On the edge of the East Sea near the border of the Central Region.
Yuan Shuo clutched a communication jade, grinning from ear to ear. "Ruthless enough!"
They had even brought out city-destroying bombs.
And more than one, at that.
The Xu family was ruthless, and Xu Qing was just as vicious.
Of course, they were mortal enemies now. Li Hao had brought the fight right to their doorstep, so there was nothing inherently wrong with them resorting to city-destroying bombs. Yuan Shuo was not angered by that. However, city-destroying bombs did not actually cause that much harm to the truly powerful; what they truly terrorized were ordinary people.
Using city-destroying bombs... strictly speaking, violated the rules—whether official laws or the code of the martial forest.
Yet when someone did not care about rules, there was nothing to be done.
Yuan Shuo chuckled, not knowing whether to laugh or be furious.
Looking out across the expanse of sea before him, the Eastern Continent lay just on the other side.
Ahead stretched a colossal bridge.
The East Sea Bridge.
Constructed by the Eastern Continent, it spanned the gap between the Central and Eastern Regions at the narrowest point of the East Sea, extending for a full three hundred li. In a pre-supernatural era, this would have been an almost impossible feat.
Yet in this age, with the advent of supernatural power, it had become a man-made miracle.
Of course, Yuan Shuo was no stranger to such wonders.
What did this amount to, anyway?
Ancient texts recorded that during the ancient civilization, people had constructed walls thousands of meters high encircling an entire realm, walling off the whole of the Catacombs.
"That little brat... he sure knows how to stir up trouble. Why did he have to barge into someone else's territory to cause a mess?"
Yuan Shuo muttered under his breath. A short blade appeared in his hand. The stone saber now looked faintly crystalline and translucent—the stone saber, one of the divine weapons of the Eight Great Families.
Yuan Shuo had never considered himself a master of weapons.
That did not mean he could not wield them. Quite the contrary, his weapon handling far surpassed that of an ordinary martial master; he simply could not compare to those supreme experts who specialized exclusively in one weapon art.
Still, the stone saber was indestructible, making it exceedingly handy.
He stepped onto the bridge.
Troops were stationed at both ends. On the Central Region side was the nearby provincial garrison, while the Dingguo Army guarded the opposite end.
This bridge was not open to just anyone.
As Yuan Shuo approached, an expert swiftly flew over and barked, "No crossing on foot! If you wish to reach the Eastern Region, take the waterways!"
The bridge had been built, yet passage was forbidden.
Looking cultured and refined, Yuan Shuo glanced at the commander and smiled faintly. "Word has it that Xu Qing built this East Sea Bridge to connect the Central and Eastern Regions because Dongbin Province has secretly defected to the Xu family. Is that true or false?"
The commander's expression shifted slightly, and he snapped, "Who are you?"
As for true or false... it was naturally true.
If it were false, Xu Qing would have to be insane to invest so much and pay such a hefty price to construct this massive bridge, which would only make it easier for the Central Region to invade.
On the contrary, Xu Qing harbored immense ambition.
Building the East Sea Bridge was meant to pave his own way into the Central Region.
Naturally, the opposite end of the bridge could not belong to an enemy; it had to be in the hands of allies or subordinates. The true ruler of Dongbin Province was, in fact, a descendant of a general who had served under the Dingguo Army in earlier days—one who had followed the first Duke of Dingguo.
Yuan Shuo had never cared about such matters before; they had nothing to do with him.
Now, however, his smile grew radiant. "Today, I insist on crossing this bridge. Step aside. I can see you don't recognize me, so your rank probably isn't very high. I'm heading across to make trouble for the Xu family. Move out of the way, and I won't kill you. Don't force my hand!"
The commander's expression tightened.
Anyone bold enough to make such claims was no ordinary person!
He felt some trepidation, but the East Sea Bridge was a strategic nexus of supreme importance. Crucially, at this very moment, something was happening in the middle of the bridge... It was not broken; rather, a large force of pirates had assembled there, using the East Sea Bridge as their baseline while rapidly fanning out to encircle and hunt Li Hao.
At a time like this, no one could be permitted onto the bridge.
The commander swiftly transmitted a message to his surroundings. In an instant, commotion stirred in the distant military camp, and a flood of supernatural energy surged forth.
Yuan Shuo raised an eyebrow. "Separated by the East Sea, yet you lot still choose to throw your lives away for the Xu family?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
The man barked, "Leave at once! This is a restricted zone of Dongbin, and we are currently on official military duty... No one is permitted to pass!"
"Military duty?"
