Leaving Silver Moon

In the wilderness. The divine vessel that had been resting quietly underground vanished in an instant, streaking across the sky. High above, Huang Yu was momentarily taken aback. An instant later, he tore through the air in pursuit. In the blink of an eye, a group of people appeared in the distance. Without glancing at anyone, Li Hao brought the vessel down to the ground. A group of people swiftly boarded it. This spot was still some distance from Cat Head Mountain; even if one were given the chance to search, they might not find the actual entrance. The next moment, the divine vessel rose into the air and vanished from the spot. Huang Yu's eyes flickered as he looked in the direction where it had disappeared. Had Li Hao discovered him, or had he simply laid down a smokescreen to guard against an ambush? Either way... Li Hao had managed to slip away right under his nose. The young man truly had some tricks up his sleeve. ... Inside the divine vessel. Inside the cabin. No one spoke, but Li Hao's voice echoed through the armors' communication channels: "Trouble has found me. Many people across the Heavenly Star Dynasty want to kill me right now. I don't intend to sit and wait for death. I originally planned to stay in Silver Moon for a while longer... but drawing too many experts here will only bring harm to Silver Moon. Though I harbored no intention to harm others, they are dead set on killing me. Therefore, I am preparing to leave!" At those words, numerous voices immediately rang out across the channel: "Commander, we're coming with you!" "Too weak!" Li Hao offered only two words, which struck the entire group into stunned silence. Too weak! They knew it was true. Right now, aside from Liu Long and a few supernaturals, only Li Heng had been lucky enough to scrape his way into the Thousand-Battler realm. As for the rest, while a few had reached peak Hundred-Breaker, such strength was nowhere near enough! The gap was simply too vast! Li Hao continued, "I went out earlier and killed a few people—some late-stage Rising Light experts, even peak ones... I killed the Duke of Dingguo's son, the Plain King's grand general, the brother of the Pagoda Mountain Master from the Seven Divine Mountains, and one of the grand dukes under the North Sea King, the number-one pirate of the North Sea..." Li Hao chuckled. "By now, I've thoroughly offended all Three Great Organizations, and the Seven Divine Mountains aren't far behind. If I stay in Silver Moon any longer, maybe someone here would be willing to shelter me... but why bother? Bringing in so much trouble would only end up burying me in debts of gratitude... and I loathe owing favors more than anything. If a swarm of powerful experts lays siege to Silver Moon and plunges the people into misery and bloodshed... that would be a grave sin on my head. I have few attachments; I can get by just as well outside of Silver Moon... Honestly, I still can't even name all of you. Maybe that's for the best... Spend too much time together, and I might grow attached and find it hard to leave." Let it end here! He planned to leave these people behind. Keep them in Silver Moon. Their future would not be bleak. As long as they overcame the hurdle into the Thousand-Battler realm... they would sooner or later become powerhouses. With their five viscera reinforced, they would only truly realize down the road what immense gains they had reaped by following Li Hao during this time. In an instant, the entire cabin, along with the channels inside the armor, fell terrifyingly quiet. "Commander..." Li Heng spoke up. "I've stepped into Thousand-Battler!" He was a Thousand-Battler now! Moreover, having broken through, he could feel himself continuing to make rapid progress—even faster, it seemed, than during his time as a Hundred-Breaker. With his five viscera strengthened, he could even begin embarking on the Spirit Nurturing Path. Even if he nurtured spirit through only a single force, once he entered Spirit Nurturing, he would be a match for Three Suns supernaturals. "Mm." Li Hao nodded. It was commendable. Yet... even if he reached Spirit Nurturing, what difference would it make? "When Director Hou left, he took the Martial Guard Army with him. Why can't you take us, Commander?" Everyone turned their gaze toward Li Hao. Li Hao looked back at them. Was it due to deep affection? Not necessarily. They hadn't spent that much time together. Perhaps it was respect, perhaps admiration, or perhaps reluctance to let go of an opportunity. Regardless, at this moment, all of them showed a willingness to follow him. They were ready to leave with Li Hao! Even if the road ahead was fraught with perils and hardships. Wasn't that what being a martial master was all about? "Commander, our Ten Rings Mountain-Sealing Formation is very powerful. When we all join forces around a Thousand-Battler core, even if we can't defeat Rising