Departure

With the Earth-Overturning Sword and Southern Fist joining the fray, the Three Great Organizations had no power left to resist. The Earth-Overturning Sword, Hou Xiaochen, Kong Jie, Southern Fist, Jade Rakshasa, Golden Spear... These martial masters, who had made their names across the land years ago, had joined forces to slaughter the enemy today. Every single one had cultivated to an extraordinary realm. How could these Rising Lights—who were at best mid-tier combatants within their respective organizations—ever hope to rival them? Kong Jie slammed a punch clean through King Pingdeng's body, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. King Pingdeng glared at him, a trace of reluctance lingering on his face in his final moments. Even in death, he refused to accept it. "My sixteen lords of hell... did not return..." From the distance, Li Hao called out, "They're all dead!" "..." King Pingdeng turned his head toward Li Hao. A moment later, his eyes closed, and he perished entirely. All dead! Perhaps that was some small comfort. Those men were dead; otherwise, they would have returned. The bitterness in his heart faded slightly. Kong Jie scoffed. "Power resides in oneself. Even if your so-called sixteen lords of hell were alive and showed up... what could they have done?" With King Pingdeng's demise, Southern Fist obliterated the remaining two Yama experts with straightforward strikes! All the experts from the Three Great Organizations perished on the spot. Meanwhile, Qi Gang subdued the young man from the Liu family. He looked toward the others with some hesitation and spoke up: "He is from the Liu family of the Finance Department..." One of the Nine Departments: the Liu family, rulers of the Finance Department. Even if he was not among the core scions of the younger generation, he was still a member of the Nine Departments. The Liu youth's face was deathly pale. Hou Xiaochen glanced at him and said calmly, "I stated earlier that people from the Nine Departments could join the Silver Moon authorities and act together. Since he chose to join the Three Great Organizations... execute him!" At these words, Qi Gang's heart shuddered! Really kill him? This was not someone from the hostile Three Great Organizations, nor was he an army general from a neighboring provincial governor's manor. This was a man of the Liu family, masters of one of the realm's Nine Departments! "You and Hu Qingfeng finish him off!" Hou Xiaochen watched him dispassionately, then looked toward Hu Qingfeng, who was still playing dead over to the side. Hu Qingfeng's face turned completely white. His injuries were not actually that severe, but fighting Rising Lights was indeed too dangerous. Thus, as soon as Li Hao and the others joined the fray, he had dropped to the side to feign death. But now... Catching Hou Xiaochen's indifferent gaze, Hu Qingfeng gulped and scrambled to his feet, no longer acting mortally wounded. The Liu youth, already heavily injured by Qi Gang, was surprisingly resolute. Breathing heavily, he glared at Hou Xiaochen. "If I die... you won't have it easy either! The Three Great Organizations wouldn't dare kill a direct scion of our Nine Departments—there has long been a tacit understanding on that! Now that the Three Great Organizations are wiped out, the moment you leave, everyone will know that this entire affair... was a trap set by you, Hou Xiaochen! "Every single score will be settled on your head!" Hou Xiaochen remained thoroughly placid, revealing no emotion as he silently watched Qi Gang and Hu Qingfeng. Hu Qingfeng gritted his teeth and struck the young man with a palm! *Boom!* The Liu youth was already severely injured; this strike snapped his bones and sinews all at once. Qi Gang felt a chill in his heart, yet dared not say another word. Gritting his teeth with a low roar, he drove a punch forward! *Boom!* His internal organs burst. The young man's eyes went wide, and he ceased moving entirely. At this point, every expert at the Rising Light level had been slain. No—Bright Sword and Yuan Xingwu were still alive. Yuan Xingwu had been standing off in the distance the entire time. He had not run—there was nowhere to run anyway—nor had he taken part in the battle. He had neither helped Hou Xiaochen's side nor assisted the Three Great Organizations. No one knew what he was thinking. By rights, someone from the Heavenly Star Army, realizing things were amiss, could have used Yuan Xingwu's standing to join in the encirclement of the Three Great Organizations. Had he done so, Hou Xiaochen would not have struck him down rashly. A pledge of allegiance was always necessary. Yet he had never made a move, right up to the very end. "Xiao Yu... go deal with the others!" At Hou Xiaochen's command, Chief Steward Yu vanished in an instant. Sounds of battle drifted from the distance. Aside from them, Hu Dingfang and his companions had arrived as well. Earlier, those Three Suns experts had gone to pursue the routing rogue cultivators. Among the rogue cultivators, there were quite a few at the Three Suns level. Hou Xiaochen said nothing more. On Li Hao's side, the Earth-Overturning Sword and Southern Fist also retreated within the city