Yuan Shuo let out a soft laugh and wasted no more time. In an instant, as if teleporting, he vanished from the spot.
When he reappeared, a communication jade rested in his hand.
The commander's vision blurred, only to find the man gone. When Yuan Shuo reappeared, he was casually browsing through the jade. Realizing something was horribly wrong, the commander's face drained of color, and he roared, "Kill this bandit!"
*Boom!*
Gunfire erupted, supernatural attacks exploded, and several people struck simultaneously.
Yuan Shuo paid them no mind. His figure flickered and vanished once more. Inspecting the communication jade, he sighed softly. "That kid really kicked up a massive hornet's nest. Dongbin has even mobilized troops to blockade the entire coastline..."
Indeed, the message on the communication jade was straightforward.
Blockade the East Sea Bridge and the three hundred li of surrounding coastal waters. Coordinate with the East Sea pirates. Once the Demon Sword was spotted, do not engage by force; report his whereabouts immediately.
Evidently, this side had received orders from the Xu family as well.
Dongbin Province was working alongside the East Sea pirates to seal off this section of the sea. Directly across lay Dingbian Province. No matter how fast Li Hao moved, he could not easily escape Dingbian's perimeter. If he wished to cross the sea, it would have to be within this stretch.
Having read through the messages, Yuan Shuo said nothing more.
He vanished in a flash, the stone saber glinting.
*Squelch!*
A head went flying!
Under the horrified gazes of the onlookers, Yuan Shuo darted like an agile ape, supremely nimble. He wasted no breath on threats or grand declarations; the stone saber flashed repeatedly, and in the blink of an eye... not a single living soul remained around the bridgehead!
Having wiped them out, Yuan Shuo's expression remained completely calm.
Before long, he slipped into the military encampment and dragged out a massive object with noticeable effort.
"Heh heh, an energy cannon. Not bad. They even have city-destroying bombs... Looks like they really won't rest until they've slaughtered Li Hao..."
He dragged out a launcher. It was colossal, yet he seemed remarkably familiar with it.
Tinkering with it for a moment, he looked out across the East Sea and exhaled. "Damn it, I don't even know where you guys are fighting... Better make some noise. Little brat, if you're smart, run this way... Even if you don't, this will draw some people over."
With that, he spat into his palms, grunted, and dragged a massive shell out of a nearby chest. It was clear and translucent, resembling pure crystal.
Items like this carried an extremely high strategic classification.
The expert who had been presiding over this post just now was a Rising Light. A Rising Light was fully qualified to safeguard such weapons; after all, for an ordinary province, even an early Rising Light was an exceptionally rare powerhouse.
To Yuan Shuo, however, that was nowhere near enough.
Killing an early Rising Light did not cause him a ripple of emotion.
Lifting the massive shell, he could sense the violent energy coiled within. These items were almost always excavated from ancient ruins; almost every somewhat formidable ruin contained them, as they were ancient city-defense munitions.
As for whether Battle Heaven City had them... Yuan Shuo had never gone inside, having only prowled around its perimeter, but he estimated there were nine chances out of ten that it did, and in abundance.
For now, he gave it no further thought.
He swiftly loaded the shell!
After one, he loaded another.
Dongbin had gone all out; this single detachment had brought six city-destroying bombs.
He loaded all six directly into the launcher.
Then, with practiced ease, he picked up a small control box nearby. Launching these required an access code, but it could be cracked.
In this era, everyone who used them did so through decryption.
As he bypassed the code, he muttered under his breath with a sigh, "It's all my fault. Look at what a mess you've made of things. If I'd known, I wouldn't have made the decryption method public thirty years ago. I thought creating mutual deterrence would bring peace to the world so we martial masters could fight in peace... Look how that turned out. Now they're using it against my own disciple."
If these words leaked out, they would shock countless people.
Not everyone knew that city-destroying bombs had actually been discovered long ago, but the ability to launch them was relatively recent. Thirty years ago, the various major factions had only just learned how to crack the codes and fire them from launchers.
Before then, people had used them... but only in suicidal attacks. To put it simply, they had martial masters or swarms of soldiers carry the bombs on foot to wherever they wanted to blow up, then detonate them manually.
The launchers had been completely unusable.
It was only thirty years ago, when Yuan Shuo—who had spent years digging up ancient graves—took pity on them seeing how many soldiers died with every detonation, that he generously circulated the decryption method.
Cursing under his breath, Yuan Shuo finished loading the munitions.
Having cracked the access code, he peered into the targeting scope, gazing toward the opposite shore... It was too far; everything was obscured, and he could not see a thing.