Light, we can still slay Three Suns... Besides, I believe many more of us will break into Thousand-Battler soon. When that happens, we'll even be able to match Rising Light... Even if we can't slay formidable foes for you, we can at least stall and distract them..." After pondering for a moment, Li Hao said, "You should still stay! Take some time to consolidate first. Everyone has advanced very quickly during this period... but you haven't had enough time to settle and stabilize your gains. Staying in Silver Moon, you can hunt down small bands of pirates or root out members of the Three Great Organizations. "I hope that by the time I return, every one of you will have stepped into Thousand-Battler. If you feel there's a lack of drive here in Silver Moon... you can also head to the Three Northern Provinces. A war is raging there right now. On my way back, I even saw supernaturals and martial masters locked in combat..." Ever since Kong Jie warned him that people were gathering to hunt him down, Li Hao had made up his mind. Back when Hou Xiaochen departed, he had harbored a similar thought. Yet at that time, he had been wavering. Only when Kong Jie revealed that the whole world wanted him dead did Li Hao make a definitive decision. It was time to leave Silver Moon. Too many secrets lay buried here, but many of them were not matters he could resolve right now. They were not burdens he was ready to shoulder. Whether it was Battle Heaven City, the Martial Arts University founded by the Eight Great Families, the other seven ancient cities, the inheritance grounds behind the stone gates, the Bagua diagram in the sky, the Imperial Palace, the Human King, the Star Gate... Far too many secrets lay concealed here, sealed away along with the demise of the ancient civilization. He would return. Silver City, that small town where he grew up, where his friend was buried—and though his parents' graves had been desecrated, it was still his home. Yet right now, Li Hao knew he had to go. The people of Silver Moon all carried secrets, all bore responsibilities. Li Hao did not know what they were thinking. Still, since they chose to remain hidden, there were clearly unfathomable enemies and unmatched adversaries out there. Li Hao had no desire to force them to reveal their strength or expose their trump cards on his behalf. Debts of gratitude were hard to repay. "By the way, you can also go check out Sword Gate. Martial Uncle Hong intends to build a pure land, a sacred sanctuary..." Hong Qing froze. "What sacred sanctuary?" "A sacred sanctuary in the mortal realm!" Hong Qing zoned out for a second. What on earth? My father? Establishing a sacred sanctuary in the mortal realm? Has the commander lost his mind today? "You don't understand right now, and to be honest, neither do I. But sooner or later, we all will." Borrowing the rhetoric of those old fogies, Li Hao smiled and said, "The gap between you and me is growing wider. I need time to settle and consolidate, and so do you. You need to accumulate experience, to go through things... Opening a pure land and sacred sanctuary won't be easy for Martial Uncle Hong. Many of you hail from Sword Gate, so you should understand that founding a sanctuary for a thousand people isn't too hard, but for ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million... it will be exceedingly difficult! I don't fully understand what it entails, but I know that carving out such a sanctuary might benefit all of you. It is a journey to temper the heart." Everyone looked at Li Hao. At this moment, none of them had the mind to ponder Hong Yitang's grand ambitions. Even Hong Qing, his own daughter, was not thinking about any of that. All they knew was that the commander seemed completely set on leaving. "Commander... once we step into Thousand-Battler and come looking for you... will you still take us in?" Li Hao smiled. "There's no talk of 'taking you in' or not. You are already members of the Demon Hunt Corps, and... members of the Battle Heaven Army!" The Battle Heaven Army! With the Battle Heaven armor on their bodies, they were indeed part of the Battle Heaven Army. The group mulled over the weight behind his words, and Hong Qing remained silent. Beside them, Liu Yan spoke up: "Then once we reach Thousand-Battler, we'll go find you. Wait for us in the Central Region... don't wander so far that we lose sight of you." "Hahaha, let's hope so!" Li Hao laughed. Parting did not necessarily have to be sorrowful, but parting indeed left one feeling a bit despondent. "Once we reach White Moon City shortly, all of you should disembark..." Beside him, Hao Lianchuan suddenly chimed in, "What about us?" They were supernaturals. Li Hao chuckled. "Director, have you forgotten? You're the head of the Night Patrol. If you leave, what happens to the Night Patrol?" "Senior Brother, I'm not a chief..." Wang Ming interjected eagerly. "I'm a Three Suns