Martial Guard Army base.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
When Li Hao said three days of quiet cultivation, he meant exactly three days. The moment the time was up, he ceased his exercise and stopped cultivating.
As for the unsatisfied Hao Lianchuan and the others, Li Hao didn't spare them a second glance.
Over the course of three days, Li Hao had expended a considerable amount—over thirty thousand fang of mysterious energy. As usual, Li Hao absorbed about half, and of the rest... the dog had absorbed at least five thousand fang.
What remained was the combined amount absorbed by Hao Lianchuan and the others.
This was only because the dog hadn't shown as much interest in the five elemental energies lately; otherwise, those few wouldn't have been able to absorb even that much.
More than a hundred divine energy stones had also been consumed.
Yet to Li Hao now, that was hardly an issue. Having slain two Rising Lights, the divine energy stones inside the storage rings of those two pirates alone exceeded eight hundred. Pirates truly were wealthy.
By this point, Li Hao's stock of divine energy stones had increased rather than dwindled. Adding his other spoils, he now had nearly three thousand divine energy stones on hand.
That was even more than when he had first emerged from the ruin.
"Li Hao, don't stop!" Hao Lianchuan pleaded eagerly, his face full of longing. "My supernatural lock hasn't appeared yet, and my strength hasn't improved either..."
Li Hao glanced at him and remained silent for a while before saying, "Is that so?"
"Yes! I'm just a hair away..."
"Really?"
"Of course!"
Hao Lianchuan was practically ready to thump his plump chest in guarantee.
Li Hao sighed with exhaustion. "You're already at late Three Suns. That's more than enough. If a supernatural lock hadn't appeared, how could your realm have advanced? Minister Hao, next time you fabricate a lie... try putting a bit more effort into it."
Hao Lianchuan froze.
He stared at Li Hao, struck dumb for a good while, looking thoroughly dejected.
*This guy has terrifyingly sharp eyes. I thought nobody noticed!*
Li Hao couldn't be bothered to entertain him and turned to look at the others. He had to admit that he felt a twinge of envy toward supers at this moment. Wang Ming was now at the peak of Solar Flare, seemingly on the verge of breaking through to Three Suns at any moment.
Hu Hao and Yun Yao had actually reached Solar Flare as well. Even though they were only at the early stage, their speed was still astonishing.
Li Meng, on the other hand... was genuinely tragic. She was still lingering in Moon Nether, though she had at least reached the Moon Nether Waxing Moon stage. One step further, and she would also reach Solar Flare.
In reality, the few of them hadn't absorbed all that much.
Out of ten thousand fang of supernatural energy, Hao Lianchuan had consumed at least half. Of the remainder, Wang Ming took another half before it was even the turn of those three. Yet they had stepped into Solar Flare with complete ease.
Thinking of martial masters, advancing from Hundred-Breaker to Thousand-Battler... that was truly difficult.
Li Hao had channeled quite a lot of five elemental energies into them over time.
If measured by the standard of those three supers, at least half of the forty-nine martial masters should have stepped into Solar Flare—meaning the Thousand-Battler level. Yet in reality, not a single one had.
Momentum was the barrier that halted everyone in their tracks.
Li Hao glanced at Li Meng, expecting her to be disheartened... but he turned out to have overthought it. She wasn't disheartened in the slightest. Right now, she was beaming happily. If it was an act, she didn't look like she was faking; she genuinely seemed delighted.
Even though everyone else had made greater strides and she had progressed the least, Li Meng was thrilled. "I'm almost at Solar Flare! That's so fierce!"
"..."
The group looked at her with strange expressions.
*Which of us isn't at Solar Flare? Fierce, my foot!*
Seeing everyone staring at her, Li Meng wore a smug expression. She wanted to say something, but after thinking it over, she abruptly shut her mouth and kept quiet.
Li Hao felt somewhat intrigued. From the look of it, had she gained something?
Had her third eye mutated?
Or was it something else?
Naturally, Li Hao didn't ask. This woman couldn't keep a secret; her mouth was even bigger than Wang Ming's. It was only because she knew very little that her big mouth wasn't obvious. If she knew a lot, she would talk even more than Wang Ming.
