred-Breaker culmination, which Li Heng still lacked.
"Once the second tier reaches culmination, there's hope of naturally comprehending sword momentum."
Li Heng grinned. "I feel like I'm close... though even if I succeed in transforming inner force into a sword, I'll still be far from grand accomplishment in the Willow Catkin Sword."
"The third tier: A Sharp Sword Needs No Edge!"
"The fourth tier: Willow Catkins Drifting on the Wind!"
Li Heng chuckled dryly. "Those aren't my words, but what's recorded in the secret manual. Mastering the third tier means that even with an edgeless sword, you can unleash the cutting power of the sharpest blade. That is the core pursuit of the Willow Catkin Sword. It was created by imitating the swaying of willow branches and the drifting of catkins. Its pinnacle state is just like catkins—drifting with the wind at the slightest breeze, striking wherever it floats. Wherever catkins drift, sword intent resides..."
Li Hao nodded. Imagining that state, it was bound to be formidable.
Like drifting catkins, light and buoyant, dancing with the wind—wouldn't that feel like thousands of swords unleashing simultaneously?
"Can this secret manual of yours be passed outside your lineage?"
Li Heng paused. *Passed outside?*
He hesitated, glancing at Li Hao. "Commander, you mean..."
"I want to learn it."
Li Heng was stunned. While the Willow Catkin Sword was respectable, it wasn't even counted among the Seven Swords.
What about Li Hao?
He knew the Five Animals Art, the Shadowless Sword, the Nine-Fold Forging Force... all passed down from the Thirty-Six Heroes of old. The sheer might of those figures proved the excellence of their arts.
When it came to secret arts, more wasn't necessarily better.
Besides, an inheritor of the Earth-Overturning Sword was right here, and the Earth-Overturning Sword was vastly more renowned than the Willow Catkin Sword.
Why pass over the Earth-Overturning Sword just to learn the Willow Catkin Sword from him?
As Li Heng hesitated, Li Hao added, "You might be the sole inheritor of the Willow Catkin Sword right now, which makes you effectively the sect master of its lineage. You have the right to pass it on. Naturally, I won't force you. You can name your conditions, or if it truly cannot be shared... that's fine too. As a martial master, keeping one's core arts within the sect is a fundamental rule; I won't hold a grudge over it, so rest assured."
Li Heng gave a dry laugh. "It's not that... it's just... Commander, you already know so many secret arts, why do you want to learn the Willow Catkin Sword? If I remember correctly, you also know the Shadowless Sword, right?"
"Yes."
"The Shadowless Sword is far more famous than the Willow Catkin Sword."
"I have my uses for it."
Li Hao offered only a brief reply. Li Heng pondered for a moment before saying, "To tell the truth, that makeshift master of mine died not long after teaching me. Before leaving Silver City, he did say not to let the Willow Catkin Sword lineage die out... but..."
Gritting his teeth, Li Heng made up his mind. "But you have to be a disciple of our sect! Commander, if you want to learn, it's not impossible... but... you have to become a member of our Willow Catkin Sword lineage!"
Frowning in thought, Li Hao asked, "Would an honorary disciple do? I won't learn the third and fourth tiers; I only want to learn up to the second tier, specifically the unique method of transforming inner force into a sword."
*An honorary disciple!*
Li Heng considered it and nodded. "If you're not learning the later tiers, that could work. But... you'd miss the true essence of the Willow Catkin Sword, Commander. You'll only learn the general outline."
This was similar to Wang Ming and the others receiving the basic Five Animals breathing technique rather than the Five Animals Breathing Art; an honorary disciple could never learn the core.
Li Hao didn't mind. He explained, "My teacher is still alive, and the Five Animals Sect still stands. If my teacher were gone, it wouldn't matter to me—I wouldn't mind becoming a core disciple of the Willow Catkin Sword... But as things stand, unless my teacher is beaten to death in the Central Region, I can only be an honorary disciple."
"..."
Those words sounded rather awkward.
