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Li Hao stepped out of the Night Patrol headquarters without rushing to leave. He took the time to say his farewells to Hong Yitang and the Bright Light Sword before finally departing. *** Li Hao liked traveling by night. It was unconstrained, free and easy. A small car cruised down the broad road, with the dog at the wheel. Instead of driving, Li Hao was studying the golden booklets. Anyone who witnessed the scene would have doubted their own eyes. Li Hao paid them no heed, engrossed in the texts. Though the two golden booklets contained different secret arts, their essences were fundamentally similar: one was meant to strike, the other to pierce. Both used blood qi to delineate characters, congealing spirit intent into form. They were manifestations of the origin path—offensive techniques that transformed an illusory path into tangible reality. *Most ancient martial secret arts are like this...* As Li Hao pondered, his thoughts drifted to the Blood Saber Art, and then to the Five Animals Art, which had also drawn inspiration from the former. In ancient martial arts, blood qi and the physical body were exceptionally formidable. *Ancient martial arts developed the physical body to the absolute limit.* Reflecting on physical development stirred many more thoughts in him. *A powerful blood qi must have its limits as well. Ancient martial arts had the Gates of the Triple Burner, while now we have supernatural locks. Is the Purple Palace really the only supernatural lock of the flesh? Is the spine really the only supernatural lock of the skeleton?* Sky Sword had told him that there were countless special-affinity superpowers, and perhaps each one corresponded to a supernatural lock. If so, the actual number of supernatural locks far exceeded those discovered so far. They simply hadn't been tapped yet. *Teacher's Five Animals Secret Art and his spirit-merging method ultimately fuse force into supernatural locks, binding the two into one... That's essentially similar to the ancient martial arts' unification of essence, qi, and spirit...* Essence, qi, spirit, and force—no matter how much one cultivated, it always came down to these fundamentals. Transcending them was impossible, and if one truly did, what would be the point of cultivating in the first place? Li Hao's mind churned as he considered martial secret arts. Every secret art strengthened the body along different lines. Did that mean that mastering any secret art to its limit could develop a corresponding supernatural lock? For instance, the Five Animals Art developed and strengthened the locks of the five viscera. The boxing techniques of Southern Fist and Northern Fist developed the Purple Palace, the spine, and the limb chains. And Tyrant Saber's words hinted that he might have developed a lock in the cranial region that connected to the spirit. *Supernatural locks will inevitably all be broken in the end... Shattering the shackles of the human body—whether for supers or martial masters, having supernatural locks today merely serves to restrain power they cannot yet control...* As his horizons broadened, as he saw more, experienced more, and crossed blades with more powerhouses, Li Hao was no longer utterly ignorant of the martial dao. *Then what is force? The embodiment of an extreme?* Idea after idea surfaced in his mind, and thoughts crystallized in his heart. *The Divine Power Realm... The fusion of two elemental affinities constitutes Divine Power. What about three? What about four?* So even if one shattered all five visceral locks, they would still fall within the scope of the Divine Power Realm, wouldn't they? *The Divine Power Realm encompasses more than a single stage... Or rather, supers will remain in the Divine Power Realm for the foreseeable future. Those with powerful five viscera are very likely to quickly shatter their third, fourth, and fifth visceral locks in the days ahead.* Then he thought of Ying Hongyue. Was that man a martial master? If so, what was his true purpose in absorbing the bloodlines of the seven families? Countless questions welled up within him. Moreover, he hadn't seen Ying Hongyue brandish any formidable divine weapon. Of the Eight Great Families' divine weapons, Li Hao held two, his teacher had one, and Battle Heaven City had one... The other four were unaccounted for, and it was impossible that Ying Hongyue didn't possess even one. Yet the man had never deployed one before. Suppressing these churning thoughts, Li Hao felt a faint inkling of realization: the Second Supernatural Revival might occur after everyone shattered their five visceral locks! It was an intuition. Perhaps many were waiting for that very moment. Shattering the five visceral locks signified stepping into the next stage—not just for Divine Power, but as the stage following a martial master's spirit-merging. *This also means that most people will have completely unleashed their latent potential...