Now that she was keeping quiet, everyone would probably find out within a few days anyway.
Li Hao said no more and walked out.
His strength had improved, primarily in his physical body. As for his momentum, there wasn't much change. His physical body had been considerably strengthened, and his five viscera were tougher than before.
It could only be said that his vitality was greater, making him harder to kill.
However, the boost to his offensive power from a stronger body wasn't that significant.
If he traded blows with Sea Shark now, Li Hao estimated that he would probably be slightly stronger than before. He wouldn't remain at a disadvantage until the very end before turning the tables; they would likely be evenly matched.
...
Li Hao stepped out of the cultivation area.
Outside, martial masters were already active. Evidently, after three days, everyone had absorbed and digested some of their gains. Li Hao swept a glance over them. Though he couldn't discern every detail, he could sense that several momentums seemed to be burgeoning.
This meant that over the past three days, people had stepped into culmination.
In the distance, seeing Li Hao and the others emerge, Liu Long walked over quickly. Over the past few days, he hadn't cultivated much, mainly helping share his experience and allocating opportunities for everyone to contemplate the enlightenment ancient weapons.
Li Hao had always adopted a hands-off approach to these matters. Since he wouldn't manage them, Liu Long had to take charge.
In the past, he only needed to manage the Demon Hunt Squad. Now there were more people, but having served as an enforcement captain for years, he could still manage just fine.
"Regiment Commander!"
Liu Long seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "A few people are still contemplating the enlightenment ancient weapons. Almost everyone else has had a turn... However, many of the ancient weapons shattered, and now only that sword remains..."
Li Hao looked in one direction. Over there, someone seemed to have vaguely comprehended momentum.
"Who's contemplating right now?"
"Hong Hao!"
"Him?"
Li Hao was somewhat surprised. "Wasn't he almost there on his own? Why did he choose to contemplate an ancient weapon?"
Hong Hao had seemed on the verge of succeeding naturally. Based on Li Hao's understanding of him, as Hong Yitang's third disciple, Hong Hao shouldn't have seized the chance from others. Instead, he ought to have yielded it for someone else to contemplate.
Liu Long explained, "Some of the Sword Gate disciples were unwilling to contemplate it, insisting that Hong Hao and the others had made greater contributions and should go first. They said that even if he could comprehend momentum on his own, having broader exposure would be beneficial. Left with no choice, Hong Hao agreed..."
Li Hao said nothing. The Sword Gate disciples were indeed quite united.
Since Hong Hao hadn't stepped into Hundred-Breaker culmination, those people likely didn't want to take away his opportunity.
"How is the situation now?"
"Liu Yan, Hong Qing, and a few others comprehended momentum on their own. Li Heng and Hong Chou did as well..."
Hong Chou was the martial master whose family had been slain by pirates.
Li Hao wasn't too surprised. That day, when Li Hao suggested hanging the pirates, that fellow had shown signs of surging momentum. Li Hao wasn't sure whether it was joy or the feeling of slaughtering pirates that cleared his mind and resolve.
He had actually caught up from behind, surpassing many others.
Liu Long continued, "There are sixteen people who have comprehended momentum so far."
"That many?"
Li Hao was slightly surprised; he had estimated that ten would already be quite good.
"Yes, quite a lot," Liu Long smiled. "You told everyone to indulge themselves for a day beforehand. Perhaps their minds and thoughts became thoroughly clear. Who knows? Either way, it's a good thing!"
Out of forty-nine martial masters who hadn't reached culmination, sixteen had broken through all at once.
If one included Hong Hao, who was still contemplating, that made seventeen.
That was over a third!
The proportion was by no means low.
Li Hao was momentarily taken aback, but soon felt relieved. Whether from the Sword Gate or the Inspectorate, the martial masters sent over all had solid foundations and martial talent. Otherwise, in this barren place where supernatural power was on the rise, they would never have continued practicing martial arts.
Those unsuitable for martial arts would have converted to supers long ago.
"That's good!"