Li Heng complained inwardly: *Are you wishing for your teacher to be beaten to death, or not?*
Li Hao continued, "Also, I won't take it for free. Even as an honorary disciple, I don't wish to be registered under you... or your master. Can you accept me on behalf of your grandmaster?"
"..."
Li Heng was dumbfounded. *That works too?*
Li Hao clarified, "I'm not trying to take advantage of you. It's because my teacher and your master were of the same generation; the Willow Catkin Sword and the Five Animals King belonged to the same era. If you accept me as an honorary disciple, my generation doesn't matter to me, but it would lower my teacher's standing. Senior martial masters care about such things."
"If I become an honorary disciple under the Willow Catkin Sword founder, that problem disappears."
Li Heng felt helpless. *Then a different problem appears—I'll end up with a martial uncle!*
Yet on second thought, he wasn't losing out at all.
Even if the Willow Catkin Sword founder were alive and knew of Li Hao's talent, let alone an honorary disciple, he would gladly take him as a core disciple without a second thought. Even if Li Hao remained a member of the Five Animals Sect in name, the founder wouldn't care.
Having a swordsman who comprehended multiple sword momentums join the Willow Catkin Sword lineage was an incredible boon!
Li Hao went on, "To let the founder of the Willow Catkin Sword rest in peace, I can provide the sect with five thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy and ten divine energy stones."
"..."
Li Heng was flabbergasted. *Is all that really necessary?*
*Just for the first two tiers, you're offering this much?*
*Could the first two tiers of the Willow Catkin Sword be some peerless divine scripture?*
He couldn't fathom it, but after some thought, he nodded. "I suppose that's fine... But Commander, offering so much... you're not doing this just to look out for me, are you? Do you think my talent is so great that you can't bear to see me held back?"
Li Hao stared blankly.
*Where on earth did he get that idea?*
Yet Li Heng had fully convinced himself, feeling somewhat moved. "Commander, you really don't have to do this. Even if I have decent talent, I've wasted too many years. There are people in the team younger than me with brighter futures... Wasting so much on me alone isn't right, and it will make the others feel it's unfair..."
Li Hao watched his performance in silence before flatly stating, "I need the Willow Catkin Sword to perfect my sword momentum. It has very little to do with you."
Li Heng choked, at a loss for words.
*Is that for real?*
Forget it, he couldn't be bothered to think about it anymore. He nodded. "Fine then, Commander. If you insist on giving it, I'll take it."
Five thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy and ten divine energy stones were an astronomical price!
Never mind just the first two tiers—it would be well worth teaching the entire art.
Since Li Hao insisted on observing martial world etiquette and refused to formally join the Willow Catkin Sect, Li Heng pressed no further. He quickly explained the basics of the first two tiers and taught Li Hao the core breathing method.
It wasn't overly complicated, and with Li Hao's formidable memory, he memorized it in an instant.
Li Heng demonstrated the stances several times until Li Hao fully grasped the core principles of the Willow Catkin Sword. However, the step of transforming inner force into a sword might prove tricky, as Li Hao had already done so once before.
This time, he would likely need to forge a different path and find another method to complete the second tier's cultivation.
As for whether he could comprehend wood sword momentum upon succeeding, even Li Hao wasn't entirely certain.
While they were teaching and learning, a series of violent chain rattles echoed from the distance.
The next instant, a furious roar erupted!
No blood seeped from Liu Long's mouth, but his kidneys throbbed with piercing pain. Frowning, he roared and sprang to his feet, throwing a punch!
*Boom!*
A tremendous surge of water swept across the surroundings.
In a flash, the wave detonated!
The instant it burst, a chain shot out from within the torrent, piercing the void.
Liu Long exhaled a long breath. All around, the others stared in awe.
This explosive might was visibly far greater than before.
Li Hao dashed over immediately. Looking at Liu Long, he suddenly let out a sigh.
Liu Long was baffled. *Isn't this something to celebrate?*
He had successfully locked his momentum and stepped into Spirit Nourishing!
