Staying Behind

Above the Heavenly Star Sea, powerhouses stood in dense ranks. This was perhaps the largest assembly of formidable experts Silver Moon had ever deployed. Across from them, the five old men stood abreast, watching in silence, refusing to retreat an inch. Even with Hong Yitang unsealed, and even with Red Moon and the others pulling back, they remained rooted where they stood. Red light flickered in Li Hao's eyes. Without a wasted word, he stepped upon thunder in the next instant and charged in to kill. Since Ying Hongyue and his cohort had fled, he would show no mercy to these people. In the sky, the colossal millstone descended once more. Having prepared themselves, the five elders unleashed their divine abilities simultaneously. The millstone weighed down upon all four directions. As Hong Yitang and the others closed in, one elder began chanting an incantation. A massive golden character materialized in midair. "Battle!" *Rumble!* As the giant character coalesced, a heavenly deity seemed to manifest. Clad like a true god and brandishing a broad saber, it cast its reflection across the void. A single slash tore the heavens asunder and caved the earth inward! Behind them, Yuan Shuo’s expression shifted slightly. "An Origin combat technique!" he said in a low voice. "The Star Town Secret Art!" Looking toward the five elders with a solemn expression, he swiftly sent Li Hao a voice transmission while Li Hao battled the heavenly deity: "This is an Origin combat technique passed down from the ancient martial holy ground of Star Town City. They condense their spirit into characters—a type of Origin divine ability! To think someone could still successfully condense an Origin divine ability in this era. Be careful!" That single character possessed boundless might. Li Hao collided with the heavenly deity in a thunderous explosion. The dual powers of wind and thunder swirling around him actually showed signs of scattering. Another elder coughed up a mouthful of blood that condensed into another massive character: "Attack!" *Boom!* In a flash, yet another golden, radiant deity manifested, wielding a war hammer that slammed down toward Hong Yitang. Behind the five elders, the current directors watched the experts of Star Town City launch their assault in unison. The Director of the Department of Criminal Law, whose father had just been slain, flushed crimson with peak fury. A savage gleam flashed in his eyes. In the next breath, he spat a mouthful of blood into the void, unleashing a shrill roar that echoed in all directions: "Ancient god, possess my body!" At his command, a dark shadow suddenly surfaced over his frame. A battle saber materialized before him, and the dark silhouette lingering upon the blade plunged into his body. His aura skyrocketed, swelling to the absolute limit in the blink of an eye, as if a god had descended into the mortal world! Yuan Shuo’s face changed again, and he growled, "Armament spirit integration! That's a top-tier Origin God Armament, empowered by fusing with an armament spirit to erupt with ancient will! Watch out!" His knowledge was vast, but knowledge alone was useless here. He had heard of these arts and read about them in ancient texts, yet now someone was actually wielding them in the flesh. He had thought them long lost to history! The demons slain in antiquity were terrifyingly mighty; even after countless millennia of death, the spirits fused within these god armaments retained immense strength. Merging that armament spirit into his body caused the director's aura to surge violently. A devastating wave of pressure swept across the surroundings. The former Director of the Inspectorate frowned slightly. Looking at the opponents across from him, then watching Li Hao and his companions relentlessly pressing the attack as if completely unbothered, he could not help but speak up: "Possessing oneself with an armament spirit harms both sides, and Origin combat techniques are not meant to be used lightly... Everyone, we can sit down and talk. If there are grievances, they can be negotiated. Why take it to this extreme...?" "Kill!" Boiling with rage, Li Hao ignored his words completely. He thrust his sword through the void. Though lacking sword momentum, the blade was nonetheless formidable, skewering straight through one of the heavenly deities in a single strike. The five elders grew grave. One of them barked, "Li Hao, did you truly think the Nine Departments only possessed such petty tricks? Director Hu was merely caught off guard and gave you the upper hand—did you think your victory was assured?" With a cold