* With that realization settled in his heart, Li Hao dwelled on it no further. He closed his eyes and began to cultivate, drawing streams of dark elemental energy into his body, accompanied by light element. He had slain many, and he lacked neither mysterious energy nor divine energy stones—he had an overwhelming abundance of both, spanning every affinity. He had already unsealed wind and thunder, but what about light and darkness? In the past, he hadn't absorbed much of those energies because they offered little practical benefit. Even the dark affinity had merely helped him conceal his aura, which, to Li Hao, was better than nothing, but hardly essential. Unlike the five elements or wind and thunder, they didn't boost his combat strength. Yet after stepping into the supernatural path, Li Hao's perspective shifted. He wanted to manifest every supernatural lock in his body. How many locks were there within the human form? Could all of these chains eventually be severed? Streams of elemental energy poured steadily into his body. Be it light or darkness, both vanished swiftly inside him without a trace. Any leaked traces of energy were promptly absorbed by the dog at the wheel, leaving nothing behind and allowing not a wisp to spill outward. In terms of combat prowess, however, Li Hao experienced no improvement whatsoever. The light and dark energies simply disappeared, leaving Li Hao unsure of which supernatural locks had absorbed them. Meanwhile, within his internal organs, the ring formed by the five visceral locks hovered and circled through his viscera. The five types of force had settled into silence, as though biding their time for a rebirth. *** The small car sped down the broad road. Routes through the Central Region were reasonably clear, and the dog drove like the wind, maintaining astonishing speed. Obstacles simply ceased to matter. Whenever they encountered towering mountains or vast lakes, the battered car took flight, gliding through the air like an aircraft, clearing peaks and crossing waters without pause. Over the course of two days, the dog crossed several provinces, driving straight to the vicinity of the North Sea. In truth, such speed rivaled an expert hurrying at full tilt. Black Panther was worn out. The moment they hit the coastline, it brought the car to a halt and glanced back at Li Hao. The young man hadn't budged for two full days and nights, constantly absorbing supernatural energy, yet his aura hadn't shifted in the slightest, nor had he grown a bit stronger. What a waste! "Woof!" Black Panther barked. They had arrived. As for crossing the sea... it refused. The North Sea was vast; flying an ordinary car across it would run Black Panther into an early grave. Right then, Li Hao opened his eyes. Light and darkness seemed to rotate within his pupils. He looked slightly dazed, lost in contemplation. He glanced at Black Panther, who squirmed under his gaze and barked once more. Li Hao remained silent, quietly experiencing and savoring the sensation within. Inside his body, two small, dragon-like chains faintly emerged, one radiant and the other dim. As for their location, Li Hao couldn't pin it down—the chains seemed to drift rather than remain anchored. *Supernatural locks of light and darkness?* The supernatural locks had indeed manifested, though they seemed unstable. *It took absorbing this much energy just to barely make them appear. Ordinary people might never manifest these special-affinity supernatural locks in their entire lives...* "Woof, woof!" "I know!" Li Hao shook off his reverie and glanced at Black Panther with exasperation. "You only drove for two days. What are you yapping about?" No one had disturbed him over the past two days. His departure from Heavenly Star City was hardly a secret, yet no one had sought him out. It was somewhat unexpected, yet entirely reasonable—Li Hao was now a renowned, top-tier powerhouse of the contemporary era. Slaying Hu Xiao had already proved his might. Stepping out of the car, he was greeted by the roaring North Sea and a biting, desolate wind. Winter had officially arrived in the north. A light dusting of snow was even beginning to fall. It was already mid-November, and the north had turned thoroughly frigid. Yet vessels still drifted on the sea. Not far away, a fishing boat docked, and a crowd of raggedly dressed men, women, elderly folk, and children