Not that it mattered.
He did not care.
The next instant, he slammed the launch button.
In a flash, all six shells shot forth in rapid succession, traveling at staggering speed.
They flew for nearly five minutes... when suddenly, *BOOM!*
A deafening roar tore through heaven and earth!
Towering waves erupted in the sea, and the great bridge shook violently.
At this moment, far beyond Yuan Shuo's sight, at the midpoint of the bridge, countless massive ships were obliterated in an instant. Swarms of pirates were erased into nothingness, and the immensely sturdy bridge began to collapse rapidly.
First one li, then spreading to two li, three li...
The destruction tore across dozens of li. In a single stroke, nearly a quarter of the strategic East Sea Bridge was annihilated, and the collapse was still propagating outward!
Wails of agony instantly rang out as the fortunate few pirates who survived began to shriek in agony.
In that single breath, a vast horde of pirates had been blown to smithereens.
Yuan Shuo had seen the report on the communication jade and knew there were pirates out there, but he had not known their exact location. His sole intention had been to destroy the bridge; he had not expected to wipe out countless pirates along the way.
In the sky, several pirate captains hung suspended—some grievously wounded and clinging to life, others miraculously unscathed.
Some stared in utter stupefaction!
Others screamed in anguish, "Dongbin... Dongbin fired city-destroying bombs! Dongbin deliberately set us up to die! Full-scale war is breaking out... they're firing city-destroying bombs at will!"
The world was plunging into chaos!
At this moment, every single one of them was gripped by that terrifying realization. *Boom!*
Even as they shouted, a monstrous wave swept across the sky and sea, rumbling with thunderous force... Several fleeing pirates were smashed directly by waves reaching hundreds or even thousands of meters in height, instantly pulverized into paste!
The East Sea was calm no longer.
Meanwhile, the surviving pirate captains frantically broadcast the news.
Dongbin had fired city-destroying bombs!
Perhaps someone from the Central Region had arrived. The heavens were falling.
...
A short while later.
The entire world seemed shaken once more.
Inside Heavenly Star City.
A powerful figure roared in fury, "Damn it! What do they think they're doing? Do they want to trigger an empire-wide war right now? What on earth is Dongbin doing? Xu Qing fired city-destroying bombs, and Dongbin fired them right after... Have they all gone mad?"
Hardly had the curses faded when a trembling voice spoke up, laced with sheer terror: "Director, this is bad! Up in the North Sea, Huang Yu led the Silver Moon Army and fired... fired a full thirty city-destroying bombs right at the territories of the Sea Demon Pirates, White Shark Pirates, and several other great fleets! Complete chaos is erupting across the North Sea, and colossal tsunamis are surging... Huang Yu is broadcasting warnings in all directions, ordering everyone to evacuate the coast because a tsunami is imminent..."
The Director suddenly fell silent.
He slumped into his chair, looking numb. After a long silence, he exhaled heavily. "Issue a proclamation to the four directions! Duke of Dingguo Xu Qing openly launched city-destroying bombs, in gross violation of imperial law. He is demoted by one rank, stripped of his dukedom, and reduced to the Marquis of Dingguo!"
"Have the imperial family affix the imperial seal... and broadcast it far and wide! In addition, send men to raid and seal the Duke of Dingguo's Residence here in Heavenly Star City..."
Even as he spoke, another subordinate rushed in, trembling slightly. "Director, disaster! Heavenly Star Governor Hou Xiaochen led the Martial Guard Army and directly suppressed the Duke of Dingguo's Residence! He claimed experts from the Three Great Organizations were harbored within the estate. The Duke's brother, Xu Yao, was slain by him on the spot, and a Red Moon Ghost Face was found on his corpse! Hou Xiaochen is ruthlessly suppressing and killing the estate's combatants! Furthermore, the eldest daughter of the second branch, that genius Rising Light girl... was seized directly from Heavenly Star Academy by Hou Xiaochen and has already been thrown into the Night Patrol dungeon!"
"Outrageous!"
The Director flew into a rage again, shattering his desk with a single punch. "Who gave him the authority?"
"He... he said... he is the Heavenly Star Governor and possesses full authority. Anyone who obstructs him is a rebel and an evil supernatural of the Three Great Organizations..."
"Heavenly Star Governor..."
The man froze, falling speechless for a long time.
He remembered now. Just a few days ago... he had signed off on that appointment.
Indeed, this was the Inspectorate.
Aside from the Bureau of Military Law, it was the second law-enforcement agency of the empire. Once the Night Patrol was established, it effectively became the foremost law-enforcement body. Even if the Night Patrol was showing signs of breaking away, on paper it still answered to the Inspectorate.