now!" "You stay behind with the director. Both of your strengths are advancing nicely, and the director is close to Rising Light... Before I leave, I plan to kill the White Shark leader to throw the White Shark Pirates into chaos... You can use the White Shark Pirates as your training target... Of course, if I don't succeed, then forget it." With that, Li Hao added, "Purple Moon is locked up in the Inspectorate. Given the current situation, Director Kong and the others might not be willing to let me take her away. They probably don't want to completely fall out with Ying Hongyue right now either..." "What's there to fear!" Wang Ming blustered. "Senior Brother, I'll go to the Inspectorate right now and slaughter that Purple Moon! It was definitely Red Moon that stirred up all this trouble for you!" "Forget it, no need to put them in a tough spot," Li Hao smiled. "A single Purple Moon won't change much. There's no reason to fall out with the leaders of Silver Moon over this. Everyone has their own plans. I won't impose my will on others, and naturally, their plans won't change mine either." He paused in thought, looked around at the crowd, and finally turned to Liu Long. "Boss, I leave them to you. I haven't been much of a commander... If anyone wishes to leave, just return your black armor. Nothing else is required." Saying that, he tapped the divine vessel with his sword. "I know your armament spirit is here! Right now, I'm transferring control of you to my deputy commander. The Giant Kun Divine Boat is well-suited for naval warfare. If I take it with me, it won't be convenient for you all to go out to sea, so I leave it to the Demon Hunt Corps." After he tapped it several times, the Giant Kun Divine Boat trembled slightly. The next moment, Li Hao flicked a strand of sword energy, piercing Liu Long's exposed arm where it wasn't covered by black armor, letting a drop of blood fall to the deck. A moment later, Liu Long's brows furrowed slightly. He looked at Li Hao without a word. The Giant Kun Divine Boat was now under his control. Up ahead, White Moon City was rapidly drawing near. Li Hao glanced forward and continued, "If you run into trouble, you can seek out Martial Uncle Hong, or you can find the Bright Light Sword. Tell her I sent you, that I will return and help her fully suppress the light energy... but in return, when you need assistance, she must step in, even taking the field to hold the line for you! "As for people like Kong Jie and Huang Yu: Kong Jie is fairly straightforward and can be trusted somewhat, but as for the others... try to avoid dealing with them! In addition, I have a senior martial sister in the city. Her husband, Hu Dingfang, is a military general, as you probably know... Try not to interact with them either. After I leave, even if they seek you out, ignore them!" Li Hao laid out his instructions detail by detail, leaving nothing out. Liu Long listened in silence. The old Li Hao might not have said all this; he might have just packed up and left without giving things so much thought. The Li Hao of today, however, meticulously planned everything for them. Escape routes, prospects, future paths... He laid them all out. "If luck is on your side and you acquire divine energy stones—a substantial amount of them—or Origin God Armaments... you can go back to that place we just came from and ask that entity for help in cultivating. It shouldn't refuse... But remember, never leak the existence of that place, lest you invite unnecessary trouble! "Boss, if you truly run into desperate straits... and can no longer stay in Silver Moon, you can take everyone to Battle Heaven City to seek refuge. You are a formal member of the Battle Heaven Army, so it won't be a problem. Once it's opened, just walk right in." "Rest assured, I know," Liu Long replied. By now, White Moon City had come into view. Liu Long looked toward White Moon City, then back at Li Hao. "You're not entering the city?" "I am. How else could I slip away unnoticed?" Li Hao grinned. "By the way, I won't be leaving any treasures behind for you all. Earn them yourselves!" As they spoke, the divine vessel flew past White Moon City and soon descended toward the Martial Guard Army base. With a rumble, the vessel touched down. The group disembarked. Li Hao led the way inside, slipping a small vial into Liu Long's hand as they walked, transmitting via voice: "Inside is a drop of the Spring of Life, meant for saving a life... Don't waste it on regular cultivation. I took the rest with me." Liu Long nodded slightly. He transmitted back, "Do you plan to go to the Central Region, or somewhere else?" "To the Central Region! Of course... if conditions permit, I might visit the east first." Indeed, he might head east. To the Duke of Dingguo's Residence! He had yet to obtain the other Wind-Chasing Boot. Naturally, he knew how perilous it would be. The Wind-Chasing Boot was said to be in