snort, he roared, "Divine Armament, descend upon this world!" Blood spilled continuously from his mouth, sending peculiar ripples cascading across the surroundings. In the next moment, a longsword shot into the sky from within the city. Atop the blade, a transcendent silhouette appeared! A boundless sword intent shook heaven and earth! It resembled a sword immortal, yet it was not a living person, but a phantom projection. It was the sidearm of a supreme expert from the ancient civilization. Countless years later, its peerless sword intent remained undiminished as it flew northward in a single magnificent arc! Sky Sword’s expression shifted, and his broadsword swept across the heavens! *Boom!* In an instant, Sky Sword's great blade was knocked down midair. The sound of a gurgling stream seemed to murmur in everyone's ears, like babbling waters gently floating past. Li Hao’s expression changed as well! "The Stream Sword Technique!" He had an inkling of who this sword had belonged to. It was likely the weapon of one of the compilers of the *Basic Sword Techniques* he had obtained; he had read their discourses on the Dao of the sword within its pages. A sword like a babbling stream, rising from weakness into strength. That was Dean Chen’s sword technique! Of course, he could not be certain whether it had belonged to the man himself, a disciple, or someone else, but the style of the sword technique was identical. It had been one of the more formidable sword techniques in the ancient civilization, and the one who had wielded this blade back then must have been extraordinarily powerful! Right at that moment, the Starry Sky Sword in Li Hao's hand—which had only partially unsealed from the stimulation of his bloodline—began to tremble violently! In the next instant, the small sword broke free of Li Hao’s grasp and shot forth! An overpowering sword intent burst forth from the blade. Sever Self! At this moment, Li Hao sensed the Sever Self sword intent, which radiated an overwhelmingly formidable aura. Limitless sword energy flooded out with a deafening roar! A sword soared southward! The northward Stream Sword collided directly with the southward Sever Self Sword. The two clashed in midair, and in the blink of an eye, the Stream Sword controlled by the elder showed signs of crumbling. "The sword intent of the Longevity Sword Venerable?" One elder muttered, clearly knowledgeable about ancient lore. His face shifted. When Li Hao stimulated the Starry Sky Sword with his heart blood moments ago, no such sword intent had appeared, yet now an entirely different transformation had taken place. Reeling in shock, the elder spat out another mouthful of blood and bellowed, "Summon the realm-suppressing armament!" *Boom!* Suddenly, from the direction of the Bureau of Military Law inside Heavenly Star City, a long spear tore across the sky! The moment the spear emerged, Hou Xiaochen’s face darkened, his brows furrowing tight. With a low shout, the Fire Phoenix Spear materialized in Hou Xiaochen's grip, and a blazing fire phoenix seemed to rip through the void as it charged toward the flying spear. A faint spear intent radiated from the flying weapon. It was as if a peerless spear king had stepped into the world. With a single thrust, the fire phoenix shrieked mournfully. Just then, Director Yao threw a punch, his fist suppressing heaven and earth! "Summon the divine armaments!" The remaining three elders roared in succession. The former Director of the Inspectorate looked on, his expression changing rapidly. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Have you gone mad? If five divine armaments emerge at once, you know the consequences!" "Chen, whose side are you on?" an elder snapped furiously. "They are the ones refusing to let this go! In that case, let us put it to the test—this is Heavenly Star, not Silver Moon!" Within the city, three divine armaments faintly took shape in midair. Each was incomparably formidable, their auras roiling and cowing heaven and earth. A saber, a battle-ax, and a weapon resembling a long whip vaguely surfaced. Right at that moment, the head of an enormous dragon seemed to peek out from within the city. A low shout suddenly rang out, and from the direction of the Administrative Department, a presence like a deity soared into the air. Holding a book, he slammed it downward to strike at the emerging dragon head! An expert of the Administrative Department! Until now, the Administrative Department had only shown a single Transmutation stage expert. Yet at this moment, an absolute powerhouse had appeared, directing a devastating blow