boundary. The two sides stood dozens of meters apart, neither speaking. *** About half an hour passed. A group of people returned. All were drenched in blood. Hu Dingfang and a few others appeared slightly wounded. Li Hao paid them no heed, instead spotting one man in the crowd and raising a hand. "Chief, over here!" It was none other than Liu Long. At this moment, Liu Long was also covered in blood—whether his own or someone else's was hard to say. Still catching his breath, Liu Long said nothing upon seeing Li Hao wave, simply striding toward the city. Hou Xiaochen glanced at Liu Long, offering no objection. Over a dozen people from the Silver Moon authorities had entered the ruins this time. Right now, only two were missing. Both were subordinates of Hu Qingfeng. The rest, even if wounded, had suffered no fatalities. For the Silver Moon authorities, this was an immense victory. A moment later, Chief Steward Yu returned and reported, "Bright Sword said that once the ruins open, she will leave... She won't leak anything to the outside, but she told Li Hao to remember their agreement!" Li Hao frowned slightly and glanced at Hou Xiaochen. As if reading his thoughts, Hou Xiaochen smiled faintly. "It's not that Bright Sword cannot be killed. If we truly wanted her dead, our combined forces could likely kill her even if she broke all her seals while we kept ours in place! "However... there is no need. She won't leak any secrets. What's more... her staying alive will help us accomplish certain things. That includes taking a massive amount of pressure off you, Li Hao. The Xu family... will have a great deal of their energy tied down because of her." Li Hao looked thoughtful and said no more. The Xu family... In that case, Bright Sword's request for him to help suppress her seal once in the future might be because she planned to cause trouble for the Xu family? Bizarre! Li Hao did not fully understand the inner workings, but he did not press for details. At this point, Li Hao's side consisted of four people and one dog. Hou Xiaochen's side had thirteen in total. Adding the ten Heavenly Star Army soldiers not far away, Bright Sword, and the paralyzed Purple Moon on the ground, only twenty-nine people and one dog remained alive in this vast ancient ruin. Yet nearly two thousand had entered! These martial masters had struck with ruthless finality, cutting grass and pulling up roots without overthinking who could or could not be killed. To Hou Xiaochen, anyone entering the ruins who was not an ally was an enemy, and all could be slain! Hou Xiaochen looked at Li Hao and smiled faintly. "What are your plans regarding Yuan Xingwu?" In the distance, Yuan Xingwu remained expressionless. No one knew what he was thinking. Li Hao had not figured it out either—what was the point of him standing there the whole time? The other Three Suns soldiers of the Heavenly Star Army, however, were somewhat tense and fearful. Having watched these people slaughter so many with their own eyes, how could they not be afraid? Li Hao smiled. "Director Hou is asking me?" "Yes." Hou Xiaochen said calmly, "You make the call. If you think they should be killed, kill them all... Although they did not join hands with the Three Great Organizations, standing by while the authorities encircled evil energy factions is a crime in itself!" Li Hao chuckled, neither agreeing nor taking the bait. Instead, he said, "Brother Mu, could I trouble you for a favor?" Among the crowd, Mu Lin had been keeping an extremely low profile. Suddenly called out by Li Hao, he looked baffled and hurried to ask, "What favor?" "Move some corpses..." Li Hao pointed to the bodies. "Toss them into the city!" Leaving them dead outside was a waste. Throwing them into the city allowed the ground to absorb some life energy, helping Battle Heaven City revive further. So many Rising Lights would go to waste otherwise. As for mystical energy... truthfully, at this point, the mystical energy gained from killing people was just so-so, hardly worth expending much effort on. Killing a Rising Light yielded ten thousand cubic meters of mystical energy at best. A single divine energy stone could be exchanged for one thousand cubic meters, which amounted to just ten stones—effectively the volume of a single standard stone used for cultivation. And that... could be exchanged for just 1 point of military merit! So after fighting tooth and nail to slay a Rising Light, even a late-stage one, you could extract mystical energy worth only 1 point of military merit. No wonder almost no powerhouse at this level bothered killing people for mystical energy. It simply wasn't worth it! In the past, Li Hao had lacked worldly experience and had been too poor to have ever seen a divine energy stone. Back then, killing people for energy was natural. Now... he could afford to be a bit more generous. Mu Lin glanced at Hou Xiaochen. Hou Xiaochen looked at Li Hao, then at Battle Heaven City before them, and nodded slightly without a word. Only then did Mu Lin spring into action, swiftly hurling the corpses one by one into the city. As the corpses landed in the outer city, they quickly began to melt away, absorbed by the earth. This