Although it was only a single momentum and his organs weren't as strong as Yuan Shuo's had been, meaning his combat strength fell short of Yuan Shuo's when he first entered Spirit Nourishing, he was still in Spirit Nourishing nonetheless. Right now, Liu Long felt confident he could take on a Three Suns super!
Making such immense progress in such a short time—why was this kid sighing?
Li Hao hesitated before choosing to transmit his voice: *Boss... in the future, strengthen your kidneys more. Right now, the impact of your water momentum is a bit too much for your kidneys to bear. You might... sigh!*
Kidney deficiency!
Only then did Liu Long understand, rendered completely speechless. He glared at Li Hao—how could this punk be thinking about *that* right now? What the hell was wrong with him?
Able to transmit his voice now as well, Liu Long snapped back mentally: *Stop overthinking. As a martial master...*
*A martial master still needs to carry on the family line and find a wife!* Li Hao cut him off via voice transmission.
Poor Boss. He just had to strengthen his water momentum first, despite his kidneys not being tough enough. Now all the power of his kidneys was being used to lock the momentum; it seemed they wouldn't be capable of performing their other functions anytime soon.
Then there was his teacher, who had forcibly nourished the water tiger last time. Perhaps... he was in the same boat.
Still, his teacher was advanced in age, so it hardly mattered.
Boss, on the other hand, was right in the prime of his life.
Liu Long was thoroughly at a loss for words and couldn't be bothered to entertain him. At such a joyous moment, this fellow really knew how to spoil the mood.
He looked up at the sky; it was pitch-black.
He said, "It's the 24th, almost the 25th. We're still far from Cross-Cut Gorge, and I've wasted quite a bit of time. Will we still make it?"
Traveling from Silver City to the other end of Cross-Cut Gorge required crossing at least three thousand li of the Cangshan Mountains. Li Hao and his group had only covered a little over a thousand li so far, with more than half the journey remaining.
Even after reaching Cross-Cut Gorge, traveling to the ruins' location would require a significant amount of time, even if the roads were easier. They might not make it in time.
At this point, exiting the Cangshan Mountains and rushing straight toward Cross-Cut Gorge across the plains would be much faster.
Exiting here would lead to another city in Yinbei.
The Cangshan Mountains made it easy to conceal their tracks, but the terrain was simply too difficult.
After a moment of thought, Li Hao said, "Continuing through the mountains to the other end would maximize our concealment. If we descend the mountain here, we might run into people and trigger unexpected trouble..."
It wasn't that they had to take the mountain path, but doing so offered better cover and avoided complications. Once they reached the ruins, Hou Xiaochen and the others would be present, preventing any large-scale battles from breaking out.
Besides, with a batch of powerhouses from the Three Great Organizations dead, they might not possess enough strength to intercept them anyway.
As for whether the ruins would open this month, Li Hao was ninety-nine percent certain they would.
Given Hou Xiaochen's temperament, combined with the presence of figures from the various organizations and all four directions, there was no way it wouldn't open. Hou Xiaochen couldn't wait for it to open so those people could scout the way and die for him.
Thus, after weighing his options, Li Hao decided to prioritize reaching the ruins in time. "Let's descend the mountain here. Keep a low profile and stay hidden as best we can, or we really might not make it."
He chose to focus on reaching the ruins first.
As for appearing in the open, being spotted, and raising questions about why Banshan and the others hadn't shown up... what did that have to do with him?
Li Hao cast the thought aside.
The group swiftly traversed the mountain forest, preparing to descend.
Above them, the giant goshawk escorted—or monitored—them the entire way. Only when they cleared the forest and stepped out of the Cangshan range did the bird take wing and depart.
By daybreak, Li Hao's group had entered a small city.
It was one of the Sixteen Cities of Yinbei. By now, Li Hao and his companions had shed their black armor and packed it into a large carriage. The group had transformed into an escort caravan from a martial arts academy traversing the Yinbei region.
With the rise of supers, transportation was no longer safe and easy. Nowadays, some martial masters and weaker supers chose to work as escorts, helping major enterprises transport goods.