toward the imperial palace. "Fall back!" the book-wielding expert barked. The five elders’ faces shifted slightly, and they immediately retreated, reuniting with the two divine armaments in midair while the other directors gathered around them. The father and son from the Inspectorate paled as well and rushed back into the city. The former Inspectorate Director sent Li Hao a voice transmission: "Stop fighting! If this continues, none of you will meet a good end! The Nine Departments have been suppressing the strongest forces of the imperial family; a host of top-tier experts have yet to emerge. If we fight to mutual destruction, only the imperial family will profit!" Li Hao's eyes flickered. He glanced toward the interior of the city. The giant dragon had barely poked its head out before meeting the thunderous strike of the Administrative Department expert, whose strength far exceeded ordinary divine abilities. The returning directors recalled their divine armaments, settling into the nine-dragon formation with booming reverberations to suppress the surroundings once more. From the imperial palace in the center came the rumbling roar of thunder, like an earthen dragon thrashing below! Before the onlookers could even process the spectacle, several figures suddenly manifested above the palace—towering, mighty beings. Though tinged with regret, a resounding voice quickly echoed across the sky! "Marquis of Heavenly Star, the Nine Departments have long forgotten their original purpose. The realm is thrown into chaos, and the people are plunged into misery. Today, we bestow upon the Marquis of Heavenly Star the title of Heavenly Star Governor-General, granting the authority to oversee and investigate the Nine Departments! If any act against the law, you may execute first and report later! "To the experts of Silver Moon: whoever destroys one of the Nine Departments shall be enfeoffed as the King of Silver Moon, with the Silver Moon territory as their fief!" The imperial family could no longer sit still. Someone within the palace had spoken. Crush the Nine Departments! Evidently, the Nine Departments were suppressing something within—either top-tier experts or supreme divine armaments—making life exceedingly miserable for the imperial family. Today presented an opportunity. As for the Plain King... he was already dead, so there was no point dwelling on him. Earlier, when Silver Moon was at a clear disadvantage, the imperial family naturally kept their heads down. But now, the powerhouses of the Three Great Organizations had retreated, and the Nine Departments' experts were dead or wounded. Though the Silver Moon martial masters were battered, if they coordinated an attack from both inside and outside, there was hope of shattering the Nine Departments' blockade. At this moment, everyone turned their eyes toward Li Hao, glances darting with unspoken thoughts. They could all see that the Nine Departments and the imperial family had likely been engaged in a clandestine stalemate. The reason the terrifying realm-suppressing armaments of the Nine Departments had remained unseen was probably to keep the imperial family pinned down. Yet just now, seeing Li Hao pressing his assault, the former directors had no choice but to call upon those armaments, inadvertently granting the imperial family a moment of respite. Should they continue? Li Hao glanced at his companions, whose supernatural energies were bleeding into the air, and then looked toward the city. Suddenly, he smiled. Having stayed silent the entire time, he chuckled softly: "Dog eat dog!" The imperial family was no good either! Heavenly Star eighty years ago was not necessarily any better than it was today—perhaps even worse. Pot calling the kettle black; both sides were scourges. It was just that the imperial family was currently suppressed. With that thought, Li Hao frowned slightly and looked back at Yuan Shuo, asking in a low voice, "Master, those divine armaments...?" Yuan Shuo furrowed his brows. "They are divine armaments once wielded by ancient powerhouses, likely from their earlier days. They lack seals and were refined by the Nine Departments, fully awakening their armament spirits so they possess immense combat prowess!" He glanced at the Starry Sky Sword in Li Hao's hand, then raised the stone saber in his own grasp. "Still, they shouldn't be as powerful as the divine armaments of the Eight Families. It's just that... the seals on our armaments are too formidable. Even devouring your heart blood wasn't enough to unseal yours; the Starry Sky Sword only erupted with sword intent because it was provoked