city... was also a city that devoured men! No matter how many died, before long, it would look brand new, leaving not a single trace behind. Hou Xiaochen looked at Purple Moon, who lay motionless on the ground, then glanced at Li Hao before turning to Chief Steward Yu. "Xiao Yu, she's yours to handle." Chief Steward Yu looked at Purple Moon, whose eyes held a desperate plea. She knew that Jade Rakshasa had once been friends with her mother. Right now, she wanted to live! Jade Rakshasa understood Hou Xiaochen's intent and looked at Li Hao. "Li Hao, you decide!" "Me?" Li Hao was somewhat surprised. Handing it to me again? These people were truly intriguing. He pondered for a moment. Orange Moon had not entered this time, which meant she was still hunting his teacher. Back in the day, Orange Moon had also been a martial master—and not just any martial master, but one of the Thirty-Six Martial Masters, known as the Black Spider. Her strength was now either late-stage or peak Rising Light. Since Green Moon had been late-stage, Orange Moon was very likely peak Rising Light, or perhaps even stronger. As a martial master and one of the thirty-six, she was bound to be formidable. Could Teacher escape Orange Moon's pursuit? At this thought, Li Hao looked at Purple Moon crumpled on the ground and smiled. "Leader Purple Moon, let me ask you something: if you die, will your mother seek vengeance against us?" Purple Moon did not know how to answer and dared not speak carelessly. "Also, do you have a way to contact your mother? For instance, the kind where you send a message and she comes to rescue you?" Purple Moon grew intensely nervous, still unsure how to respond. Li Hao watched her for a moment, then smiled. "Kill her, then!" "..." Purple Moon blurted out frantically, "My mother knows I was captured! She will save me—she will pay any price!" She understood now! Li Hao laughed. "All right then. Hand her over to Director Hou and the others for now. Take her back to the Night Patrollers and lock her up. What use do I have for her? Keep her in Battle Heaven City so every soldier in the Battle Heaven Army can take a turn hacking at her?" With that, he glanced at Yuan Xingwu nearby and added, "I'm not familiar with the Heavenly Star Army, nor do I really know much about the name Yuan Xingwu. My teacher never mentioned him... But since you know each other, do as you see fit! This is all official business; as a mere City Inspecting Commissioner, I won't say much." He refused to take the bait. What would he say? Tell them not to kill him? Why should he say that! Hou Xiaochen was skilled at doing people favors and wanted Li Hao to take on another obligation... Li Hao wouldn't bite. He wasn't familiar with Yuan Xingwu to begin with, not to mention that Hu Dingfang was right there in their ranks. Sure enough, Hu Dingfang spoke up urgently: "Director Hou, Yuan Xingwu is... he is Yuan Shuo's eldest disciple, and Yuhua's senior brother. Moreover, he has always supported the Silver Moon military..." He could hold back no longer. He was familiar with Yuan Xingwu—more than familiar, the two had exchanged correspondence. One was in Silver Moon and the other in Heavenly Star City; one at the center and one on the frontier, serving as mutual support. The factions backing him were rather complex. The Bai family supported his rise, Commander Yu supported him, and there was support from the Heavenly Star Army... but Hu Dingfang knew that the most dependable link was actually Yuan Xingwu's side, as he had an excellent relationship with Chen Yuhua. As for the Bai family, that was purely transactional. Commander Yu was merely showing respect, with some desire to suppress the Bai family. Thus, Hu Dingfang had no choice but to plead for him now! At this point, Yuan Xingwu finally spoke, his voice deep: "Director Hou, pray forgive me. Earlier, it was not that I was unwilling to act, but that I knew my intervention was unnecessary and wished to avoid disrupting your plans. My arrival here was partly to claim treasures, but more importantly, I represent the Military Law Department. I came to Silver Moon to discuss potential cooperation and to gauge everyone's strength... If Silver Moon's might is formidable, then future cooperation can be put on the agenda..." Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "You? You are too weak to be qualified." "Yes, I know." Yuan Xingwu was not surprised, but continued, "The Military Law Department sent me for many reasons. First, I am a Silver Moon native. Second, my master is the Five Animals King, who still carries a reputation in the martial world. Third, I am well acquainted with Dingfang and can speak with Commander Yu. Fourth... the Military Law Department knows Li Hao serves in the Night Patrollers, and Li Hao... is my junior brother. That was also a factor." He looked toward Hou Xiaochen. "I merely did not anticipate that the Silver Moon martial world would still possess such formidable strength today! The brothers I brought were trained by my own hand over years of traveling far and wide. They will not leak any secrets. If Director Hou is interested... though I cannot decide much on my own, I can convey a message or two on