the storage ring worn by the Duke of Dingguo himself. The duke was incomparably powerful, making it virtually impossible to snatch it from him. But... perhaps there would be an opportunity? According to the Bright Light Sword, the Xu family held a sacrificial offering ceremony every year. During the ancestral rites, they would take out the Wind-Chasing Boots to offer them before the ancestral shrine. Right now, it wasn't the regular time for the ritual, but the Duke of Dingguo's eldest son had died. By tradition, on the seventh day after death, the deceased would be placed in the ancestral tomb, buried, the ancestral temple opened, and rites offered to the ancestors... At this point, more than three days had already passed since Xu Zhen's death. Traveling to the Duke of Dingguo's Residence would take time as well. A journey of nearly ten thousand li. Going all out, Li Hao was not slow now. Even so, it would take him nearly three days to reach the place. By the time he arrived, it would likely be the seventh-day memorial. He might not necessarily strike, as he wouldn't have enough time to scout the situation. Still, he could go and observe... because no one would ever expect Li Hao to set his sights on the Wind-Chasing Boots at such a time. Just how daring did one have to be to pull off something like that? Even formidable figures like the Earth-Overturning Sword and the Bright Light Sword hadn't dared to attempt it when Li Hao suggested it earlier, let alone Li Hao himself. Furthermore, in everyone's eyes right now, upon receiving the news, Li Hao ought to hole up inside White Moon City at the very first moment! Why would he ever leave so rashly? Still, traveling such a long distance would certainly be exhausting. Li Hao glanced at the black panther strolling beside him... The black dog was far larger and chubbier than before. Li Hao's eyes flickered. The panther dog ought to be very fast and possessed great stamina; demons naturally had superior endurance compared to humans. Riding a dog... might make the journey even faster. As if sensing something through its demonic beast intuition, the black panther looked up at Li Hao, its dog eyes filled with suspicion. Li Hao patted its head and chuckled. Soon, the group entered the base's main hall. Li Hao glanced at everyone. "Cultivate here for a few days first and contemplate your gains. Head out in a few days... There's no rush!" Liu Long nodded and said in a deep voice, "We won't go out for the next few days, nor will we let anyone in!" Evidently, Li Hao had some scheme in mind. Liu Long didn't probe further; knowing too much wasn't necessarily a good thing. "Good!" Li Hao said no more, settling down to wait in silence. He waited for night to fall completely. He waited for the people outside to leave. Now that he had returned to the base, would Huang Yu or Director Zhao keep staring at him? No, they wouldn't. Inside the city, it was still very safe. ... Just as Li Hao had expected, once he returned with his crew and parked the divine vessel in plain sight on the plaza, Huang Yu waited for a short while before choosing to leave; he wasn't completely idle, after all. However, he still instructed several people to keep a close watch on the area—not to spy, but out of concern that Li Hao might run around with the Demon Hunt Corps again at a time when the outside world was perilous beyond measure! Meanwhile, at the General Administration Bureau. For the first time in her life, the Bright Light Sword strode openly into the bureau. She looked around with some curiosity; she had never set foot here before. Although she was a Silver Moon martial master, the martial world and the government had always stood in opposition. Yet today, she walked in right through the front doors. At the entrance, Deputy Director Zhou guided her in, saying as they walked, "Miss Hu, this way, please..." The Bright Light Sword looked uncomfortable and shot him a glance. Deputy Director Zhou understood her reaction, and felt somewhat awkward himself. "It's difficult to find the right title, so this was the best I could do. If Grand... Grandmaster Hu dislikes it, shall I... use a different form of address?" Normally, people referred to her as the Bright Light Sword, but in this administrative building, shouting such a title felt improper. "You may simply address me as Sword Master Hu!" The Bright Light Sword offered no further objection. "Grandmaster"... By past conventions, calling her an Earthly Immortal would not have been out of place. But in the ancient civilization, a grandmaster was a martial artist who laid down their life, fighting for righteousness, the people, the nation, and their race. She was not that. Hence, she would not permit him to call her grandmaster. Deputy Director Zhou said no more and led her forward, up to the second floor, where the hall doors stood wide open. At this moment, both Kong Jie and Director Zhao