just now..." He added gravely, "They control quite a few ruins. Those old men know Origin combat techniques. What they displayed earlier was just the surface. Nowadays, the path of Origin has been cast aside, so their might is far diminished. It is said that in the ancient civilization, the Origin combat techniques originating from Star Town City were peerless, having once suppressed invincible powerhouses!" Origin combat techniques were clearly linked to the martial dao of Origin. Li Hao had once comprehended Origin. Later, the little tree had mentioned that times had changed, and the path of Origin might be utterly discarded, incompatible with the present era. Even so, the little tree's Origin talisman had effortlessly slain a Transmutation stage expert and two Rising Light powerhouses. Li Hao said nothing. The small sword had already flown back to him, its sword energy largely depleted. Of course, Li Hao had stored a vast amount beforehand. Without a word, he released a surge of sword energy that drifted outward. Countless divine energy stones shattered instantly, and several Origin God Armaments were swallowed whole by the small sword. In the blink of an eye, an overwhelmingly dense torrent of sword energy poured forth. Southern Fist and the others absorbed it hungrily, their faces lighting up with delight. However, a few among them showed little joy. Hou Xiaochen absorbed only a small amount before stopping to stabilize his condition, his expression remaining gloomy. Sky Sword absorbed merely a sliver, looking toward Heavenly Star City in the distance. "Shall we keep fighting?" he asked coolly. "The Nine Departments are pinned down by the imperial family. If we strike now, we might shatter this equilibrium!" Li Hao did not reply immediately, lost in thought. After a moment, he looked at Hou Xiaochen. "Chief Hou, has Silver Moon been wary of the Nine Departments and the imperial family all this time because of these experts?" Hou Xiaochen fell silent for a beat, then shook his head. "No." Li Hao started. Hou Xiaochen said calmly, "Silver Moon fears no one. Silver Moon is only wary of luring out certain ancient monsters at this stage! Both the Nine Departments and the imperial family control numerous ruins, and the Central Region has plenty as well. Ancient humans aside, there may be demon plants and demonic beasts slumbering, awaiting revival. Just as you have encountered demon plants, they might control some as well... At this stage, nobody wants those entities to wake... But when people are pushed to the brink, anything is possible!" He paused, then added, "The ancient and present eras differ. Whether demon plants or demonic beasts, just because they yielded to humanity in ancient times doesn't mean they will today. Otherwise, Heaven Peng and Phoenix Mountains would never have appeared." Li Hao’s brows knitted. Hou Xiaochen continued, "Beyond that... there is another peculiar existence that is exceedingly troublesome. Silver Moon once attempted to venture outward, but as a result... suffered heavy casualties! In our era, some martial masters of the older generation gained tremendous power early in the supernatural era, but after sustaining heavy losses, they all chose to retreat back to Silver Moon." Li Hao's eyes flickered, but he did not press further. Hou Xiaochen went on, "Silver Moon has the Four Protectors. They call themselves the Four Protectors, not the Four Attackers... Thus, Silver Moon has always prioritized defense, self-preservation, and safeguarding." He said no more. Huang Yu glanced at him, then looked at Li Hao, sighing softly. "We arrived too late!" The reason he said this was because Li Hao had transitioned to supernatural power. Huang Yu, a figure who had always carried an aura of stern authority, sounded uncharacteristically wistful. "You were too impatient. Converting to supernatural power... you don't understand what you will face, or what you will miss... "You don't know why so many powerhouses insisted on walking the path of martial masters, fully aware of how arduous it is." Looking into the distance, he murmured, "Once martial masters reach our stage, there is virtually no path ahead, whereas the supernatural path is clear. Why didn't everyone just switch to supers? Divine abilities can ultimately be stabilized, while where martial masters go next remains unclear to this day. "Yet everyone still chose the martial master path because... variables will soon arrive. In the lands of Silver Moon, there are methods to resolve these problems, and even ancient heritages will surface! The Guardian Cities of the Eight Families