disembarked. They were close enough for Li Hao to hear the faint cries of weeping toddlers. "Keep moving, everyone! It's too cold here. Once you're ashore, head south... We're in the Central Region now. There are more opportunities here. Reaching the Central Region means a chance to live..." Someone was shouting instructions. It was a super, though a very weak one—merely at the Starlight Master level—and he appeared quite young. From a distance, he spotted Li Hao, but made no move to greet him. For one, they were strangers. For another, in the dead of winter, a lone man with a dog watching the scenery in the icy wind was clearly no ordinary person, even if no aura could be sensed. He was either a noble taking a stroll or a powerhouse admiring the view. The young Starlight Master strained to maintain a faint energy barrier that kept the freezing wind at bay, shielding several young children in the crowd as he urged, "Move, don't stop! The Three Northern Provinces have collapsed completely; staying means certain death! The Central Region is chaotic too... but at least... at least it's warmer. You won't freeze to death by the roadside!" "Divine Master Lu, we owe you our lives. Otherwise, we never would have made it across the North Sea..." "Don't call me Divine Master!" "Divine Master Lu, are you coming with us?" "I'll see you off for a stretch and then head back... As you all know, there are many more folks on the other side hoping to cross the sea for a chance at life. Without me guiding them, the North Sea is far too dangerous—they'd never make it across." "The Divine Master speaks the truth. We truly cannot thank you enough..." The dialogue from the crowd reached Li Hao's ears. In an instant, he understood everything. The Three Northern Provinces were in turmoil and the people were destitute. Fleeing famine and the bitter northern winter with no food left to eat, these commoners were heading south to seek a way to survive. Yet the North Sea was vast; crossing it was no easy feat. This young Starlight Master had taken on the role of a ferryman, ferrying boatload after boatload of refugees toward the Central Region. Li Hao listened quietly. The unrest in the Three Northern Provinces had begun before he left, and several months later, it seemed to have reached a fever pitch. Right then, an angry shout erupted: "Lu Chuan, at it again? I've told you, and I've warned you: stop bringing people over! This place is no paradise either. If they come here and can't find work, they'll die sooner or later anyway. Wouldn't they be better off staying in the Three Northern Provinces? Don't you understand that?" Li Hao looked over and saw an inspector clad in an Inspectorate uniform berating the young man. Lu Chuan raised his voice in reply: "Brother Wang, I don't want this either! But the Three Northern Provinces are too cold—staying behind means guaranteed death. In the Central Region... whatever happens, even if they're dragged off to mine in the quarries, it's miserable, but at least there's a chance to live!" Hearing this, Li Hao was slightly taken aback. He knew. Clearly, this Lu Chuan was not naive. He knew that coming here offered no bright future, but he knew even better that staying in the Three Northern Provinces meant certain death with no hope whatsoever. The distant inspector fell silent for a moment before barking, "Fool! I told you, you should be escorting them north, further north to Silver Moon! If they reach that place, there might still be a sliver of hope..." "Brother Wang, I wish I could! But I'm just a Starlight Master, and several provinces lie between us and Silver Moon. What's more, Linjiang on Silver Moon's border has locked down its defensive lines. They won't let anyone through, and they slaughter people at the slightest provocation! Here, with you helping out a bit, Brother Wang... at least I can smuggle them across. Over there... they're more ruthless than the rebels of the Three Provinces! I had no other choice..." "..." Their conversation drifted into Li Hao's ears. The inspector didn't seem like a bad man; he had hoped Lu Chuan would escort the refugees north to Silver Moon. But several provinces separated Silver Moon from the Three Northern Provinces, and one had to cross Linjiang to truly enter Silver Moon. Linjiang had sealed off the southward path from Silver Moon and refused entry to outsiders as well. As for traveling by sea, pirates swarmed the North Sea. Even with the North Sea King dead, the Starlight Pirate Crew remained, along with the other seven major pirate crews. How could a flimsy fishing boat ever make it into the waters of the Moon Sea? Li Hao had originally intended to cross