were present. Just as they stepped inside, Huang Yu entered as well. Director Zhao glanced at Huang Yu, who transmitted mentally, "The kid is back and staying at the base. Having just returned, he shouldn't be heading out again anytime soon, so I came over to check in and greet the Bright Light Sword." Director Zhao nodded slightly, then stood up, looking toward the Bright Light Sword with a warm smile. "Bright Light Sword! Of the Seven Swords of Silver Moon, I have met all the others, but the Bright Light Swordswoman... I have never had the pleasure of meeting until now. Truly, seeing you in person far surpasses your reputation—to finally witness your true countenance!" The Bright Light Sword scoffed inwardly. Had she not recovered some of her appearance—while not stunningly beautiful, at least presentable—she never would have shown her true face to anyone. Recalling Li Hao's remark that the Silver Moon authorities had paid him to rescue her, she dispensed with pleasantries and spoke plainly: "Thank you all for extending your help this time! I am immensely grateful. However, those of different paths cannot make plans together. If the Silver Moon authorities require my assistance in the future, I will certainly do my part... As for anything beyond that, there is nothing to discuss!" Kong Jie let out a laugh. "Bright Light Sword, why say our paths are different?" The Bright Light Sword looked at him and said coldly, "Kong Jie, back when you inspected Silver Moon, no small amount of martial master blood was spilled by your hands. Naturally, our paths are different!" Kong Jie frowned. "What, maintaining order in Silver Moon was a crime? With a clear conscience, I can say that of all the martial masters I killed, not a single one was a decent person. If you complained about others, I might back you three parts out of ten, but criticizing me... that only shows that apart from being a martial master, you are nothing, possessing not an ounce of discernment between right and wrong." The Bright Light Sword offered no rebuttal. Finding no purchase in the argument, Kong Jie fell silent as well. Director Zhao smiled. "We are all Silver Moon folk. Since ancient times, Silver Moon people have had hot blood. Bickering behind closed doors is harmless... Still, Grandmaster Hu speaks directly, so we won't mince words either. Having your word is more than enough! If upheavals occur in Silver Moon in the days ahead, we hope you will lend a hand and watch over each other!" "I shall certainly do my utmost!" The Bright Light Sword gave her reply, leaving it at that. There was none of the imagined warmth, no tearful gratitude, no weeping reunion between fellow provincials, and certainly no reminiscing about old times. Had she met Yuan Shuo and his crowd, they might have chatted for a while. With these men, it was out of the question. One side was the government, while the other, strictly speaking, were outlaws. In the old days, martial masters had all been outlaws. After exchanging a few dry pleasantries, Huang Yu skipped the formalities and asked directly, "How strong is the Duke of Dingguo?" "Stronger than me!" The Bright Light Sword thought for a moment before guessing, "Not to mention the limb supernatural locks, which are bound to be saturated, but for the visceral supernatural locks, he has saturated at least three or more." Hearing this, the men all frowned slightly. That strong? Kong Jie rubbed his chin and looked at her. "What about you?" "Two saturated." Kong Jie smiled. "Not bad! I assumed none of you had made much progress over all these years. Southern Fist has probably only saturated one visceral lock, barely able to snap a visceral lock, yet that fellow struts around even more arrogantly than you." Not to be outdone, the Bright Light Sword retorted, "And what about you?" "Me?" Kong Jie laughed. "Only two as well, falling just shy of the third." Having said that, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Have you discovered any supernatural locks in the skull, physical body, or skeleton? The limbs and viscera only account for nine, but there should be more..." The human body should be comprehensively locked down. Nowadays, having one in the skull was universally acknowledged, even if none could locate it. But whether they existed in the flesh and bones remained a mystery. "I don't know; I've never sensed any." Kong Jie nodded slightly and asked, "Which aspect do you primarily focus on?" "Force!" Kong Jie nodded once more. "It's always one of those few paths: force, physical body, vitality. By and large, they're much the same. As for the visceral path, Yuan Shuo is currently the only one working on cracking it, but the viscera are the most difficult of all... Who knows whether that fellow has actually achieved any results." Sighing in reflection, he was about to say more when Huang Yu suddenly asked, "How many do you think the Earth-Overturning Sword