The man remained silent for a moment, then sneered coldly. "Good! Splendid! Those Silver Moon bastards really aren't to be trifled with... Fine, leave them be. Let them tear each other apart! Xu Qing wants to kill Li Hao, so Hou Xiaochen cuts off his lineage here in Heavenly Star... I'd like to see just how long these lunatics can keep this up!"
"Dongbin wouldn't strike at the Xu family without reason... Those city-destroying bombs... weren't fired by Dongbin."
He had regained his composure now. "Nine times out of ten, it was done by Silver Moon. If it wasn't a hidden hand prepared by Silver Moon, then it was... Yuan Shuo!"
The surrounding subordinates were taken aback. "Yuan Shuo?"
The Director offered no further explanation. Who else possessed the audacity, the capability, and the pinpoint precision to pull off such a strike besides that freakish polymath, Yuan Shuo?
Back when Yuan Shuo was playing with city-destroying bombs, everyone else had to carry them on their shoulders to blow up cities!
After a brief pause, he sneered, "Pay them no mind! Let them fight, so long as it doesn't spill over to anyone else... I want to see if the two-hundred-year-old Xu family has what it takes to match these Silver Moon madmen!"
"Director, then... do we just let Hou Xiaochen run wild?"
Someone asked hesitantly. That man had truly gone mad.
This was Heavenly Star City!
Yet he had deployed troops directly within the city and even dragged people out of Heavenly Star Academy. Heavenly Star Academy was guarded by numerous powerhouses; it was where the scions of the empire's high officials studied.
That was a true academy for the nobility.
The Director of the Inspectorate asked impassively, "With so many experts in the academy, did no one step in to stop him?"
"They did. Vice Dean Wang stepped in..."
"And then?"
"And then... Hou Xiaochen severed his arm with a single thrust of his spear and arrested him on the spot, declaring he would be tried, and if confirmed to be an operative of the Three Great Organizations, executed immediately!"
The Director's brows knitted slightly. "A peak Rising Light had his arm severed in a single spear thrust?"
Hou Xiaochen seemed even stronger than before.
"Yes!"
"Then leave it alone."
He suddenly smiled. "It's not an internal rebellion, merely the Night Patrol's Heavenly Star Governor performing his official duties! As for the city-destroying bombs fired across the East Sea, North Sea, and Dingbian, let the Bureau of Military Law deal with it!"
He spat onto the floor and sneered, "Keep watching the show, everyone! Keep watching! If you ask me, before long, city-destroying bombs will probably be flying all over Heavenly Star City as well!"
With a flick of his sleeves, he turned to leave. "Notify me either when Li Hao is dead or when Xu Qing is dead... Don't bother me with anything else!"
"Understood!"
The subordinates watched the Director walk away, feeling helpless. It seemed this clash had thoroughly soured his mood. More than anything, none of the other factions wanted to intervene, which drove the Director—who had originally contemplated doing something—to simply wash his hands of the mess.
Turning their thoughts back to Hou Xiaochen, they could not help but click their tongues in wonder.
"Governor Hou... is truly ruthless!"
Someone muttered with a mischievous grin. Watching the spectacle unfold was entertaining enough; it had nothing to do with them anyway.
Besides, Hou Xiaochen was still the deputy chief of the Night Patrol and technically one of the Inspectorate's own. Watching him act with such brazen arrogance, beating and crippling prominent figures whom ordinary people could never hope to cross... frankly speaking, it felt rather satisfying!
...
Heavenly Star Academy.
A newly established institution twenty years in the making, it gathered the scions of high officials, the children of regional governors, and countless supremely gifted youths who had pursued advanced studies here. Yet today, silence reigned over the grounds.
Hou Xiaochen coughed softly.
Holding a name list in his hand, he stood on an elevated platform and coughed again. "Xu Ming, Xu Yue, Xu Rong... Are all of them present?"
Sweeping his gaze across the thousands of infuriated students below, he coughed once more. "Furthermore, those whose names are called, step forward on your own. This time, I am calling the children of the chiefs of the four major agencies in Dingbian Province... Rebellion seems to have broken out in Dingbian. To ensure your protection, I will be escorting you back to the Night Patrol..."
At that moment, someone roared in fury, "Hou Xiaochen, even the Silver Moon martial forest observes the principle of sparing the family! You have gone too far!"