the North Sea directly and head for Silver Moon. Now, his interest piqued, he blinked away in a flash, vanishing from where he stood. The Inspectorate officer was still talking with Lu Chuan when his expression suddenly stiffened. A young man had appeared right before his eyes. Lu Chuan's body also went rigid, and he glanced sideways. Upon recognizing the figure who had been admiring the scenery from afar, Lu Chuan let out a soft breath, turned, and cupped his hands respectfully. "Greetings, my lord!" "You know me?" "I do not!" Lu Chuan kept his head lowered. "My lord moves with such speed; you are clearly a powerhouse. We apologize for disturbing your view of the sea. We shall be on our way at once." Nearby, dozens of ragged commoners looked over with fear in their eyes. While Li Hao's attire was not lavish, it was certainly not something ordinary folk could afford. The inspector beside them scrutinized Li Hao a few times. He found the young man somewhat familiar, yet couldn't place him, only sensing his immense strength and extraordinary bearing. Li Hao glanced at the inspector. The man was not a super, but a martial master—specifically, of the Ten-Slayer realm. He could easily assess the weak. "Are the Three Northern Provinces completely in chaos?" Lu Chuan kept his head down and nodded. "Completely! Ever since General Kou died, the Three Northern Provinces have been in constant turmoil. It wasn't as bad at first, but with winter arriving, the northern cold set in, and harvests were poor this year. Vast numbers of commoners were swept into joining the rebels or turning to banditry... It ruined the Three Northern Provinces in an instant!" Lu Chuan exhaled. "Winter has only just begun, and it will only get colder. With no other option, I can only ferry some people across the sea into the Central Region to seek a way to survive. Normally, even in the depths of winter, one could still catch food from the sea if all else failed... but not this year. The North Sea pirates are fighting fiercely, battling for territory... We don't dare go out to fish anymore." "You are a super. Even if you're only a Starlight Master, you wouldn't starve no matter what, would you?" Li Hao looked at him. Young Lu Chuan gave a self-deprecating smile. "My lord, supers are human beings too, especially someone like me who is merely a Starlight Master. Supers are born of flesh and blood. I have family, friends, and neighbors... Supers aren't gods; I can't just stand by and watch my fellow townsfolk freeze and starve to death in their homes, can I?" Li Hao nodded slightly. "Fair enough. By the way, I just heard you say the road north to Silver Moon is sealed?" "Sigh!" Lu Chuan let out a heavy breath. "All nineteen northern provinces are suffering. Silver Moon's geography is harsh, and winter is even colder there... but at least Silver Moon still has order. Silver Moon martial masters are famous, with many powerhouses among them, and the province has remained relatively stable. If one goes there, there's at least a chance to find a living! But the provinces around Linjiang have kept Silver Moon under blockade, forbidding Silver Moon folk from leaving and outsiders from entering..." "It's been like this for several years now." He shook his head and sighed. "Otherwise, heading to Silver Moon would at least keep us in the north. Now our only option is to come to the Central Region to seek a path to survival." With that, he looked up at Li Hao and asked softly, "My lord... you are from Silver Moon, aren't you?" Li Hao smiled. "How could you tell?" People from the north generally looked similar. Lu Chuan smiled as well. "When Silver Moon was mentioned, it felt as though your mood brightened, my lord..." Li Hao chuckled. Had it? To be frank, in the past, he had never thought Silver Moon was anything special. Yet hearing others speak of how all other regions among the nineteen northern provinces had descended into chaos while Silver Moon alone maintained order—and that in such a bitterly cold land, they believed survival was possible—felt like an immense affirmation. In a foreign land, hearing an outsider speak of Silver Moon this way did bring Li Hao a touch of quiet joy. Li Hao glanced at the nearby civilians, then at the silent inspector, and spoke slowly: "The Central Region is a place that devours people just the same. Coming here doesn't guarantee a good end..." "I know, but in this era, where isn't like that?" Lu Chuan gave a bitter smile. "It's the same everywhere! But at least the Central Region is more prosperous. Even if one has to beg, it isn't as cold." Beside them, the inspector raised an eyebrow and spoke in a deep voice: "Actually, things