Li Hao looked up at the sky. Darkness had already fallen; it was now the night of the eighth, and the ninth was approaching. Judging by their speed, Hou Xiaochen and his group, who had left on the fourth, should be nearing Heaven Star City by now.
Since Hong Hao was still comprehending momentum, Li Hao was in no hurry and chatted with the group.
Hong Qing and Hong Hao had returned the afternoon before yesterday and hadn't had time to report to Li Hao. Hong Qing now stepped forward and said, "Regiment Commander, my father said not to send people over to his place next time..."
"Why?"
Li Hao found it odd. Was Hong Yitang so petty?
It was only a few people! They were so pitiful, yet you wouldn't even offer help?
Hong Qing looked awkward. "My father said... where there's a first time, there'll be a second. You don't know the hardship of handling the aftermath. Today you dare bring back over a hundred people; next time... he believes you'd bring back an entire city of people for him. So, if you ever do this again... you have to manage them for a month first. Only then will he be willing to take over."
Li Hao felt a bit embarrassed.
He understood!
Old Hong felt that Li Hao only knew how to dump people on him without realizing how difficult it was to manage and resettle them, and wanted Li Hao to experience it for himself. But Li Hao... wasn't stupid.
*I know! Don't think I don't know. It's precisely because I know that I won't do it! Otherwise, do you take me for a fool?*
"Ahem!"
Li Hao coughed lightly and dropped the subject. "Let's not talk about that. Let's discuss the ruin first!"
At those words, everyone perked up.
"The ruin is within the borders of Silver Moon, and not too far from White Moon City. Previously, Chiliarch Golden Spear explored it several times, but failed halfway through each time..."
Li Hao spoke in a slightly solemn tone. "There is definitely danger. Just because Chiliarch Golden Spear was fine doesn't mean we will be. From the outside, this ruin doesn't look very large. Senior Golden Spear surmised that it might be a castle built by a clan back in the ancient civilization, or a small sect of that era. Of course, it could be something else... but it's roughly along those lines.
"The difficult part of this ruin is that the path leading to the main entrance is subject to sudden ambushes... Having visited Battle Heaven City, I have a conjecture: perhaps a tree demon has gained sapience!
"Whether it's a tree demon left behind from ancient times or one born later... is hard to say."
Hong Qing asked with doubt, "Left behind from ancient times? After so many years, shouldn't it be dead?"
"Possibly. Or perhaps an old tree sprouted anew. I haven't been there, so I'm not entirely certain, but based on the clues left by Senior Golden Spear, that's my guess!
"If that's the case..."
Li Hao's eyes flickered. "Then we might reap a substantial harvest. A place like this might not have as many treasures as Battle Heaven City, but if there truly is a tree demon, we might obtain the legendary Spring Water of Life..."
He actually had a single drop of it.
He just hadn't brought it out. Last time, Hou Xiaochen had wanted to trade for it, but Li Hao had refused.
It could bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on bare bones.
In certain aspects, its effects were even more potent than sword energy. Even if your limbs were severed, it could regrow them—a terrifyingly powerful effect. Sword energy couldn't do that. In essence, Li Hao vaguely understood what sword energy was.
An extremely pure energy!
Whether mysterious energy, divine energy stones, or weapon souls, all were swallowed by the small sword, purified, refined, and converted into sword energy.
Thus, sword energy remained an energy for cultivation.
The Spring Water of Life, however, was a genuine special energy.
Hearing this, everyone grew slightly excited, but Liu Long frowned slightly. "Then if we go, won't we hold you back?"
Li Hao said casually, "It's fine. If there's real danger, we'll just retreat. It's not as though we must obtain benefits. Besides, Black Panther and I will both be going..."
"I'm coming too!"
Hao Lianchuan, who had been ignored on the side, spoke up hastily.
Upon hearing this, he was also thrilled.
Li Hao was speechless. "Minister Hao, do you have that much free time? Right now, no one is in charge of the Night Patrollers. You're already at late Three Suns, and your supernatural lock has appeared. Shouldn't you go back early and cultivate steadily to reach Rising Light sooner?"
"A few days won't make a difference!"