Hou Xiaochen coughed and chuckled. "My apologies, but I am not a man of the martial forest! I am an official—the Heavenly Star Governor and deputy chief of the Night Patrol. An official cannot abide by the rules of outlaws. Besides... I am doing this to protect them! Furthermore, I was once the commander of the Martial Guard Army; my duty has always been to purge unruly supernatural forces across the realm... In fact, by the old regulations, I should have razed this entire academy to the ground. If you don't believe me, go ask the Plain King whether that was the founding purpose of the Martial Guard Army."
He coughed again. "A pity the Martial Guard Army is no longer what it once was. His Highness the Plain King had the heart to slay rebels, but lacked the power to turn the tide! He originally wanted to restore the imperial family... Cough, cough, a slip of the tongue, don't read into it... In the end, the Martial Guard Army was neutralized, so as the Heavenly Star Governor, I won't dwell on the past."
As he spoke, a white-haired elder stepped out from the distance, looking calm as he approached Hou Xiaochen. In a quiet voice, he said, "Brother Hou, if there is a matter to discuss, we can speak in private. There is no need for this. Besides, even if you seize these youths, will it influence the Duke of Dingguo?"
Could a man who didn't even care when his own son died possibly care about these people?
Be they brothers, granddaughters, or grandnephews... would he bat an eye?
The martial forest held that family should be spared, but Hou Xiaochen claimed he was no martial artist; he also claimed Xu Qing had broken the rules first... No one could refute him.
Now, the white-haired elder had stepped forward to de-escalate the situation.
If Heavenly Star Academy continued to be dragged through the mud, its prestige would be completely shattered. Who would still believe this was the premier academy of the empire?
Hou Xiaochen coughed for a moment, catching his breath. "Don't misunderstand, I am truly purging operatives of the Three Great Organizations; this is hardly personal vengeance disguised as public duty. I, Hou Xiaochen, am not that sort of person. Brother Zhao, we haven't seen each other in years, and you've truly misunderstood me..."
With that, a smile touched his lips. "How about this: I won't make things difficult for you, nor will I hold a grudge against these youngsters. Do me a favor, Brother Zhao, and I will lead my troops away from Heavenly Star Academy."
"Speak."
The elder looked at him with a sigh. Years ago, the two had been well acquainted. Back then, Hou Xiaochen had visited the Central Region and Heavenly Star City, serving under the Plain King.
Now, circumstances had changed beyond recognition.
Hou Xiaochen smiled lightly. "The Night Patrol has been short-handed lately, while Heavenly Star Academy is packed with exceptionally gifted top students—fine prospects all. Let them follow me on a few missions as their graduation assessment... It just so happens that I am purging members of the Three Great Organizations, so these students can do their part for the nation!"
As he spoke, he looked toward the previously enraged students and smiled. "No matter how much you study in the academy, it cannot compare to a few real battles. Only then will your talent, knowledge, and formidable strength not go to waste!"
"Take Li Hao, for instance. He studied at the Silver City Ancient Academy and learned nothing of consequence. Yet only days after leaving the academy, he became a top-tier expert. He once served under my command as well... You people need some tempering. No matter how powerful your families are, they cannot shield you for a lifetime! The Three Great Organizations are utterly wicked, burning, killing, and pillaging without restraint... I will take you to see blood, seize enemy treasures, slay evil supernaturals, and awe the world... Making a name across the realm—what could be more exhilarating?"
At these words, the expressions of several students shifted instantly. Excitement sparked in their eyes, though they forced themselves to remain quiet.
The white-haired elder frowned slightly.
Hou Xiaochen laughed. "Those who lack the courage can forget it. You are all scions of great families; some among you might even be colluding with the Three Great Organizations... I wouldn't want those people anyway. Everyone says Heavenly Star Academy is full of geniuses, but others say you merely got in through the back door and are all hollow shells—a Rising Light goes out only to be chased around by a Three Suns..."
"Besides, the Three Great Organizations are powerful. Fearing retaliation, fearing death, being terrified of seeing blood—all of that is perfectly natural..."
Someone roared furiously, "Is Governor Hou trying to provoke us? As long as the Dean agrees, we will go! Who is afraid of killing evil supernaturals of the Three Great Organizations?"
The white-haired elder felt a wave of helplessness.
Idiots!
You know it's reverse psychology, yet you still take the bait!
He is blatantly goading you... Hou Xiaochen's schemes are as dark as they come!
These youths were all scions of high officials. If something happened and they died at the hands of the Three Great Organizations, what then?
Would the Three Great Organizations dare kill them?
If they didn't dare, they would wait for death. If they did dare, the Nine Departments—who had previously maintained a delicate peace—would never stand for it.
Crucially, was it truly just about purging the Three Great Organizations?