have improved a bit in the Central Region lately. An upheaval took place in Heavenly Star City; a large batch of nobles died, along with many powerhouses. Many factions were terrified. The Night Patrol across the Central Region has become active recently, and the Three Great Organizations have quieted down significantly. It really is better than before... It's just that... with such a massive influx of refugees, handling them all will be difficult." With that, he glanced at Li Hao. "Did you come from the central area, my lord?" "Why do you ask?" Inspector Wang lowered his head. "Just curious. I wonder if Heavenly Star City will face even greater turmoil ahead." "Hard to say." Li Hao shook his head; it truly was hard to predict. Inspector Wang fell silent, letting out a sigh. In every upheaval, those most affected were never the nobles, but the commoners. Supers were rarely impacted—at the very least, they didn't have to worry about food or drink. Lu Chuan said nothing more. He glanced at Li Hao, then at the waiting civilians around him, and said softly, "My lord... then I won't disturb your view of the sea any longer. I... I need to see them off for a stretch. Once they clear the coastline, I must head back..." He felt there was no need to converse further with Li Hao. His tone remained respectful, of course, as such figures were not to be provoked. He had duties to attend to. Once he escorted these people beyond the coastline, he had to return to continue ferrying. Li Hao nodded. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Are there many supers like you?" "Pardon?" Lu Chuan was confused for a second, then caught on and nodded. "There are a few. In this area, I'm not the only one; several friends are handling transport as well. We all come from poor backgrounds, and our strength is meager, so we can't offer much help... but helping steer a boat is well within our power." "Have you considered the future?" "The future?" Lu Chuan smiled without answering. What future? There was no future to speak of. They simply took things one day at a time! "My lord, then... may I take my leave?" "Go ahead." Li Hao nodded. Without another word, Lu Chuan raised his faint energy shield and escorted the dozens of people toward the shore. Li Hao offered no aid. Helping one or two people was pointless. Right now, Li Hao was thinking about provinces like Linjiang. They had sealed off the northward path, severing Silver Moon's ties with the outside world, while Director Zhao and the others holding down Silver Moon hadn't bothered to address it. Now, the Three Northern Provinces were in chaos, their people displaced, and even those wishing to head north could not reach their destination. Besides, Silver Moon was poor and could not save so many people. A massive influx of refugees would bring catastrophic disaster upon Silver Moon as well. What these refugees lacked was food, drink, clothing, shelter... They lacked everything! Seeing Inspector Wang still standing nearby, Li Hao pondered for a moment and asked, "In your opinion, what is the most pressing need for everyone right now?" "Ah?" Inspector Wang had no idea what this noble figure was getting at or seeking to learn. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond. Li Hao smiled. "I'm asking what you desire most at this stage." "Enough to eat, warm clothes, and an end to wars. Whether supers or martial masters, they should ideally be placed under restrictions... so they stop fighting at will!" He didn't hold back: "Whenever supers and martial masters clash, vast numbers of commoners are terrified into abandoning their fields. They don't dare till the land, or even step outside their cities, leaving them to wait for death. The supers and martial masters think nothing of it—to them, simply not slaughtering people indiscriminately makes them righteous! But they have no idea that their battles destroy fertile fields and leave the people terrified to step outside. If this goes on... an even greater catastrophe will arrive sooner or later!" Inspector Wang knew the person before him was of noble status, so he spoke a bit more. It might be useless, but at least someone from the upper echelons would hear their cries. "Understood." Li Hao nodded and looked toward the North Sea. "It seems what everyone truly yearns for is peace..." *Nonsense!* Inspector Wang grumbled internally. *Who doesn't yearn for that? We have no ambitions of world domination. We don't care who rules, as long as we're given a way to live.