Nearby, Wang Ming grew anxious. *This fatty Hao is stealing my line!*
*I haven't even spoken, yet you blurted it out first.*
*The trouble is, this guy is stronger than me, so I can't compete with him.*
Li Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and could only say, "Fine. It's just a small ruin, so there might not be anything truly good. It's not like Battle Heaven City. Battle Heaven City is a metropolis, while this place can only be considered a small village."
If not for the potential presence of a tree demon, Li Hao wouldn't even have been interested in exploring it.
Otherwise, just gaining a few divine energy stones or the like wouldn't hold much appeal for him.
...
They waited until Hong Hao finished cultivating. Sure enough, he had also comprehended momentum. With that, the Demon Hunt Corps' three-day cultivation completely drew to a close.
Li Hao wanted to try his luck and didn't delay.
Having rested for three days, he had grown accustomed to operating by night. Without further ado, he brought out the Giant Kun Divine Boat. He had to admit that this Origin God Armament suited his taste perfectly—not only could it swim through water, but it could also fly through the sky.
Right now, Li Hao wanted to experience the sensation of flying in the air.
This time, their numbers were greater.
Last time there were fifty-five people; now, with Hao Lianchuan, there was one more, bringing the total to fifty-six.
Since they had traveled overland last time, Li Hao had the Giant Kun Divine Boat take flight directly, ascending rapidly. He didn't want to be monitored. He knew that across Silver Moon right now, various factions were likely keeping an eye on him.
Even if those people didn't necessarily bear malice, Li Hao preferred his movements to remain concealed.
Aboard the flying boat, Li Hao kept an eye out for supernatural energy in the surroundings. He also assigned Li Meng a task: check the sky for other airborne martial masters or surveillance devices.
Li Hao could only see things within energy systems, but Li Meng's third eye could perceive far more.
The third eye appeared on Li Meng's forehead.
She didn't use it to scan around as Li Hao had instructed.
Instead, rays of light shimmered from it. Li Hao felt a strange sensation, seemingly detecting something, and looked toward Li Meng. At this moment, Li Meng seemed to be exerting herself, yet remained thoroughly thrilled.
Strands of radiance flowed around everyone, then enveloped the entire flying boat.
Li Meng's panting voice came through: "Isn't it just about preventing others from watching? Regiment Commander, watch this: Illusion Realm Space! As long as it envelops the entire boat, all surveillance becomes useless... Unless a powerhouse conducts a deliberate reconnaissance, they won't be able to see us at all!"
Li Hao raised his brows. In other words, in the eyes of certain observers, they were currently invisible.
"Similar to an invisibility art?"
"More or less... but an invisibility art is different from mine. Mine distorts things to create a visual discrepancy. As for how an invisibility art specifically works, I'm not sure."
A visual discrepancy!
Li Hao nodded slightly. This ability seemed quite useful.
However, it clearly demanded a heavy toll. Li Meng's strength was too weak; maintaining it for just a short while left her teetering on the verge of collapse.
Helpless, Li Hao channeled some sword energy into her body.
Moon Nether level... truly weak.
She could barely hold out for a moment. He swept a gaze across the sky, avoiding several patrolling supers. The Night Patrollers had supernatural patrols, though the city was primarily patrolled by the Inspectorate, which possessed both supers and martial masters.
Steering clear of them along the way, Li Hao soon piloted the flying boat and vanished beyond White Moon City.
Meanwhile, the personnel within the Inspectorate who had just upgraded their surveillance system detected nothing at all.
...
Inspectorate Headquarters.
Kong Jie frowned slightly, sweeping a glance across the sky. After a moment of thought, he walked to the window, stepped out into the air, and looked all around. Moments later, his expression turned peculiar.
Pondering for a while, he suddenly brought out a set of black armor and sent out a mental fluctuation: "Li Hao, where are you?"
"At the base. Does Director Kong need something?"
"The base?"
Kong Jie pulsed his thoughts again: "Nothing. It seemed like martial masters had infiltrated White Moon City... I was going to call Huang Yu to go slay them!"
"..."
Those words left Li Hao, who had just flown past White Moon City, utterly speechless.
Was he saying that deliberately, or was it genuine?