Could Hou Xiaochen use them along the way to accomplish other aims?
There were plenty of sharp minds present. An academy expert said coldly, "Hou Xiaochen, say what you will, you won't be taking anyone... Do you think no one sees through your little tricks?"
"Little tricks? Purging the Three Great Organizations—is that not proper, is that not mandatory? Or could it be... that you are in league with them?"
Hou Xiaochen coughed. "Men, seize this person and bring him in for interrogation!"
"Sir!"
*Boom!*
With a thunderous crash, a spear pierced the sky. The golden spear struck like lightning, knocking the speaker flying. The follow-up thrust impaled the man's shoulder, pinning him directly upon the spearhead.
"An academy expert?"
Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "Early Rising Light strength... captured alive in two thrusts. Golden Spear simply didn't want to kill him, otherwise a single thrust would have ended it! Alas, such is the so-called academy education... Laughable!"
The white-haired elder looked at him, his gaze turning slightly cold.
Hou Xiaochen merely stared back calmly, yet a glint of killing intent lingered in his eyes. If you dare move... I dare kill you!
Though the elder was at the Metamorphosis stage, he gradually suppressed his fury.
He knew that if they truly clashed and Hou Xiaochen unsealed his combat power, he would die.
As for whether Hou Xiaochen would dare... Xu Qing would not, but Silver Moon lunatics like Hou Xiaochen were another story; they were ruthless enough to unseal at the drop of a hat!
Golden Spear's display also left many students awed and thrilled.
Was the gap between battle-hardened warriors from the front lines and academy experts truly this vast?
Just two thrusts!
"Governor Hou, are there strength requirements to intern under you?"
"Doesn't matter. The weak have their uses, and the strong have theirs!"
Hou Xiaochen smiled. "If you're willing, come with me right now. As luck would have it, I just received news that rebellion has broken out in Dongbin. We are heading over right now to arrest the personnel at Dongbin's Heavenly Star liaison office... Interrogate them to see if Dongbin intends to rebel against the empire... and wipe them out!"
At these words, several students went pale, clearly hailing from Dongbin.
Others, however, grew excited. "I'm in!"
Witnessing a major battle in Heavenly Star was a rare opportunity.
The liaison office of an entire province in Heavenly Star certainly had no shortage of experts.
"Then follow me!"
Hou Xiaochen laughed, taking to the air. With a wave of his hand, the surrounding Martial Guard Army swiftly fell back. Golden Spear flicked the impaled expert to the ground, and soldiers immediately stepped forward to seize the heavily wounded Rising Light.
The white-haired elder frowned slightly. "Brother Hou, do you still intend to take him?"
Hou Xiaochen turned, his eyes narrowing. "Brother Zhao, Dean Zhao, if I don't take him, I will take you. Choose for yourself!"
The white-haired elder clenched his fists, but after a moment, chose silence.
Hou Xiaochen gave a mocking sneer, then burst into hearty laughter!
His laughter echoed in all directions!
Utterly arrogant and unrestrained!
"Move!"
At his command, several hundred Martial Guard soldiers swiftly withdrew. Among the students, someone looked at the dean who dared not speak a word, feeling profound contempt. A Metamorphosis stage, a top-tier expert, supreme and exalted... Bah!
He didn't even dare resist!
In an instant, dozens of students bolted out, running along with them.
Hou Xiaochen was arrogant, but that was precisely to their liking. They were all second-generation elites, bold and fearless to a fault. They had thought this place was great before, but looking at it today... what a dump!
Experiencing real slaughter was what they truly yearned for.
Moments later, even more students surged forward, running after the detachment.
The white-haired elder simply watched. Soon, several figures gathered beside him, their faces filled with indignation, transmitting messages to him: "Dean, he is too arrogant!"
The white-haired elder watched Hou Xiaochen's departing back. Only after a long while did he say softly, "Not one of the Nine Departments, the imperial family, or the noble clans stepped forward to stop him... Do you think you can?"
The others fell silent. Still, someone asked resentfully, "Why? He only just arrived from Silver Moon, yet he dares act so unscrupulously! Didn't they say bringing him here was just to put him in his place?"
And now?
The man had become the Heavenly Star Governor, wielding immense power!
Where were the people who had clamored to put him in his place?
Were all people from Silver Moon this wild?
The Demon Sword Li Hao had charged straight into the Duke of Dingguo's territory, slaying his son right before his eyes. Now Hou Xiaochen was doing the same. That tiny Silver Moon, a desolate wilderness crawling with savages—the people emerging from it were indeed utterly barbaric!