* Li Hao spoke no further. He looked into the distance, and in the next moment, stepped into the air alongside Black Panther. He lingered no longer; it was time to return to Silver Moon. What he had witnessed this time stirred fresh reflections in his heart. Even knowing the Central Region devoured people, the refugees poured in continuously—simply because there was at least a sliver of hope, whereas staying in the Three Northern Provinces meant certain death. And Silver Moon remained blockaded on all sides, a barrier yet unbroken. What Hong Yitang had once described—destitution and famine—was coming to pass. Though currently confined to localized areas, it was a portent, a brewing trend. During his last journey eastward, he had seen rebel forces springing up everywhere and bandits running rampant along the way. A chaotic era had arrived! Yet all of this was under the orchestration of certain individuals; it was not a natural disaster, but a man-made calamity. *** Li Hao strode through the void. Left behind, Inspector Wang marveled at the sight. In the next breath, realization seemed to strike him, and he frowned slightly. *Could it be him?* *Surely not.* *Wasn't he supposed to still be in Heavenly Star City?* A lone man, a dog, a Silver Moon native, a youth... Demon Sword? The Heavenly Star Governor-General? He felt uncertain. After a moment's thought, he shook his head and dwelled on it no further. Though Demon Sword Li Hao had slain several people and brought temporary quiet to the Central Region, it merely treated the symptoms rather than the root cause. Once the Demon Sword was suppressed, things would only worsen, ushering in an even fiercer backlash. *** "Black Panther, not all supers are wicked people. Did you see that?" Above the sea, Li Hao murmured to himself, "That Lu Chuan is merely a Starlight Master, the lowest rung among supers. Yet even so, he wouldn't lack food or drink; wherever he went, he could find decent work. Yet he braves the danger, risking death at the hands of pirates, risking being hunted and driven off by Central Region powerhouses, just to ferry people from one furnace into another that isn't quite as scorching... Perhaps this is the true purpose of a super's existence. Because he is a super, he can shield people and carry them safely across the sea." Black Panther couldn't fathom his meaning. *What are you trying to say?* "Black Panther, all of this proves that the nature of one's power doesn't determine everything. Whether martial master or super, it all comes down to the heart!" Black Panther remained silent, still unable to comprehend. So what if it did? "Perhaps Silver Moon ought to break the blockade; perhaps it could save some people. Right now, winter has only just begun, and northern winters are bitterly cold. If this continues, countless lives will be lost... Furthermore, supplies and goods can barely enter Silver Moon... Director Zhao and the others have their own considerations, but I believe we cannot allow this blockade to persist!" "Of course, that requires wealth, manpower, materials... food, clothing..." Li Hao rambled on to himself while Black Panther remained silent. Then Li Hao spoke again: "Cultivation resources have always been my sole focus. Slaying nobles and powerhouses, I only ever searched for those. But as for their grain, clothing, and secular enterprises, I never cared in the slightest... Yet without those things, tell me, can people fill their bellies? Can they survive?" "It seems I have gradually detached myself from the secular world." Li Hao sighed with emotion. "You too. Have you forgotten when you were a stray dog, fawning over me and passersby just for a meal? When did you and I start caring only about cultivation resources?" Black Panther fell silent. Li Hao added, "This time when I go to Battle Heaven City... I want to ask them how a single city fed and clothed fifty million people back then. Do you think... Battle Heaven City will tell me?" Black Panther looked surprised. *Ask about that?* *Aren't you afraid the powerhouses of Battle Heaven City will laugh at you?* Li Hao didn't care. Instead, he pondered deeply. Indeed, fifty million people—even if all of them were experts, experts still needed to eat and drink. How had a single city managed to sustain the daily needs of tens of millions? Where had the food come from? Battle Heaven City had to have had a method. Yet he had never considered it before, nor had he cared. This time, perhaps he ought to ask. Furthermore, the existence of demon plants... Was the purpose of demon plants truly just warfare and slaughter? Demon plants, life force, accelerating growth, catalyzing plant development... All sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind. From north to south, and from south to north—returning once more, Li Hao carried fresh reflections. Remaining true