"No need for that, right?"
"Oh!"
Kong Jie said no more, merely remarking in annoyance, "Stop sneaking off in the dead of night. It's easy to get hit by friendly fire. I thought something had gone wrong. Fine, report before heading out next time!"
He had genuinely thought enemies were invading, but on second thought, the likelihood of it being Li Hao was high.
Sure enough, it was that kid.
This fellow hadn't been a Night Patroller for nothing.
As expected, he never ventured out until night fell.
Where was he going this time?
Naturally, Kong Jie couldn't pry too much and could only curse inwardly, hoping the kid wouldn't stir up trouble.
At this stage, things were not particularly safe for Li Hao.
...
Li Hao exhaled, helpless. It seemed the defenses of White Moon City were sharper than he had anticipated; otherwise, he wouldn't have been detected the moment he left.
Still, that was good—it made things safer.
Those figures in White Moon City truly had skills to show for themselves; none of them could be underestimated.
Once clear of White Moon City, Li Meng could no longer hold out, and Li Hao didn't force her to continue. The flying boat ascended higher, with Li Hao sustaining its consumption with inner force. Flying in the sky was considerably more taxing.
Soon, Li Hao piloted the craft toward Yaoguang City.
The ruin was in that direction, not too far off.
...
At the same time.
The night was pitch-black.
In the east.
In the distance, brightly lit and magnificent like an imperial palace, a sprawling estate presented itself against the dark night.
It was the world-renowned Duke of Dingguo's Residence.
At this moment, on a street less than three thousand meters from the residence, an old woman gazed toward the distant Duke of Dingguo's Residence. She coughed lightly, swept her eyes over her surroundings, and sighed softly. "I have returned. I failed the great trust placed in me... Young Master Feng is dead."
It had taken her eight days to rush back.
From the north to the east was actually closer than to the Central Region.
Yet over these eight days, she hadn't traveled nonstop. She had spent three days nursing her wounds halfway through; having taken a punch from Southern Fist earlier, she was indeed injured.
The surroundings were deathly silent.
The old woman coughed again. "Though I am old, my perception remains. Do not underestimate the perception of a martial master."
A moment later, a figure stepped out from the darkness.
The street remained dead quiet.
It was an armored powerhouse who revealed his face and looked at the old woman. "Chief Steward Hu, the Duke sent us to meet you to prevent anyone from tailing you. Now it seems Chief Steward's strength remains intact. Your injuries aren't severe, are they?"
The Bright Light Sword looked around and sighed again. "All of you, come out!"
The burly man who had appeared first glanced at the old woman and said nothing more. The Bright Light Sword was worthy of her name; her senses were so sharp that despite thinking they had concealed themselves thoroughly, she had discovered them with ease.
"Since the Chief Steward has spoken, come out, everyone!"
A moment later, three more figures stepped out from all directions of the street. Counting the first, four powerhouses had emerged.
The Bright Light Sword glanced at them and coughed. "The four great generals—Dingdong, Dingnan, Dingxi, and Dingbei—have all come. What an honor!"
The Dingguo Army was stationed in the east, boasting a massive force of fully eight hundred thousand soldiers.
And that was only the army directly subordinate to the Duke of Dingguo's Residence.
These eight hundred thousand soldiers were overseen by eight generals:
East, South, West, North, and Tian, Di, Xuan, Huang.
Above the eight generals stood the two second-generation direct sons of the Duke of Dingguo's Residence, Xu Zhen and Xu Xing. Xu Zhen was Xu Feng's father. And above them was the Duke of Dingguo himself, who served as the Grand Marshal of the Dingguo Army.
Tonight, four great generals had gathered here.
All four radiated powerful auras.
Earlier, they had seemed masked and suppressed by something, but now they unleashed their auras. Each was extraordinarily formidable, carrying the scent of blood—evidently not sheltered practitioners, but killers who had taken countless lives.
The one who had appeared first was General Dingdong. He said slowly, "Chief Steward Hu, we were once martial masters as well. The four of us grew up in the Duke's residence, converting to supers only after reaching Hundred-Breaker culmination... We understand momentum as well!"