will all appear... Li Hao... you are a descendant of the Li family. But certain heritages are passed down only to martial masters—just like Battle Heaven City, where the Battle Heaven Army were all martial masters, not supers..." By stepping into the supernatural, Li Hao would miss all of that! Even if the Li family's city appeared, he might find himself shut out. Even with Li blood in his veins, it would be useless, because the supreme experts of ancient martial arts back then were almost all martial masters. Barely any were supers, and even if some were, they might not have left heritages upon this land. Hou Xiaochen remained silent as well. Li Hao’s transition was a blow to him too. After all, Li Hao had made the switch right inside Heavenly Star City, with Hou Xiaochen right beside him! Li Hao, however, merely chuckled with nonchalance. "Is that all? I thought it was something major!" Huang Yu frowned. "You still don't understand. At this stage, whether as a martial master or a super, do not presume you can surpass the ancients—there is no hope. Without the heritages left by those supreme experts, we will only stagnate, unable to break past our current limits! Your master's Five Animals Breathing Art is strong, but would Yuan Shuo himself dare claim he can surpass the ancients?" "I dare!" Yuan Shuo retorted petulantly. "Why wouldn't I dare?" With a snort, he looked at Li Hao, pausing for a long moment before saying, "It's fine! Super or not, I'll find a way for you..." His face darkened as he turned toward the city, gritting his teeth. "Li Hao, let it go for today. We've taken enough advantage... A genuine bloodbath won't do us any good. But... the Nine Departments dared deploy so many experts to hunt you... then this old man will..." Grinding his teeth, he glared viciously toward the city, then abruptly clamped his mouth shut. Hong Yitang glanced at him and sent a voice transmission: *Don't act recklessly!* Yuan Shuo snorted, ignoring him. *Just you wait!* Ever since Li Hao revealed his supernatural prowess, Yuan Shuo's face had been dark as charcoal. Of course, he told Li Hao it was fine and that being a super was great, but a nameless fury had long been raging in his heart. He had already sorted out the realms of Spirit Accumulation and Spirit Fusion. As long as Li Hao followed the steps, reaching Spirit Fusion would not have been difficult—it was just around the corner. Once the five forces fused, Li Hao could break through the locks, effortlessly transcending Spirit Fusion to step into a whole new world. At that point, Li Hao could have walked whichever path he pleased. Within the city, the rumbling continued. The imperial family was still fighting back. Meanwhile, beams of light faintly coalesced from the Nine Departments, converging toward the imperial palace. Li Hao said nothing more. Having released a vast amount of sword energy, he tore through the air and instantly returned to the northern gate. A large detachment of the Martial Guard Army remained here suppressing the nobles, though some nobles had already fled. Ignoring the chaos, Li Hao barked, "The executions continue!" While the Nine Departments were occupied with the imperial family, he would execute these people first! During the previous clash, both sides had deliberately steered clear of this area. Some nobles had thought the danger had passed. Now, their faces went deathly pale, and someone roared, "Li Hao! In killing us, you are merely bullying the weak! How is this any different from the law of the jungle? "Mu Xiaorong has already escaped! All the great nobles have fled! Why don't you dare go after them? "Fairness? Justice? It's all a joke! You're nothing more than a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong!" Sensing their impending doom now that the Nine Departments' experts had pulled back and Li Hao had returned, the nobles grew hysterical, roaring and shrieking. They had been abandoned! The truly prominent nobles had mostly fled, like Mu Xiaorong and her peers. Yet these people were treated as disposable pawns; with so many of them, the Nine Departments' experts hadn't bothered to rescue them at all. Li Hao remained silent, watching them coldly. A moment later, a low shout resounded in all directions: "Behead them!" Flushed with excitement, the soldiers of the Martial Guard Army raised their broadswords and swung down with a unified roar! *Splurt!