your behalf." Not far away, Li Hao listened quietly, not interjecting. Whether Yuan Xingwu truly came on behalf of the Military Law Department to discuss cooperation with Hou Xiaochen, or simply came to seize treasures and perhaps even oppose Hou Xiaochen... Li Hao did not particularly care. It had nothing to do with him! As Mu Lin tossed the corpses over, Li Hao collected some special energies, such as the darkness energy from Feitian. He did not lack the five elemental energies right now. These special energies, however, were not so abundant. Next, he examined the storage rings Black Panther had brought over and did some quick sorting. Feitian's Origin God Armament—that sword—had been retrieved by Black Panther. With that, Li Hao now possessed a full five Origin God Armaments. King Pingdeng's miniature house, the repair shop, had been taken by Kong Jie. Blue Moon and Green Moon's Origin God Armaments had been claimed by Hou Xiaochen. The Liu youth also had an Origin God Armament, which Qi Gang had taken; whether it would be handed over to Hou Xiaochen later was of no interest to Li Hao. He inventoried all the storage rings in his possession. Li Hao now held forty storage rings. It was worth noting that only Three Suns and Rising Light experts wore storage rings... His harvest this time was truly substantial. He went through them, focusing primarily on energy-storage rings and divine energy stones. After a tally, Li Hao had found over eight hundred divine energy stones! A terrifying number! One had to consider that Li Hao had not taken many rings from the top-tier powerhouses. Purely through the accumulation from these Three Suns experts, plus what he had obtained this time, he had gathered over eight hundred. Added to the hundred-plus he had before, it totaled right around a thousand. And those were standard divine energy stones. At the quartermaster, he had exchanged for forty-six high-grade divine energy stones, plus the ten issued previously, making fifty-six in total—equivalent to five hundred sixty standard divine energy stones. Thus, Li Hao now had 1,560 divine energy stones in total. Five Origin God Armaments. As for mystical energy, there was an absurd amount. Right now, he held a massive batch of energy-storage rings. Most of the energy-storage rings Li Hao had encountered before held one thousand cubic meters of mystical energy, as larger capacities were unnecessary—experts at the Rising Light level mostly cultivated with divine energy stones and rarely used mystical energy anymore. Li Hao currently held around two hundred energy-storage rings, totaling a storage capacity of two hundred thousand cubic meters, though some had been partially depleted. Even so, Li Hao's mystical energy exceeded one hundred fifty thousand cubic meters! A massive windfall! Li Hao transferred all these items into his own storage ring. Ignoring the people outside, he transferred all the divine energy stones and energy-storage rings into his largest storage ring. This ring had belonged to Xu Feng. That young master of the Xu family had mediocre strength, but his storage ring was enormous. Ordinary storage rings were about the size of a coffin, but Xu Feng's was roughly the size of a room. Beyond divine energy stones and mystical energy, Li Hao flipped through the contents and found some secret manuals as well. He had no time to read them now, stuffing them all into the ring. Next, he discovered some Blood God Seeds—quite a few, in fact. They did not come from a single storage ring, but from several different ones. Clearly, someone had secretly hunted Red Moon experts. This time, none of Red Moon's Seven Moons had possessed red shadows. However, Red Moon had also brought Rising Light elders, one of whom had been crushed by the golden warrior's sword outside the city earlier—unfortunately destroying the red shadow along with him. As for the remaining Three Suns red shadows, Li Hao wondered if Hou Xiaochen had collected them, as he had not seen any. Reviewing the spoils, Li Hao also found various other treasures, some stored in bottles and jars of unknown contents. In no hurry to open them, he noted that Xu Feng's storage ring held quite a few such items. Additionally, he still had a Heavenly Gold Lotus petal and a lotus seed from Mount Cang last time—both genuine treasures. Glancing at his military merit... killing that Rising Light earlier had granted another 10 points. Not only that, but the mechanical voice rang out in his ear once more: *"Ninth Division, Twelfth Regiment Commander Li Hao, for heroic combat, annihilating enemies outside the city, distinguished meritorious service, and leading the Twelfth Regiment to repel the enemy incursion: awarded 100 points of military merit!"* "..." Li Hao was stunned. This was likely the single largest award of military merit he had received. Clearly, Battle Heaven City considered the enemy wiped out outside the city. Though not primarily Li Hao's doing, he had indeed reached the cooperation agreement with the other side. At this moment, he was actually rewarded 100 points of military merit! And it wasn't over. The next instant, the mechanical voice sounded again: *"Twelfth Regiment Commander Li Hao, for providing life energy to revive Battle Heaven City, contributing to the revival: awarded 100 points of military merit!"