The Bright Light Sword coughed. "What does General mean by that?"
"Nothing much. I only wish to inform Chief Steward that all four of us are at late Rising Light, and late Rising Lights converted from martial masters at that, far beyond ordinary supers. We command armies; we have seen far too much... slaughter."
General Dingdong continued steadily, "Chief Steward is a martial master who walked out of Silver Moon, a powerhouse who broke the limits of Thousand-Battler and a pioneer on the martial path. We respect you and have never treated you with disrespect in ordinary times... Now that Young Master Feng is dead, that too was fate! The Duke is generous and has no intention of holding you accountable..."
The Bright Light Sword remained silent.
The general continued, "Yet Chief Steward returns late in the night, having maintained complete silence along the way, causing us to suspect you had fled for fear of the Duke's reproach... Since you have returned, that is for the best. Chief Steward has traveled a long way and must be exhausted. The Duke is currently resting. Why not pay respects to the Duke tomorrow? It so happens that we also wish to seek guidance from Chief Steward regarding our perplexities on the martial path... Why not accompany us to the military camp to rest for the night?"
Go to the military camp!
The Bright Light Sword laughed. She looked at them, swept her gaze across the surroundings, and finally looked toward the distant Duke's residence, where someone seemed to be looking down upon her from afar.
She sighed. "It seems... a Silver Moon martial master leaked word and said something?"
General Dingdong said in a deep voice, "I do not understand what Chief Steward means!"
"You don't understand?"
The Bright Light Sword thought for a moment, shook her head, and laughed mockingly. "It must be that dog Ying Hongyue! What a pity... what a pity that I was not born beautiful. Otherwise, perhaps that Ying Hongyue would have shown some tender sentiment... Seeing how ugly I am, he couldn't wait for me to die sooner, could he?"
She looked at the men before her, then around her surroundings. "The Duke is such a cautious man, yet he sent only the four of you? Four late Rising Lights converted from martial masters could capture and kill a peak Rising Light with ease... But I am a Silver Moon martial master. Does the Duke look down on me so much?"
Adding "Silver Moon" before "martial master" changed everything.
The expressions of the four generals instantly grew grave. Right at that moment, someone walked forward from the distance with heavy footsteps. He appeared quite young, clad in a red cloak in the darkness.
"Bright Light Sword, what if I am added to the mix?"
The man was very young. The Bright Light Sword raised her brows slightly. "People say the four generals of Tian, Di, Xuan, and Huang surpass the four of East, South, West, and North... But I thought it would be General Tian coming; I didn't expect it to merely be General Xuan."
"They have other matters to attend to. My presence should suffice."
This young man's aura erupted instantly, overwhelmingly fierce. In that split second, if Li Hao were here, he would probably have sensed that this aura surpassed the Mount Cang great serpent, though vaguely fell short of the other three great monsters.
He was at the absolute pinnacle of peak Rising Light, merely a step away from entering the transformation stage and advancing toward the next realm.
Four late Rising Lights, and one peak Rising Light.
Five Rising Light powerhouses now encircled the Bright Light Sword. The newly arrived General Xuan said coldly, "As long as you surrender without resistance... you may not necessarily die! Harboring crooked intentions was your true mistake! The Duke pitied how hard you worked for your martial path; you failed to protect Young Master Feng, and over all these years, it was the Duke's residence that supported your cultivation. Bright Light Sword, must you truly act as a traitor to your master?"
"A traitor to my master?"
The Bright Light Sword scoffed. "Where does such talk come from? When I came to the Duke of Dingguo's Residence all those years ago, it was for the Wind-Chasing Boots from the very start. That old fellow Xu Qing promised me that as long as I served the Xu family for twenty years, he would bestow the Wind-Chasing Boots upon me... Later, he reneged, claiming I couldn't wield or control them, but his grandson Xu Feng could. He claimed he was old and frail, and wanted me... wanted me to wed his grandson and become family! Though I knew it was merely a union of interests, for my own sake and out of gratitude for the residence's care over the years, I still gave my all...
"By my count, today marks exactly twenty years!"