* Jets of blood sprayed into the air! At that moment, the bewildered citizens throughout the city froze. Upon the screens scattered everywhere, gruesome, bloody scenes played out. *** Inside the Nine Dragons Pavilion. A noblewoman’s expression flickered. She vanished, reappearing underground an instant later, scolding with a frown, "Why is the projection still running? The moment the Nine Departments fell back, the broadcast should have ended!" Indeed, as an external extension of the imperial family, the retreat of the Nine Departments' powerhouses meant this farce was over. The subsequent execution of nobles did not need to be broadcast to build Li Hao's prestige. It was a blow to the Nine Departments, but equally a blow to the imperial family—hardly a good thing. They had long agreed that the broadcast would cease once the Nine Departments retreated or Li Hao was slain. Under no circumstances was this subsequent beheading supposed to be shown. Yet the central control of the Nine Dragons Pavilion responsible for the broadcast had not shut it down. The woman had been focused on the commotion in the palace and hadn't paid attention down here until the clamor outside alerted her. In the basement, massive machines hummed loudly. Dozens of people were operating the projection system. The female manager was also present. Just as she was about to speak, an elderly man with graying hair in the basement smiled. Blood suddenly seeped from his lips as he looked at the noblewoman. "Seventh Princess, allow me to introduce myself once more: Zhao Mingduan, Director of the Heavenly Star Ancient Academy Research Institute... I gave the order to continue the broadcast... Doesn't the Seventh Princess think... the moment those heads are lopped off... is truly magnificent?" He laughed heartily, blood spilling faster and faster from his lips, until his breath finally faded. The Seventh Princess’s gaze turned icy as she swept her eyes over the room. Everyone remained dead silent. Operating the projection was technical work, not something achieved by brute martial force. When the Heavenly Star Ancient Academy collapsed back then, the Nine Dragons Pavilion had recruited a group of its survivors. Who could have expected them to pull such a stunt today? Many of these people were former students of the academy, along with a few instructors. Of course, she hadn't been entirely unguarded; guards were stationed nearby. Looking around, she spotted several corpses in the corner. Her expression twisted as she glared at the female manager, demanding in a low voice, "Hu Jiao, how did they die? When did you arrive?" Her face pale, the female manager whispered, "Pavilion Master, I..." *Cough, cough, cough!* A fit of coughing interrupted her. Another old man in the basement covered his mouth, then offered a slight smile. "Seventh Princess, Director Zhao is dead. He killed those men before he died... Do you intend to pursue this further?" He smiled faintly. "If you insist on pursuing it... the communications linking the Nine Dragons Pavilion to various regions may be severed. The entire intelligence network currently relies on our maintenance... including the construction of the communication jade relay stations. Should an issue arise... is the Seventh Princess confident you can complete the repairs without us?" "Are you threatening me?" The Seventh Princess glared at him coldly. The old man coughed repeatedly, seemingly fearless as he chuckled softly. "Not a threat, merely stating facts. Perhaps... everyone believes we are useless. But the Seventh Princess should understand that without us... the imperial family's entire intelligence apparatus will crumble... Would that satisfy the Seventh Princess?" She swept a frigid gaze over the crowd, her tone chilling. "Do you all think this way? The people this princess requires need not be many. As long as someone knows the craft, the lineage will not be broken. Now that Zhao Mingduan is dead, I need a new person in charge. Wealth, glory, rank—name your price, and it shall be yours!" She sneered internally. What did a few deaths matter? Among the dozens present, as long as a handful retained the skills, nothing was an issue. She could always recruit more hands to learn and fill the gaps. Was it not just money? Was it not just status? She could grant it all! The basement fell deathly still. Everyone kept their heads bowed, refusing to utter a sound. The old man said softly, "Director Zhao has passed, and our hearts are heavy. Seventh Princess, speaking of money, glory, and wealth right now is inappropriate. This was merely a minor accident. Director Zhao paid with his life—does the Seventh Princess feel that is not enough? If so, this old man is willing to follow him..." The Seventh Princess's face grew colder, and she sneered, "Splendid. As expected