* In the blink of an eye, Li Hao's military merit reached 210 points. And this was simply because he had someone throw the corpses into the city. Li Hao glanced back. The three silver warriors were still there, but Director Wang and the division commander had not appeared. Li Hao suspected the two had seen what happened, prompting the commendation. Who would have thought that such a casual action would yield 100 points of military merit? One had to remember that 100 points of military merit could be exchanged for 100 high-grade divine energy stones, equivalent to 1,000 standard ones. Just like that... it was worth more than the dozens of storage rings he had seized! A massive profit! Li Hao grinned from ear to ear! A full 210 points of military merit! What a pity... it hadn't doubled this time. Li Hao felt a faint pang of regret. He glanced over at He Yong and Hong Yitang; both had reaped considerable gains as well. Right now, their merits stood at 50 points and 70 points respectively. Hong Yitang had 70 points, suggesting he had received some rewards as well. Otherwise, one would have to slay seven Rising Lights, which the two clearly had not done. Southern Fist seemed to be grinning happily too. Suddenly, Li Hao transmitted through the armor channel: *"Martial Uncle Southern Fist must have earned plenty of military merit, right? About those 10 points of military merit I lent you earlier..."* Southern Fist was speechless! What the hell? Since when was that a loan? Wasn't that the task reward you issued for me protecting you? The Inspectorate had approved it, clearly endorsing it. You want to ask for it back? Dream on! He had worked hard to accumulate 50 points of military merit; he wouldn't give a single point to Li Hao. Li Hao chuckled, not pressing the matter. By now, Hou Xiaochen and Yuan Xingwu seemed to have reached some sort of agreement. Li Hao had not paid much attention and cared even less now. Instead, he spoke up: "Chief Steward Yu, you have a key, don't you? That key is a token of Battle Heaven City and must be reclaimed. Chief Steward Yu, please return the key to me first..." Chief Steward Yu paused, glancing at Hou Xiaochen. Hou Xiaochen smiled meaningfully. "Keys are obtained by one's own ability. I was unaware they were subject to reclamation." Li Hao, however, needed that item. Only with a key could someone join the Battle Heaven Army without undergoing recruit training. Since recruit training had not yet revived, he wanted Liu Long to join the army as well. Therefore, he needed that key. As for Chief Steward Yu and the others... Li Hao naturally did not want them joining. He did not mince words, stating directly, "Keep it if you wish. However, I am currently a regiment commander in the Battle Heaven Army. With that key, the only thing you can do is join the army—and joining means being placed under my command! In the Battle Heaven Army, hierarchy is strict; as a superior, my military orders must be obeyed. If the Director doesn't mind, Chief Steward Yu is welcome to join. I won't assign her any overly difficult tasks! "As for refusing to execute military orders... it's one thing if you flee outside, but within Battle Heaven City, the entire Battle Heaven Army will jointly execute the offender!" Hou Xiaochen's brows twitched slightly. True enough. This kid Li Hao was doing quite well for himself in Battle Heaven City. If they refused to give it to him, holding onto the key served little purpose. Did they dare join the Battle Heaven Army? If Chief Steward Yu joined, she would likely be black armor at best. Would a black armor dare disobey a regiment commander's orders? Moreover, all new recruits would probably be assigned to Li Hao's Twelfth Regiment. After a moment's thought, Hou Xiaochen smiled. "Fine, give it to him!" Chief Steward Yu said nothing, tossing the key directly to Li Hao. Catching the key, Li Hao made no comment. Giving it to Liu Long would only grant him black armor, but it would be activated black armor. If nothing else, its defensive power was formidable, and it allowed long-range communication. Li Hao had inquired before: the communication range of this black armor was quite vast. In the past, when the Battle Heaven Army deployed on missions, a regiment commander could maintain contact across a thousand li. Nowadays, it was hard to say, but the functionality likely remained largely intact. With the people dead and the turmoil resolved, Hou Xiaochen looked at Li Hao. "What are your plans?" "Pardon?" "Do you intend to stay inside Battle Heaven City forever?" Hou Xiaochen said calmly, "You have to leave eventually. Once we exit this time, I will likely leave for the Central Region. What are your intentions?" Li Hao was surprised. "The Director is truly leaving?" "Of course!" Hou Xiaochen smiled. "The various factions suffered devastating losses in Silver Moon this time; they will not dare enter Battle Heaven City again. Aside from Battle Heaven City, they might not dare venture to other locations either. Everyone knows that the time has not yet come for Silver Moon's other ruins