She let out a heavy sigh. "Why do you think I only returned today? The time has come. According to the agreement back then, the Wind-Chasing Boots should be given to me today! Xu Feng died; I bear some responsibility for failing to protect him, but I gave my all that day as well. Unfortunately, I was no match for the powerful enemy and had no choice... You can't expect me to throw my life away too, can you?"
Having said this, she looked into the distance and spoke with a voice like a booming bell: "Xu Qing, you are unwilling, are you not?
"Are you going to betray the promise made twenty years ago?"
Her voice was deafening, yet the distance remained terrifyingly quiet.
The Bright Light Sword sighed. "I understand. I didn't hold much hope to begin with, but I didn't expect that just to deal with me, even the surrounding civilians were evacuated. You're determined not to let me leave alive!"
She laughed self-deprecatingly. "Compared to the others, my temper has always been considered gentle. Otherwise, years ago, I would have fought to the death instead of acting like this, genuinely clinging to a sliver of hope..."
Indeed, among the Thirty-Six Heroes, her personality was relatively mild.
Part of it was being outmatched in strength, and part of it was wanting to quietly complete the transition of her cultivation technique. Little did she expect that after twenty years... it would still come to this.
"Then... let us fight!"
In an instant, a sword manifested between heaven and earth, illuminating the entire sky!
The next moment, the Bright Light Sword let out a piercing cry. In the blink of an eye, the supernatural locks on her heart, lungs, and liver—a full three locks—were largely shattered by her! At this point, she didn't consider stalling for a single second!
This was the Duke of Dingguo's Residence.
It was no place for delay.
If time dragged on, even if she completely shattered all five supernatural locks, she wouldn't walk out alive. She knew deeply how perilous this place was; she had to end this swiftly!
In a flash, the heavens collapsed and the earth split!
A blinding, dazzling light flared. The five generals roared furiously, their sabers, spears, swords, and halberds erupting all at once!
"Kill!"
The Bright Light Sword screamed fiercely. The strength she unleashed in this instant surpassed even Southern Fist's that day. A single sword wave rippled through the void, cleaving the world apart. *Boom!*
A tremendous explosion rang out. The formidable General Xuan's expression changed slightly as he thrust his spear forward!
Yet the spear was sheared through instantly by the Bright Light Sword. In that split second, the Bright Light Sword screamed once more, and a fourth supernatural lock largely shattered, causing her combat power to skyrocket again!
"Die!"
*Boom!*
The longsword blasted apart the surroundings. The earth tore open entirely, and the nearby buildings collapsed in heaps. Beneath that single sword strike, General Xuan roared continuously in sheer disbelief... yet he still couldn't withstand the blow!
*Pfft!*
The sword descended, and a line of blood appeared on General Xuan's head.
The Bright Light Sword shrieked, paying him no further heed. A power that seemed capable of incinerating the world surged once more—not fire elemental, but the blistering sensation of scorching sunlight.
The sword swept across the surroundings, and all the buildings vanished instantly, as if vaporized!
The four generals had only just converged...
In the blink of an eye, all five fell completely still, halting their steps, their eyes filled with incredulity.
Meanwhile, the Bright Light Sword was bleeding from all seven orifices. Explosions echoed endlessly across her body, and her internal organs were tearing apart.
A deranged smile touched her lips. "Silver Moon martial masters... do you truly... know nothing of us?"
She soared into the air, traversing a thousand meters in a single bound. With another flash, she had drawn near the Duke of Dingguo's Residence.
At this moment, in the distance, the aged Duke of Dingguo looked at her with a fierce, chilling gaze. "Think carefully. If you continue... you will die without a doubt. Even if you snatch the Wind-Chasing Boots, you will not survive past today!"
He understood!
Or rather... he knew full well what kind of state this was.
The Bright Light Sword said nothing. In an instant, she slammed a palm into her chest. With a thunderous boom, something seemed to shatter once more, accompanied by the distinct snap of chains—the fifth lock!
Bleeding from every orifice like a vengeful fiend, she snarled, "Hand them over! Otherwise... when I die, unless you unseal yourself, the Duke of Dingguo's Residence will cease to exist today!"