of those from the Ancient Academy. Yun Haoran refused to yield even in death, and he certainly raised some stiff-necked fools!" With that, she spun on her heel and left. The female manager hurried after her without a word. Passing by Director Zhao’s corpse, however, she looked down at his eyes, at the lingering smile on his face. Her eyes misted over, but she blinked the moisture away instantly, following the Seventh Princess out. Once they were gone, faint weeping echoed through the basement. The surviving elder looked calm. "Why weep? Old Zhao died a worthy death! It was magnificent. Lopping off hundreds of villains' heads for the entire city to see, for the entire dynasty to witness... Neither the Nine Departments nor the imperial family can control everything! Ruling the world by suppressing the people's intellect is doomed to fail! Applying two entirely different sets of laws to the nobility and the commoners will never win the hearts of the people! "It is inevitable that nobles enjoy more, receive more, and start from a higher point... But that cannot come at the expense of cutting off the future of the majority. If this continues, the nobility will become more degenerate and corrupt with each passing generation, and sooner or later, the dynasty will collapse! "The Nine Departments failed to learn from the imperial family's mistakes and indulged all of this. Sooner or later, they will reap the bitter harvest!" The old man spoke calmly, and the weeping around him gradually subsided. Everyone looked at him. Rising to his feet, he revealed a missing leg. Leaning on his crutch, he looked at a large screen in the basement and pointed to a figure displayed upon it, saying in a deep voice, "He may not be a good man either. Perhaps sooner or later he too will become a supreme noble, ruling a territory and claiming a crown... But today, he pierced through a sliver of the darkness! Everyone, remember this moment: someone will always step forward! Even if it wasn't him, someone else would have appeared sooner or later. Do not despair! We... will not be the only ones who remain awake in this era!" The moment the Heavenly Star Ancient Academy fell, everyone's hearts had died. In this era, accomplishing anything was simply too difficult. To survive, they had chosen to join the Nine Dragons Pavilion, swiftly helping it construct a communications network that granted real-time intelligence control over the dynasty's ninety-nine provinces. That was how they had gained a foothold. The Seventh Princess had gradually lowered her guard against them, yet today... they had defied her orders to broadcast the final scene. *** At this moment, Heavenly Star City simmered with restlessness. The broadcast had frozen on that final frame before the projection vanished, yet the hearts of the people burned with fervor. Three hundred nobles had been beheaded; their dying terror, fury, and disbelief—even the looks in their eyes—had been laid bare for all to see. The commoners did not know who had truly won this battle. Yet Li Hao was alive. The Nine Departments had seemingly abandoned these people, allowing their heads to roll... From that alone, it appeared Li Hao had won! That was enough! Within the city, the retainers and flunkies of the nobility were seized with panic. Lesser nobles who usually oppressed others hid trembling in their homes, not daring to step outside. Dead! Hundreds of nobles were dead! The common folk did not understand the struggles between supreme powerhouses, nor did they care to. Those clashes were too far removed from their lives. All they knew was that the people around them—those wicked oppressors—had grown terrified. That was more than enough! At that moment, Li Hao’s voice rang out across the city once more: "The Night Patrol shall inspect all quarters! Those who commit evil shall be executed! Those who sow unrest shall be executed! The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office remains open, stationed at... the Northern Gate Square! Anyone may come forth to report crimes. As long as the evidence is conclusive, any involving supers shall be put to death without exception!" *** Inside the Nine Departments. The directors’ expressions darkened, and someone roared, "He intends to stay?" It was entirely unexpected! They had assumed Li Hao would withdraw back to Silver Moon after this. Yet he hadn't! Li Hao was not leaving! Not only was he staying, but he seemed intent on continuing his purge. In the Department of Criminal Law, the current director's face was ashen. Glaring toward the north, he gritted his teeth. "Li Hao, you are courting