"Why?"
The elder fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "For no other reason than this: they dare to unseal, while others... do not!"
It was that simple!
At this stage, before solving the repercussions of unsealing, before solving the issue of breaking the sixth supernatural lock, no one wanted higher-level combat to erupt.
Yet Silver Moon dared.
Hou Xiaochen alone could be handled by Heavenly Star even if he unsealed, but what if Sky Sword came? What if Northern Fist came? What if Tyrant Saber, Kong Jie, Huang Yu came...?
Who would stick their neck out first?
Not to mention the Earth-Overturning Sword and the Bright Sword!
Besides, Hou Xiaochen was acting strictly within the bounds of his authority, without violating a single law. What justification did anyone have to move against him?
The Nine Departments were not of one mind either.
Under such circumstances, an expert of Hou Xiaochen's caliber could naturally act as arrogant as he pleased.
Silver Moon was baring its fangs.
"Hmph! Just wait until the Demon Sword dies in Dingbian this time. Let's see if they can still remain this arrogant! Once the Xu family catches its breath after killing the Demon Sword, they won't fear killing a few more!"
The white-haired elder said nothing.
The next instant, his expression changed drastically. With a low shout, he punched forward, golden light spilling everywhere. Yet with a thunderous roar, the golden light shattered. A spear tore through the sky, wreathed in flames, and pierced straight through the speaker with a sickening *squelch*!
From the distance, Hou Xiaochen's voice drifted faintly back: "If you lack the strength, shut your mouth! Those with strength keep quiet, while the weak hop around making noise. Brother Zhao, this man openly declared an intention to murder the deputy chief of the Night Patrol's Silver Moon branch. I killed him... You have no objections, do you?"
"Next time, Brother Zhao, stay far away from such rebels!"
The elder was speechless.
Only after the voice faded did blood drip from his hand, pattering onto the ground. He looked into the distance, his eyes grim and shaken.
Hou Xiaochen... had definitely broken through!
Not in realm, but in the number of saturated supernatural locks; it was certainly higher than when he killed the Red-Haired Elder!
He was at the Metamorphosis stage, not early Rising Light.
Yet a single spear thrust had pierced his palm!
Had Hou Xiaochen been concealing his strength before, or had he advanced recently?
He glanced at the slain early Rising Light, then at the terrified academy experts around him. With a sigh, he turned and left.
After this humiliation, Heavenly Star Academy had lost whatever prestige it once held.
Sure enough, imitating the martial arts universities of the ancient civilization was simply unfeasible.
The students were too mixed, the instructors too varied, the experts too few, and everyone was terrified of dying... It was entirely different.
...
At the same time.
Along the shores of the East Sea.
Yuan Shuo gazed at the monstrous waves surging in the distance and grinned. Gripping his stone saber, he flew toward the middle section of the bridge.
With such a massive commotion, Li Hao should be able to sense it to some degree.
Little Li Hao, can you feel it?
Even if you can't, Xu Qing surely knows by now. Xu Qing, will you come?
Or... will the powerhouses under your command come?
The next instant, he hurled himself forward like a cannonball!
A single blade strike tore across the sky, cleaving several fleeing experts who were riding the waves straight in two, their blood splashing into the East Sea.
...
"Bastard!"
Xu Qing suddenly bellowed in fury!
Just a moment ago, he had received multiple messages.
The East Sea Bridge had been blown apart, the East Sea pirates had suffered catastrophic casualties, the Duke's Residence in Heavenly Star City had been raided and sealed, his brother had been slain on the spot by Hou Xiaochen, and the Inspectorate had issued an imperial proclamation demoting him by one rank from the Duke of Dingguo to the Marquis of Dingguo!
This realm still operated on righteous justification and formal status.
Because he had acted out of line, launching city-destroying bombs without approval and exposing every corner of the empire to the risk of bomb strikes, an example had to be made of him to deter others from following suit.
Otherwise, total chaos would ensue!
A one-rank demotion did not diminish his personal power, but to the Duke of Dingguo, the loss of prestige was far greater than anything else. Gritting his teeth, he roared in outrage. What audacity!
Had that bastard in the Inspectorate lost his mind?
He actually dared demote a founding duke!
Crucially, the imperial family... had agreed, and the other eight departments had silently consented. Clearly, they all felt he had set a dangerous precedent that could not go unchecked.
"Damn it!"
Cursing furiously, he felt a wave of irritation. When deploying the city-destroying bombs, he hadn't thought it through. Now, the price he had to pay was staggeringly heavy.