"To think you actually reached this stage..."
The Duke of Dingguo muttered. The next moment, with a furious shout, he kicked toward the Bright Light Sword, an overwhelming aura bursting forth instantly. "Then let us see if you have the ability!"
*Boom!*
A deafening roar shook the area. The massive courtyard blasted apart in the blink of an eye; countless buildings collapsed, and several servants burst into bloody mist.
No one had anticipated that the aged Duke of Dingguo would reveal such terrifying strength at this moment.
Yet the Bright Light Sword seemed to have known all along.
Her sword swept out, splitting the heavens and cleaving the earth as radiant light illuminated the world. *Boom!*
Another explosion erupted. With a thunderous crash, the Duke of Dingguo was forced backward, blood spilling from his lips. His gaze shifted slightly. *After unsealing... is she truly this much stronger?*
He felt an urge to unleash his power.
Yet the next moment, seeing that the Bright Light Sword's five viscera appeared to be crumbling entirely and that she was on the verge of complete madness, he suddenly sighed and tossed out a storage ring. "Take it and leave. Do not push me..."
The Bright Light Sword caught the storage ring, then snarled, "Only one boot?"
"Did you think you could take both?"
The Duke of Dingguo said coldly, "I merely do not wish to pay too high a price... Or do you believe that in your current state, you are certain you can kill me?"
A flicker of unwillingness surfaced in the Bright Light Sword's eyes. Yet sensing her own condition... she gritted her teeth, soared into the sky, and vanished in an instant.
In the distance, the moment she took flight, a series of booms echoed as the five generals exploded into pieces all at once!
Witnessing this scene, the two second-generation scions of the Duke's residence who had just arrived turned pale with shock!
Dead?
Five great generals had been slain in a single instant!
"Father!"
The two rushed over swiftly. Nearby, several Rising Lights and Three Suns hurried over as well. The eldest son, Xu Zhen, said in panic, "Father, you gave her the Wind-Chasing Boot? If we had entangled her for a little longer, she..."
The Duke of Dingguo glanced at him, his gaze icy. "If we had entangled her longer, she would have known she was doomed... Even if she couldn't kill me, I would have been crippled! What do you know!"
Only by unsealing could he have fought the Bright Light Sword, who had broken five supernatural locks.
But if he did that... disaster would follow.
He hadn't anticipated that the Bright Light Sword had cultivated to such an extent. That wasn't even the crucial part; what mattered was that having reached this realm, that old hag actually dared to shatter all her supernatural locks... Doing so meant that even if she seized the Wind-Chasing Boot, she wouldn't survive!
Her five viscera were bound to collapse!
"Have people track her. She won't escape!"
The Duke of Dingguo snorted coldly. He glanced toward the fallen generals in the distance, his brow furrowing with a pang of regret and sorrow. The five generals working together could have slain someone in the transformation stage.
Yet... the Bright Light Sword had directly unsealed her combat power and slaughtered them all!
Even he felt the sting of such a loss.
Five great powerhouses!
Moreover, was his eldest son hoping for him to die sooner?
Facing the Bright Light Sword's terrifying combat power just now, he had actually suggested holding her off a bit longer... The Duke, already displeased with this son over Xu Feng's death, grew increasingly irritated!
In her current state, the Bright Light Sword was matchless, but she would soon collapse entirely. Where could she run?
The Wind-Chasing Boot wouldn't be lost.
Besides, with only one boot, she couldn't wield it anyway. Taking it wouldn't be of much use.
Moments later, a large contingent of powerhouses pursued in the direction where the Bright Light Sword had vanished. None dared draw too close—she was far too terrifying. Yet the pack of powerhouses doggedly trailed her, waiting for her to exhaust herself to death.
...
Word of the events in the east quickly began to spread.
At this moment, Li Hao had already left White Moon City. He didn't know that the Bright Light Sword had made her move so quickly, nor did he know that she was currently fleeing toward Silver Moon at an unimaginable speed.
It was very, very far... but there was still hope.
Yet Li Hao was already setting off toward the ruin.
He swore he hadn't done it on purpose.
Chapter 176