A Massive Haul

“Sword meridians...” Emerging from the ruins, Li Hao had a few more ideas. Recently, he had been constantly contemplating his next steps. Battle Heaven City and the Silver Moon martial masters had given him immense inspiration. And now, sword meridians had appeared. Yes—the fact that supernatural locks were showing signs of transforming into sword meridians was fascinating. “There’s also the Breaker formula and the Attack formula... nurturing them with essence, qi, and spirit to cultivate sword nurturing arts...” In the end, so many things actually shared the same underlying principles. Li Hao grew increasingly intrigued by the martial dao. Though he was no longer a pure martial master but a supernatural, a supernatural martial master was still a martial master. “Supernatural locks, the Sword Nurturing Art, the Blood Blade Technique, the Origin Dao...” Li Hao murmured. With too many ideas springing up recently, he felt a bit of indigestion. Director Wang was right—looking at too much could easily lead one astray. He needed to test each element one by one and understand them thoroughly before pondering further. “Too many, too cluttered... that’s not good!” Li Hao thought to himself. With multiple systems and too many thoughts, he had to consolidate them. Otherwise, he might fall into a period of stagnation. “And the dormant force...” Li Hao thought. Force was something he also had to grasp firmly. Force, supernatural locks, the Origin Dao... A chaotic tangle of thoughts flooded his mind again, making Li Hao’s head feel like it was about to burst. He shook his head and stopped dwelling on it. Next, he would test them one by one. Yet unbidden, several thoughts surfaced in his mind: consolidate, unify, use a single vessel to bear and contain everything—integrating dao, force, supernatural locks, and mysterious energy. Mysterious energy was an external power that he couldn’t assimilate directly into his body; what if he wrapped it in something and integrated it into himself? Would that work? “What if I could open and close the supernatural locks at will, releasing and retracting power whenever I want?” “Didn’t the Five Animals Secret Art integrate force into itself?” “And then opening an aperture on the supernatural lock... one that can be sealed at will...” Though he had told himself not to overthink, Li Hao suddenly felt a surge of inspiration. Open an aperture on a supernatural lock? What a great idea! I really am a genius! But how to open it? And once opened, how to close it? His teacher’s Five Animals Breathing Art also hit a dead end after Spirit Fusion, without mentioning what to do next. Was one supposed to break open the supernatural locks after Spirit Fusion? “Going by the previous method, opening an aperture isn’t hard—just punch a hole directly, like planting a tree... The hard part is being able to open and close it at will... I need something to serve as a gateway...” “It has to be something from within my own body, or it won’t be compatible... Blood qi? Mental energy? Or something else?” Or blend them together to serve as a plug for the meridian? Blending them together... wouldn’t that be condensing essence, qi, and spirit into a character? Li Hao smiled. How fascinating! The martial dao really did converge. He mused, though for now, these were only theories. He didn’t have much time to experiment at the moment. As the Seventh Regiment Commander had rightly put it, as long as you didn’t die, go ahead and research, go ahead and experiment—what was there to fear! ... Silver City. Li Hao returned to his old family house. It was sealed off now, a dilapidated hazard where no one lived anymore. This area had already been slated for demolition; moving out hadn’t disrupted anyone else much. Black Panther returned as well. The doghouse at the stairwell entrance was still there, looking a bit messy and damp. Black Panther glanced at it without the slightest nostalgia. Who on earth would want to live in such a wretched hovel! “You don’t know the first thing about nostalgia!” Li Hao glanced at Black Panther. “This was your home, you know!” “Woof, woof, woof!” Black Panther barked back in protest. That wasn’t home; that was a temporary shed. Would you live in it if offered? “Time truly never returns!” Li Hao sighed with emotion. No matter how powerful an expert became, they could never return to the past. Time was the greatest enemy of all. A few months ago, he had been a pathetic wretch scraping by here; a few months later, he was a figure whose name shook an entire region. If he could return to the past, would he still walk this path? Returning to a few months ago, he definitely would have done the exact same thing. What if he could return to when