Suppressing the raging fury in his chest, he looked into the distance, where a tiny black dot remained visible.
Li Hao was pulling further and further away.
Constantly entangled by these trivial matters, Xu Qing had fallen further behind.
Those bastards from Silver Moon... were completely insane!
Indeed, Xu Qing felt they were sick in the head.
Li Hao was the one who had struck first; Li Hao was the one who had raided the Duke's Residence. Yet these Silver Moon lunatics had openly declared war on his ducal estate for the sake of another lunatic!
At this moment, he gritted his teeth, knowing that only by swiftly slaying Li Hao could he bring an end to this matter.
Once a man was dead, he became worthless.
Silver Moon was bent on protecting him, weren't they?
No, I will kill him regardless!
Otherwise, every loss and every sacrifice would be completely in vain.
With a muffled grunt, his blood surged. The next instant, his aura intensified dramatically. He swallowed a drop of the Spring of Life, feeling a pang of reluctance; even for him, the Spring of Life was exceedingly scarce.
Every drop consumed was a squandering of life force.
Yet right now, he had to end this quickly!
The supernatural locks of his five organs unsealed slightly. Radiating a terrifying aura, he tore through space in an instant, hurtling in pursuit of Li Hao in the distance. He could not allow Li Hao to flee so unchecked any longer.
Any further, and he would lose the trail entirely.
...
Ahead, Li Hao's expression shifted slightly.
Glancing back, he noticed that the Duke of Dingguo—who had been on the verge of being shaken off—seemed to be accelerating once more.
Panting heavily, Li Hao cursed inwardly!
That old bastard really unsealed part of his strength. Has he lost his mind?
Be careful not to overload yourself. If even the Spring of Life can't suppress the backlash, you'll have thrown everything away.
Li Hao had wagered that a man like Xu Qing would never dare unseal easily, yet once again, the outcome defied expectations...
"He must have been pushed to the brink... desperate to kill me quickly..."
He reasoned that someone was likely driving the old man mad.
Who?
The people from Silver Moon?
Only the people from Silver Moon were capable of that.
Those old men truly had some tricks up their sleeves, managing to pressure Xu Qing from such a vast distance.
However... Li Hao groaned inwardly. You pressed him so hard that the bastard went mad! If you'd waited just a bit longer, I might have shaken him off completely. At that point, Xu Qing wouldn't have felt so pressed and wouldn't have snapped so early.
"You've screwed me over! Your timing was completely off!"
Li Hao groaned inwardly!
Silver Moon had certainly applied pressure from the shadows—he understood that much—but the timing was premature. I haven't even reached the sea yet!
If you had exerted pressure after I reached the sea, I would have had a great chance of escaping outright.
There was no helping it; the distance was too great. Those people lacked first-hand intelligence and could only act on their own judgment.
At this moment, Li Hao gritted his teeth, his blood surging. Swallowing his weapon, he took the Starry Sky Sword directly into his belly. Circulating the Five Animals Breathing Art to its absolute limit, countless streams of sword energy flooded his body. With a sharp whoosh, Li Hao accelerated once more, darting through the void.
Behind him, Xu Qing cursed aloud!
He can still burst with speed?
Just what kind of monster is this Li Hao?
Ahead, Li Hao's face was deathly pale, yet he grinned fiercely. Surprised?
I have plenty more surprises for you!
The supernatural lock on his heart was already saturated. Li Hao tried to sever a fraction of it, but found it exceedingly difficult. Leaving himself no alternative, he could only forcefully strike the sturdy supernatural lock with his sword momentum... Let me try severing half of it first to see if I can trigger another burst. If I can, I'll accelerate again!
I'll infuriate you to death, you old bastard!
Meanwhile, Li Hao was flying straight toward the East Sea Bridge. He hadn't heard the colossal explosion, but he had felt it—a shockwave of energy detonating and sweeping outward from that direction!
For such a commotion to erupt in the East Sea at this time, Li Hao guessed... perhaps reinforcements had arrived.
As for who had come to rescue him... he wasn't sure, but he would go take a look.
It would be none other than Hong Yitang, the Bright Sword, or one of the others. The Bright Sword would do it so he could help her suppress her light power, while Hong Yitang was simply a decent person... probably?
In any case, it had to be one of them.
As for his teacher, Li Hao genuinely hadn't considered him. After Yuan Shuo entered the Central Region, there had been some word of him initially, but recently all news had dried up. He might be lost, he might have fled with the Jade Light Sword, or he might have gone grave-robbing... Who could say?
Besides, his teacher was so weak; even if he came, what could he possibly do?
Chapter 195