has filled?" The Bright Light Sword shook her head. "I don't know." The men frowned slightly. How could she not know? Yet they understood what she meant; it wasn't that she didn't know or hadn't guessed, but rather that she simply didn't want to say. Suffice it to say, he was definitely stronger than her. Either three or four. The Bright Light Sword asked in turn, "If all visceral supernatural locks are completely filled to perfection, saturated to the absolute limit, can one break through to the next level?" "I don't know, never tried," Kong Jie shook his head. "At this stage, someone capable of filling nine... might not even exist. The few of us actually took advantage of supernatural powers—stepping into supernatural paths first to break through bottlenecks, then returning to martial arts..." The Bright Light Sword's eyes stirred. "Can one truly return?" "Of course!" Kong Jie nodded. "It's entirely possible! Your light energy is exceedingly potent, allowing you to overcome many hurdles. Back then, energy was scarce on our end, so we all chose unorthodox paths... though that also left behind certain drawbacks. Naturally, there are pros and cons." "If I step into supernatural power now, can I still return to martial arts?" "There's hope... but it's far too dangerous, far too difficult!" Kong Jie shook his head. "Better not to try. Honestly, reaching this stage makes any experimentation extremely perilous. Take Sky Sword—he remains a supernatural even now... Who knows what he's thinking. If he doesn't convert back soon and steps beyond Rising Light... once he snaps two visceral supernatural locks, recovering will be exceedingly difficult... If it's just one, there are still ways." Huang Yu remarked calmly, "Perhaps he is seeking a better way forward. He has his own plans, but he won't be content remaining a supernatural forever." The Bright Light Sword merely listened in silence, offering no further remarks. After a long silence, Director Zhao asked, "Can Li Hao's sword truly suppress the turbulence in the five viscera?" The Bright Light Sword shook her head. "I don't know." The men were speechless! Everyone already knew the answer. For her, someone who had experienced it firsthand, to give such a response... was truly heartbreaking; their money felt wasted. Three Origin God Armaments plus thirty thousand divine energy stones, after all! "Then what are your plans moving forward?" "Stay around Li Hao's side for a few days... and if time permits, visit Sword Gate." Well then! The men felt utterly helpless. It was evident that the Bright Light Sword had no desire for excessive contact with them. After some thought, Director Zhao said, "That works. Take this transmission jade. We will contact you if needed; if not, do as you please!" Taking the jade pendant without a word, the Bright Light Sword stowed it into her storage ring and rose directly to her feet. "Then I shall take my leave!" With that, she turned and departed. Once she was gone, Kong Jie gave a bitter smile. "These people still carry the same old habits! Contact with us makes them uncomfortable, itching to get away as fast as possible. I figured that since we paid money this time and she had been away from Silver Moon for twenty years, things might be different, but she's still the exact same..." "Get used to it!" Director Zhao said, unfazed. Then he asked, "Did you give the transmission jade to Li Hao?" "I did." "Good. Tell him to stay indoors these next few days. The outside world is turbulent. For now, those fellows still have some reservations about us... but if Li Hao shows his face again, it will only reignite their greed... Sigh!" He let out a sigh. It was a troublesome situation. Consequently, Silver Moon would be watched like a hawk. As for Li Hao, he likely wouldn't be able to go out and temper himself anymore. However, given how rapidly his strength had risen, spending some time polishing his foundation would be good for him anyway. Director Zhao and the others shared a simple thought: Li Hao had advanced to this level in the blink of an eye; spending several months or even a year or two consolidating wouldn't be excessive in the least. Hence, they were in no particular hurry. ... At that very moment, Li Hao had already slipped out of the Martial Guard Army base. Aided by his special eyes, he avoided all the supernaturals and evaded all surveillance. Before long, clad in silver armor, he plunged into the sea. The black panther followed right behind him. The creature possessed an extraordinarily keen nose; nothing could escape its scent. With it around, the blind spots of Li Hao's eyes were neatly covered. Everyone assumed he wouldn't leave, yet he chose this exact moment to depart. He would catch everyone off guard! He had left the transmission jade Kong Jie gave him right behind at the Martial Guard Army base. Having no intelligence support was no big deal—he would just seize