Having disguised themselves, Li Hao and his team escorted the carriage laden with black armor, advancing toward Cross-Cut Gorge.
***
At the same exact time.
In the Severed Mountain Valley.
Seeing the goshawk return, Hong Yitang and Southern Fist departed immediately without looking back.
The four great demon beasts watched them leave.
Those two had agreed to leave after one day, yet they had lingered nearby for several days.
As a result, the beasts hadn't dared to separate recklessly, fearing they would be picked off one by one.
Only after the two humans were gone did the golden eagle send out a mental ripple: *They've left!*
*The successor of that monster has left as well.*
*It seems these Silver Moon martial masters truly share some connections.*
***
The great demons communicated among themselves. The two humans had waited until Li Hao departed before choosing to leave, making the beasts realize that Silver Moon's martial masters could be remarkably united at times.
Of course, it was also tied to Li Hao having helped suppress their mutations earlier.
The tiger sent out its own mental ripple: *It's best we don't set foot lightly in Silver Moon... The situation there is too complex. Aside from these few, there might be even stronger beings!*
The golden eagle transmitted, *Undoubtedly. Moreover... there might even be powerhouses of the demon race! I once flew across the Cangshan Mountains and stepped into Silver Moon territory. Just a short distance in, I felt a suffocating pressure! It wasn't just a single presence; that feeling permeated everywhere. I suspect many top powerhouses reside in Silver Moon, including great demons of our kind... In the haze, I seemed to catch sight of a tortoise...*
At these words, all four great demons grew exceedingly solemn.
The Cangshan Mountains were too close to Silver Moon. No wonder the powerful beings in the range had never been willing to push south into Silver Moon, choosing instead to head north toward Dali.
*Now that the Heavenly Gold Lotus has matured, the next batch won't ripen for another five years... Do we just stay here and guard it? Or... head north... and take a look at Dali?*
This was the tiger's thought. It didn't want to stay here any longer.
Originally, it hadn't felt much pressure, but now the pressure was immense.
The golden eagle's mind rippled: *The north isn't safe either; in fact, it's even more dangerous. Dali has many powerhouses... I once saw a Dali powerhouse tear apart an Azure Moon Rhinoceros whose strength was comparable to mine.*
The giant ape chimed in, sending out violent ripples of intent: *What's there to fear! Dali has plenty of powerhouses, but they're straightforward. Those called barbarians are blunt and direct; whether they are strong or weak is obvious at a glance. That's far better than Silver Moon! Everyone here looks weak on the surface, yet they're absurdly powerful...*
It stopped just short of calling everyone in Silver Moon deceitful hypocrites!
In truth, that was exactly what it meant.
After a moment's contemplation, the golden eagle nodded its massive head. *Then we go north... We also need more resources, more treasures, and to witness stronger opponents... The land of Silver Moon conceals many secrets; I can already sense that some of them are awakening... Once we take this step completely, we shall return!*
Three of the four were currently in a period of metamorphosis. Though the giant serpent lagged slightly behind, it wasn't far off.
Once they all advanced, they would reach what Silver Moon called the realm beyond Rising Light. With four beings beyond Rising Light, surely they wouldn't be battered and suppressed so miserably when they returned to Silver Moon.
Having reached a decision, the four great demons acted decisively. They left some Three Suns lesser demons to watch over the Severed Mountain Valley; after all, five years remained before the Heavenly Gold Lotus would bloom again.
Without hesitation, the great demons swiftly departed, racing northward.
Along the way, the giant serpent couldn't hold back any longer: *I only want a single lotus petal. You three can divide the three gold lotuses!*
With it taking the initiative to ask... moments later, it received the golden lotus petal it had dreamed of. As for the lotus seeds, none fell to it.
This left the serpent filled with despair; the gap between it and the other three would only widen!
The other three great demons looked on with amused eyes. It was fine as long as it knew its place; otherwise, dividing the spoils would have been troublesome.
On this day, Li Hao marched south, while the four great demon beasts headed north, stepping into the land of Dali—a place no longer spoken of in the Heavenly Star Dynasty.
Chapter 144