death!" To think he would actually stay... Incomprehensible. Did he truly believe he was invincible under heaven? If the Nine Departments had not been restrained by the imperial family, who knew how many Silver Moon masters would have died today? Where did Li Hao get the audacity to remain? *** At the northern gate. Hou Xiaochen and the others wore bewildered expressions. They had been on the verge of telling Li Hao to retreat with them back to Silver Moon, where it was safer and where Silver Moon still held formidable strength. Li Hao kept silent. He had only purged a fraction of the nobles. If he left now, everything would revert to how it had been. He could not leave yet; leaving would render today's battle, the dead nobles, and the slain experts largely meaningless. As long as he remained in Heavenly Star City, he was a beacon—the greatest beacon under heaven. He was also a deterrent that cowed all four directions! "Li Hao..." Li Hao raised a hand, cutting Hou Xiaochen off with a smile. "What is there to fear?" Looking toward the distance, in the direction of the Nine Departments, he grinned. "I want to be a thorn driven straight into their hearts! They are powerful, and what they've shown today might only be a fraction of their might, but... so what? "You don't need to worry about me. As for the rest of you... leave if you should. I have the Wind-Chasing Boots. At this stage, as long as I don't force a clash, they'll find it very hard to keep me here!" He added, "Evil must be uprooted entirely! What use is merely making a start?" Watching the unrest across the city, then looking around at the agitated Night Patrol members nearby, Li Hao smiled. "Do you see? Some of the Night Patrol seem to be listening now!" Beside him, Director Yao said impassively, "These Night Patrol members were my former subordinates. Not many of them were wicked to begin with; they were merely suppressed by Huang Long over the past few years..." Li Hao turned to Director Yao. "Then why did Director Yao ignore them for five years, leaving them to be suppressed by others?" Director Yao opened his mouth, but hesitated before letting out a cold snort, declining to explain. Why? Are you blind? Didn't you see how many powerhouses showed up today? I may be strong, but if I hadn't submitted and bided my time back then, do you think today would even be possible? The moment Yun Haoran died, the Night Patrol chief became a thorn in everyone's side. If he had maintained his past dominance, he would have been killed long ago. Li Hao understood this. Yet he still felt irritated with the man. For no other reason than the last time he saw Yao sipping the Spring of Life and casually watching the show—it left a bad taste in his mouth, even now. Yao didn't bother arguing either; he simply turned and walked away. Being around Li Hao wasn't pleasant for him either. More importantly, this kid was issuing orders directly to the Night Patrol without even consulting him. What was the meaning of this? You're just a deputy governor-general of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office, with the governor-general, vice chiefs, and the chief himself above you... Don't you know how many ranks separate us? Barking orders left and right—an outsider might think you were the Chief of the Night Patrol. "It's just as well he left. Let's continue cultivating. If he stayed, I'd be reluctant to keep releasing sword energy!" Li Hao didn't keep his voice down, prompting the departing Yao to curse inwardly! *Saying that deliberately for my benefit?* *As if I care!* *My five organs are consolidated. All I lack is the cultivation path for the next stage; I couldn't care less about your energy.* After unsealing, his combat prowess had surged significantly while his injuries were minor; he could nurse them on his own. Cursing under his breath, he paid Li Hao no further heed. Returning to the Night Patrol headquarters, he found Xiao Ye looking at him with utter adoration. Yao felt a flicker of pride, which instantly morphed into irritation at her next words. "Chief, this time... you were simply too heroic! You're still the invincible grand hero of my heart!" Yao smiled proudly. Xiao Ye then added with boundless reverence, "Under Governor-General Li's leadership, the Chief has regained his past glory! I believe the Night Patrol will revitalize very soon!" Those words left a sour taste in his mouth. *I am the chief!* *He's a deputy governor-general, ranks below me!* Yao roared internally. *Ranks below me! He wasn't leading me—I was leading him!* *The Night Patrol is my territory!* *Do you understand?!*