what he needed. "As for the White Shark Pirates... kill them if I can, ignore them if I can't. I'll deal with them after I snatch the Wind-Chasing Boots..." Weighing his options, Li Hao knew he had to accelerate and reach the province where the Duke of Dingguo's Residence was located as quickly as possible. There were only three and a half days left until the seventh day of Xu Zhen's death. Li Hao even wanted to offer a stick of incense to the man! The Duke of Dingguo was immensely powerful. However, Li Hao was not there to assassinate him; snatching the treasure was enough. Even if the theft succeeded, how to escape the siege of the Duke of Dingguo's Residence remained a tricky problem. It was said that the remaining three grand generals were likely at the Transformation stage. Patting the dog's head, Li Hao dove deeper into the sea and swam swiftly forward, transmitting to the black panther: "Coordinate well with me later. If we pull this off, I have plenty of divine energy stones to feed you until you're stuffed!" "Gurgle, spit!" The black panther let out two muffled yelps, gulping in seawater only to spit it right back out. Diving submerged beneath the sea was distinctly uncomfortable for it; swimming was fine, but diving underwater was sheer misery. "Quit whining. Once we leave Silver Moon, we'll travel on land and take a look at the land along the way... Aside from Silver Moon, I haven't really been anywhere else. Even in the North Sea, I only strolled along the shore..." Without the divine vessel, traversing via water would be much slower. Once they hit dry land, riding the black panther might speed things up considerably. Unaware of Li Hao's little scheme, the black panther happily wagged its tail. Land was good! ... At the same time. Across the eastern lands. Dingbian Province. This was the province where the duke's estate was situated, its name rechristened by the imperial royal family years ago. The Duke of Dingguo held court here, securing the eastern frontier for the dynasty. Inside the magnificent Duke's Residence. A gloomy, mournful atmosphere had hung over the estate in recent days. Five generals were dead, the eldest legitimate son was dead, the eldest legitimate grandson was dead, a peak Rising Light guest elder was dead, and a late-stage Rising Light consecrated elder was dead... For the Duke of Dingguo's Residence, this year was undeniably cursed. A staggering total of nine Rising Light experts had perished! Such collective power was sufficient to hold down an entire province or two. Yet now, they had met their demise in rapid succession, and even one of the Wind-Chasing Boots had been lost. At this moment, the Duke of Dingguo appeared composed, showing little overt grief, but cold murder simmered deep within his eyes. Outwardly, he remained as placid as ever, looking down at the powerhouses assembled below and speaking calmly: "Three days from now, the grand ancestral memorial of the Duke's Residence will be presided over by Xing'er! As their father and grandfather... there is no precedent for me to see them off..." Below, his second son wore a face full of sorrow as well, hurriedly rising to his feet. "Rest assured, Father, I will properly handle the funeral arrangements for Elder Brother and Little Feng." Xu Qing looked at his son without comment. Perhaps, deep down, this son of his was celebrating uncontrollably. With Xu Zhen dead, the next Duke of Dingguo would inevitably be him. Xu Qing had other sons and daughters, but they were born of concubines and lacked the qualifications to inherit the ducal title. Yet to Xu Qing, was a mere dukedom... truly enough? Keeping those thoughts to himself, Xu Qing continued, "According to ancestral tradition, during the grand memorial, the Xu family's sacred relics must be placed on offering for three days to comfort our ancestors! Yet now, one of the Wind-Chasing Boots is lost... Sigh!" Letting out a heavy sigh, he added, "Even so, we cannot violate ancestral customs. However, the Wind-Chasing Boots are of paramount importance. With one lost, the remaining boot is all the more vital. On the day of the ceremony, you must guard it with utmost care..." Xu Xing hurried to suggest, "Father, if that is the case, why not use a replica instead..." "Would you deceive our ancestors?" Xu Qing looked at his second son and said coldly, "If the Xu family does not even dare present its ancestral relic, trembling in fear that it will be stolen inside our own ancestral temple, then what need is there for the Duke of Dingguo's Residence to exist at all?" Xu Xing grumbled inwardly: You were the one who said to be careful, and I was merely following your lead! To turn around and scold me like this... truly unreasonable! Ignoring him, Xu Qing turned to the assembly below. "You are all pillars of my household. I must trouble you all to put in your full effort for this grand memorial! Once the rites