to open. "As for the Central Region... the headquarters of the Three Great Organizations, the headquarters of the Nine Departments, the Seven Sacred Mountains, experts of the Four Seas, the imperial family, the three ducal clans... countless powerhouses reside in the Central Region, along with many chosen talents. Do not underestimate supers. While superpowers carry many drawbacks, that is only because many supers cannot rein in their inner desires. True geniuses will not completely lose control simply because they suddenly acquired power. Aren't you one such person, Li Hao?" Li Hao had acquired his power only recently as well. "Among supers, there are also powerhouses who have broken past the Rising Light level. Strictly speaking, they are even stronger than us right now—at least, at our current stage, we dare not lightly break through our limits. But for supers, shattering six supernatural locks puts them beyond Rising Light. The four locks in the limbs are easy to open, and opening one in the five organs grants elemental affinity, though opening a second is extremely difficult... Yet that doesn't mean it's impossible! Some have managed it. As for the organ strain... everyone has their methods. Some have even obtained Fountain of Life water to mend their issues, naturally preventing them from easily exploding." Li Hao's eyes flickered as he looked at Hou Xiaochen. Hou Xiaochen continued, "In Silver Moon, you can only wait passively. Once we leave, are you interested in accompanying me to the Central Region?" This invitation took Li Hao by surprise. Hou Xiaochen added, "Silver Moon was the center of the world, yes, but that was long ago. Silver Moon today... unless you explore ruins, holds little pressure for you! You can already slay figures on the Divine Master Roll. Staying here, are you going to wait for experts from the roll to come hunting you? The Central Region is far more interesting. Vast numbers of experts from the Seven Sacred Mountains, the Nine Departments, and the Three Great Organizations operate there..." He looked at Li Hao. "The reason those people aren't coming to Silver Moon is to grow stronger in the Central Region before returning! The Central Region is an opportunity to rise, while Silver Moon is the opportunity for top-tier experts to undergo their final metamorphosis. You have not reached that stage yet. "In the Central Region, opportunities abound: divine energy stones, Fountain of Life water, ancient ruins—all can be found there." He was inviting Li Hao to accompany him to the Central Region! From Hou Xiaochen's words, going to the Central Region was likely for the sake of entering his next stage of transformation. Seeing Li Hao remain silent, Hou Xiaochen chuckled again. "That master of yours probably won't be willing to return anytime soon. He understands very well that growing in Silver Moon and swiftly matching powerhouses like the Earth-Overturning Sword is exceedingly difficult! Only in the Central Region does that opportunity exist. "Li Hao, this world is vast, vast indeed! Silver Moon... you will return sooner or later, but for now, let Silver Moon have a period of peace. "With you here, it will be hard for Silver Moon to remain peaceful..." Li Hao was speechless. "I..." "Who told you to be the only overt descendant of the Eight Great Families right now?" Hou Xiaochen smiled. "With you here, endless trouble will follow. In the Central Region, things will actually be better, because the various factions balance one another! That mutual restraint gives young people a chance. So many youths on the Divine Master Roll are rarely ambushed by the older generation... precisely because the various factions keep one another in check." Li Hao said nothing. Had the Earth-Overturning Sword invited him, Li Hao would naturally have had few objections. But Hou Xiaochen... Following him to the Central Region, one had to beware of having even one's bones swallowed whole. Indeed, Li Hao still harbored reservations about this man. Otherwise, he would not have stayed behind the barrier without stepping out, deliberately maintaining a distance from Hou Xiaochen. As if sensing his thoughts, Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "What are you afraid of? Li Hao, while you're young, travel and see the world. Silver Moon's martial masters have always exaggerated their own combat prowess. In truth, people like me are commonplace in the Central Region. If you don't go out and explore, you will never know how powerful the outside world is. Putting everything else aside, within the Night Patrollers alone, there are several terrifying geniuses. Though they are supers, their strength is immense; without unsealing, I might not even be their match. "Furthermore, do not assume that killing Green Moon, Yellow Moon, and the like has crippled the Three Great Organizations... You would be sorely mistaken! What kind of man is Ying Hongyue? The so-called Seven Moons, aside from himself, are essentially nothing more than his harem." Li Hao glanced at Chief Steward Yu. Her expression was ice-cold as she glared at him. *What do you mean by looking at me?