to one's original aspiration... simple to say, but extraordinarily difficult to achieve! At this stage, if he couldn't topple the Nine Departments or eradicate the Three Great Organizations, he couldn't simply do nothing either. Hong Yitang hoped to learn from Heavenly Star City's experience, but Li Hao felt it might be better to seek counsel from the ancients. *** From that point onward, Li Hao clashed with no one. Unleashing his wind and thunder affinities like a tempestuous lightning storm, he flashed past city after city. In the northern winter, hardly any greenery was left to be seen. Along the way, frozen corpses could even be spotted. He continued northward, and finally, a day later, he reached the border of Silver Moon. Silver Moon remained as quiet as ever, and as poor as ever. Yet the moment he crossed into Silver Moon... it didn't seem quite as cold. Amid Silver Moon's thirty-two cities, Li Hao touched down in a border town. Few people walked the streets, yet they were all wrapped in thick clothing, and the faint bustle of chatter drifted through the air. In the past, he hadn't felt the people of Silver Moon were any different from others. But looking at them now, they lacked the numbness found elsewhere. Their lives still carried a small glimmer of hope. "Our Silver Moon martial masters truly are formidable. Have you heard? The Demon Sword is already striking awe into all four quarters in Heavenly Star City..." Conversations discussing Li Hao echoed through the streets and alleys. Only a few days had passed since Li Hao's deeds, and the people of Silver Moon were still gossiping about them. Li Hao smiled, glancing at the quiet little town. Remembering the ghost-like Linjiang city he had seen while soaring through the void earlier, he found himself filled with new reflections. *** Li Hao took to the air once more. Ever since Silver Moon began purging members of the Three Great Organizations, communication between Silver Moon's cities had resumed. Foot travelers and merchant caravans now traversed the roads, no longer paralyzed by fear of stepping outside. In the past, leaving the city was terrifying. Now, that fear had largely dissipated. Along the way, Li Hao even heard the name of the Demon Hunt Corps mentioned. Recently, the corps seemed quite active, clearing out troublemaking supers and martial masters, earning a modest reputation across Silver Moon. A genuine smile finally appeared on Li Hao's face. Instead of heading to White Moon City, he changed course toward Battle Heaven City, intending to visit the Cross-Cut Gorge first. Perhaps he would gain something there. As for the others, he would meet them later. *** Battle Heaven City. It remained as deathly still and tranquil as ever. Near the city gates, the silver-armored and black-armored figures stood quietly, continuing their patrols as always. Only the rhythmic clanking of black-armored boots echoed through the city. It seemed as though nothing had changed. Until a faint ripple traveled inward. Within the City Lord's Estate, Director Wang snapped his head toward the entrance. A vision manifested before his eyes: a young man and a dog stepping through the boundary barrier. "He's back..." Director Wang murmured, then suddenly paused. "He seems... eh? He became an energy martial artist?" The giant turtle's lamenting voice sounded beside his ear: "Indeed, what a pity... Ask him what happened, why he took this path." "Understood," Director Wang replied casually. An energy martial artist... it didn't truly matter. Some looked down on them, believing there was no future down that road, which was only natural. But Director Wang and his peers paid little heed to such prejudices. It was merely a different path. Besides, Li Hao might not even reach that ultimate stage, so worrying excessively was pointless. The path of martial arts was one each individual had to walk for themselves. At this moment, Director Wang's reaction was remarkably placid. Meanwhile, within the military barracks. A golden warrior suddenly opened his eyes, a faint radiance gleaming within. He looked toward the city exterior and waved a hand, conjuring a projection of the young man and dog near the city gates. "The energy dao..." "He has grown stronger, but to what end?" "Still... it isn't a pure energy dao either. A chimera... Has he come seeking a remedy?" The golden warrior murmured softly, then quickly sank back into silence. He couldn't be bothered to care! Whatever path the youth chose, he simply needed to understand the pros and cons himself. As for a remedy, it would not come easily—unless he completely transitioned back to ancient martial arts, there was precious little hope.