conclude, I will visit the military camp to hold memorial services for the five generals and enshrine them in the Dingguo Army's Hall of Martyrs! As for the two guest elders, their descendants shall be cared for until the day the Duke's Residence ceases to exist..." He offered words of solace to the crowd. Below, the subordinates expressed tearful gratitude—though whether it was sincere or feigned was hard to tell. Soon, a middle-aged man spoke up in a muffled voice: "Your Grace, how shall we deal with the Bright Light Sword and the brat Li Hao?" If this enmity was left unavenged, how could the Duke of Dingguo's Residence hold its head high across the eastern lands? The uncrowned kings of the east had suffered a disastrous blow at the hands of these uncouth barbarians—a reality impossible to swallow. "They are currently in Silver Moon..." Xu Qing paused midway, then continued icily, "However, Silver Moon is no impregnable sanctuary! We will seal off Silver Moon first. If they refuse to come out... then after waiting a while longer, the Dingguo Army will trample Silver Moon beneath its boots!" At these words, spirits visibly lifted. Someone gnashed his teeth. "Once we capture that wench Bright Light Sword and the brat Li Hao, we must tear them into ten thousand pieces!" "Your Grace should summon all the eastern powerhouses to Silver Moon and demand justice! The imperial royal family and the Nine Departments couldn't care less... The young duke was murdered, yet they haven't raised a single finger! The Duke of Dingguo guards the dynasty's eastern realm, yet ends up suffering such a fate—it only proves how corrupt and utterly useless the dynasty has become!" Filled with righteous indignation, the crowd began railing against the Nine Departments and the imperial court. A few men shifted uncomfortably, their expressions showing hints of dread, but none dared speak up. Glancing at Xu Qing above... several had clearly deduced something. The imperial court and the Nine Departments refusing to intervene and watching idly as the young heir of a frontier ducal house was slain would, once publicized, only serve as further proof of their sheer incompetence. It would strike at the roots, eroding people's faith in the dynasty. Evidently, the Duke of Dingguo already had his own agenda. Before long, the crowd dispersed one after another. Only the Duke of Dingguo and his second son, Xu Xing, remained. Watching the attendees leave, the duke turned his gaze toward his anxious second son. After a brief silence, he said, "Your elder brother is gone. No matter how fiercely you two fought in the past, no scandal must be allowed during his seventh-day memorial! With him gone, you are the next duke. A duke must possess the magnanimity of a duke... Manage things well. If you truly wish to become the next duke... at the very least, your brother and nephew's deaths must be avenged!" "Father, rest assured, Xing'er knows what must be done!" Xu Xing hurriedly bowed in guarantee. Xu Qing, looking somewhat weary, spoke no further and tossed over a ring. "The Wind-Chasing Boot is inside. When the grand memorial begins, offer it before the ancestral temple. Do not be negligent!" "Your son understands!" Joy surged in Xu Xing's heart. A sacred relic! In the past, he hadn't even had the right to oversee it, though his elder brother had managed it for a period. It seemed that now that his brother was dead, his father had no other options left. Not bad at all. Good thing he died! Xu Qing waved a hand, dismissing him—out of sight, out of mind. Only after his son had walked far into the distance did he let out a sigh. The Xu family's current generation lacked any truly outstanding figures. Both legitimate sons had mediocre martial talent. The eldest had become a supernatural; the second was somewhat better, having crossed the threshold of force with the help of countless piled-up resources and an enlightenment ancient weapon, and now had three of his limb supernatural locks saturated. Once the final limb supernatural lock was saturated... he could step into that special realm—a path currently trodden by the majority of top-tier martial masters. Xu Qing cast a glance toward the north, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. His son had been murdered; vengeance was a given. Yet the Bright Light Sword was far too bold, having truly made off with the Wind-Chasing Boot... She was determined to fight to the bitter end. "Silver Moon..." Xu Qing snorted. Let's see how much longer you can act arrogant! As for that Li Hao, he was probably trembling in terror right now, unwilling to take half a step outside Silver Moon for the foreseeable future even if it killed him. While Ying Hongyue's ploy was brilliant, the information had spread too widely, granting them time to curl up inside their shell. Consequently, recovering the Wind-Chasing Boot in the short term would be all the more difficult.