* She had left Red Moon years ago! Li Hao coughed lightly and quickly averted his gaze. "The Director means there are still powerhouses in Red Moon's Council of Elders?" "Of course!" Hou Xiaochen smiled. "Not just the Council of Elders. Beyond the Seven Moons and the elders, Red Moon has a secret organization known as the Ancient God Guards. They rarely appear; their sole mission is exploring ruins! They are similar to our Martial Guard Army, but far stronger, with numerous powerhouses among them..." On the ground, even Purple Moon wore a look of bewilderment. This... even she did not know. Hou Xiaochen continued, "Some among the Ancient God Guards are martial masters, and some powerhouses are Ying Hongyue's experimental subjects. Among them are Heavenly Eye cultivators of immense strength! So-called Heavenly Eye cultivators are those who have opened their Heavenly Eyes and possess formidable spiritual power. You likely know of spiritual power—it differs somewhat from divine intent, but is exceedingly powerful. Both the Three Great Organizations and the Nine Departments have such individuals! "If you don't go out and see the world, how will you ever meet these people? If you just wait around here, in the end, you will fall completely behind." At this moment, Southern Fist chimed in: "Visiting the Central Region is worth considering; there are indeed many powerhouses there. Beyond the organizations we know, there are experts who either inherited ancient ruins in earlier years or, like your master, unearthed ancient secret arts and cultivate them. Among them are ancient martial clans passed down for generations. After superpowers rose, even if they couldn't match Silver Moon martial masters back then, their strength today is quite formidable." Hong Yitang transmitted mentally as well: *"You can consider it. You ought to visit the Central Region eventually. I went there in my youth; most Silver Moon martial masters have gone to the Central Region, whether to make a name or to witness more powerhouses. Only by sweeping through the Central Region does one earn the right to return and dominate Silver Moon!"* *"I'm worried Hou Xiaochen will set me up..."* Li Hao made no attempt to hide his thoughts, transmitting directly: *"That man... has too many schemes."* *"Are you actually afraid of him?"* Southern Fist chuckled via mental transmission. *"He won't make a move against you right off the bat. Who ends up scheming against whom is anyone's guess! You're young, but you advance at terrifying speed. Once we're in the Central Region, I'll cover you. What is there to fear?"* "..." *Tch!* *You can't even beat him.* "All right, I'll consider it!" Li Hao did not refuse outright. Having said that, he added, "Then I'll return to the city first to consult the generals. Would the Director like to come inside and sit for a while?" "..." Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "Never mind. Suit yourself." The kid was still on his guard, even now. *** Li Hao didn't stand on ceremony, quickly turning away. The four people and one dog hurried back into the city. He still planned to secure a status for Liu Long. Leaving was inevitable; he couldn't stay here forever. Having Southern Fist accompany Liu Long to the barracks, Li Hao headed straight for the City Lord's Estate. Director Wang was easier to talk to, so he intended to have a quick word with him. *** The City Lord's Estate. Li Hao did not know whether Director Wang had stepped outside earlier, but he was present now. "Reporting!" "Enter!" Director Wang was slightly surprised. This kid was interesting—he had even learned to announce himself properly. "General!" Li Hao didn't beat around the bush. "May I ask, once I leave Battle Heaven City, can I still enter freely?" "You may. You are a member of Battle Heaven City. As long as you bear your silver armor, you may come and go at any time." Li Hao was delighted. As expected. He knew his own city wouldn't restrict its own people. "Will Battle Heaven City still open to the outside? Right now it can open for three days each month. Can it be closed?" Director Wang asked calmly, "Why close it? Are you worried someone will seize the city?" "..." *Cough, cough.* That was indeed somewhat on his mind. Naturally, Li Hao wouldn't admit that. He said hurriedly, "I worry that after we leave, with no one guarding the city, those bandits will seize the opportunity." "No matter!" Director Wang said placidly, "If they come, they will merely be throwing their lives away. At this stage, if the bandits you speak of are of the caliber that arrived this time... Battle Heaven City is not a place they can enter and leave as they please!" That was a relief! Li Hao thought for a moment, then added, "General, the recruit camp has not yet revived. I wish to recruit people outside to join the Battle Heaven Army, but I lack keys..." "That does not fall under my purview." Li Hao was at a loss. He didn't particularly want to seek out that division commander. Yet he wanted to activate the black armor outside, outfitting the Martial Guard Army with fully functional sets. Director Wang offered a suggestion nonetheless: "When deploying outside with understrength ranks, regiment commanders in the past occasionally recruited soldiers themselves. Recruit training was typically mandatory, but since the camp has not revived... go to your division commander and request a special dispensation. Having him temporarily grant you the authority to activate Battle Heaven armor amounts to the same thing." Li Hao sighed inwardly. The problem was that the man was not easy to talk to; otherwise, he would have gone there first. Well, Li Hao had no choice. Before departing, he asked one more question: "General, are there any particularly exceptional treasures on Heavenly Star Island?" "Heavenly Star Island? Do energy mines count?" "Aside from those, is there nothing else?" "Of course there is, plenty in fact. Alas, with the passage of ages, who knows what remains." Sighing with emotion, Director Wang seemed lost in reminiscence. After a moment, he shook his head. "I don't recall the specifics clearly, but I do remember that on Heavenly Star Island, there might be a detached residence belonging to the Sea Suppressing Emissary. Whether it still exists, I cannot say." "The Sea Suppressing Emissary?" Li Hao froze. What was that? "Back then, when humanity achieved grand victory and the Human King pacified the realm, in order for humans and demons to advance hand in hand, he conferred titles upon the two supreme powerhouses of the demon race: the Demon Suppressing Emissary and the Sea Suppressing Emissary! "The Demon Suppressing Emissary commanded the myriad demons. However, the seas were too vast, so the Sea Suppressing Emissary was separately appointed to suppress the Four Seas for mankind!" "Were they strong?" Li Hao was curious. Director Wang considered it. "Very strong... Naturally, they could not compare to the Sovereigns and their peers, but compared to ordinary powerhouses, they were far mightier!" "Then... how do they compare to my ancestor?" "..." Director Wang was speechless. After a long pause, he said, "Slightly inferior." Li Hao was relieved. So that was it—not even as strong as his ancestor. From the title, he had assumed the emissary was invincible. A detached residence of the Sea Suppressing Emissary... Li Hao made a mental note. There might be good things there. Unfortunately, he had no idea if it still existed, nor whether the central region of the Heavenly Star Dynasty truly corresponded to Heavenly Star Island. Seas turned into mulberry fields over countless ages; who knew how geography had shifted since the ancient civilization? "General, I shall take my leave. After departing this time, it will likely be a long time before I return." "Mm." Director Wang said nothing more, remaining placid. Seeing this, Li Hao had no choice but to depart. It seemed this senior truly had no more benefits to bestow upon him—what a pity. Only after he left did Director Wang speak: "This little fellow is quite amusing. He kept staring at me, clearly hoping for some handouts." An ethereal voice echoed beside his ear: *"Let him strive for things himself; pay it no mind. He has accepted three missions, though whether he can accomplish them remains unknown. I vaguely sense that the other seven cities have not been entirely destroyed... they may still exist! If we can establish contact with the other seven cities, then we... might still have a chance!"* "Mm, I will do my best to try." Director Wang murmured in response, saying nothing further. Within the city, silence settled once again. *** Meanwhile, Li Hao gingerly visited the military barracks and met that division commander once more... He briefly stated his request, to which the man coldly and haughtily replied with a single word: "Approved!" "..." And with that, Li Hao scrammed! Around this figure, he always felt as though the man wanted to beat him, leaving him rather intimidated. Once Li Hao was gone, the division commander looked up toward the direction of his departure and shook his head slightly. What a pity the recruit camp had not fully revived; otherwise, he truly would have kept the boy behind for a period of discipline. The legacy of the Longevity Swordsman was wasted on this kid... The more he looked at him, the more irritating he found him. *** Li Hao made another trip to the quartermaster. He exchanged all 210 points of his military merit for cultivation resources. He was about to leave and had no idea when he would return; hoarding military merit served little purpose, so converting it into treasures was far better. As for the Sky-Shattering Sword Art... he could worry about that later. With everything settled, Li Hao prepared to leave Battle Heaven City. Tonight was the final day of the opening. Though he could depart whenever he pleased, leaving alongside Hou Xiaochen and the others would draw far less attention. Departing alone, on the other hand, was bound to attract notice. The moment he stepped out of the ancient city, Li Hao looked back at the two towering characters carved upon Battle Heaven City... Next time, he would return. He had wanted to study those two characters once more, but knew that in his current state, he could discern nothing further. Perhaps in the future, greater opportunities would await. The characters left behind by a Sovereign could not possibly exist merely to show glimpses of ancient illusions.