his parents were still alive, and Xiao Yuan was still alive? Li Hao chuckled self-deprecatingly and let the thought go. What was done was done; time would not reverse. Why seek misery? ... Li Hao did not linger long in Silver City. Though it held many secrets, they were not ones he could unlock at present. Traveling back and forth, it wasn’t until the next day that Li Hao arrived back in White Moon City. This time, Li Hao chose to head to the Martial Guard Army base. He hadn’t been back in over a month. ... The Martial Guard Army encampment was dead quiet. The army’s numbers were small to begin with, and lately they had been running around all over. The Demon Hunt Corps had fought several engagements recently—battling pirates and clashing with local supernaturals within the provincial borders, earning themselves a modest reputation. Still, compared to Li Hao, they lagged far behind. When Li Hao showed up, the Demon Hunt Corps members who had been resting immediately erupted with excitement. “Commander!” The moment Li Hao tripped the alarm and appeared at the post, everyone was beside themselves. Naturally, Liu Long didn’t make the front and was shoved to the back. The first to charge forward wasn’t anyone else but Hong Qing, who looked ready to burst. Upon seeing Li Hao, she looked around frantically, unable to contain herself: “Commander, where’s my dad?” “Huh?” “The Earth-Overturning Sword!” In her impatience, she blurted out his moniker. “Didn’t they say my dad went to take part in the Battle of Heavenly Star too? And... and I heard... that he killed the Plain King! Is that true? My dad is a Divine Power Realm expert? No way! He’s so sluggish... cough, he’s such a down-to-earth guy, how could he hide such strength?” “I’m the daughter of a Divine Power expert? Then why have I had it so rough... Look at the sons and daughters of those Rising Light experts—they’re all Three Suns or Rising Light! My dad is Divine Power, so how could I be doing so poorly?” “...” Hong Qing hadn’t been this frantic originally, but over the past few days, news had reached her. It had spread all over Silver Moon. Something along the lines of: *Brave sons of Silver Moon martial arts,* *Their fame resounds across Heavenly Star Sea.* *Demon Sword blazes across four directions,* *Sky Sword looms to suppress eight wastes,* *Earth Sword in fury slays a Heavenly King...* *Silver Moon martial masters ride high,* *Rulers of all the seas and lands...* They had even turned it into a jingle! The key point was that the Earth Sword, Hong Yitang, was prominently featured, shining brightly. Slaying a prince in fury—and that prince was a genuine imperial king of the realm, not some empty title! How could Hong Qing not be excited? Unfortunately, her father hadn’t returned over these past few days, leaving her with no one to ask. Otherwise, she would have grabbed him and demanded answers: *You’re this incredible, so why has your daughter had it so miserable?* Where on earth did a Divine Power expert’s offspring live such a wretched life? Growing up, she had to do all the laundry and cooking with tears and snot running down her face! If I’d known my dad was that strong, would I have needed to do any of that? Li Hao was put in an awkward spot by Hong Qing’s barrage of questions. Only after a good while did he manage, “Well... you’ll have to ask your father yourself. I don’t know why he’s so strong either. As for your weak cultivation... maybe he thought you needed some toughening up...” Hong Qing gave him a deeply resentful look. *That’s it? Nothing else?* A trace of regret crossed her face. “What a pity. I didn’t get to see my dad kill the Plain King with a single sword strike... That must have been so cool!” Li Hao chuckled and nodded. “It was pretty cool. Slain with a single strike—the Plain King couldn’t believe it even as he died.” “You’re amazing too, Commander!” Hong Qing suppressed her restlessness and praised Li Hao. After all, with her dad not around, Li Hao was the strongest one here. “You even killed Hu Xiao, who founded the Nine Departments, and word has it you almost killed the Heavenly Star King...” “...” What kind of talk was this? How had killing an expert from the Nine Departments turned into trying to assassinate the Heavenly Star King? Li Hao shook his head with a laugh. No sooner had Hong Qing finished speaking than she was pushed aside. Wang Ming, having squeezed his way through the crowd, burst forward eagerly: “Senior brother’s renown shakes the world! Now you’ve become the Marquis of Heavenly Star and Heavenly Star Viceroy—rumor has it you’re even going to crown yourself king in Heavenly Star City! Senior brother, did you come back because you need hands? I can go! I’m not busy—I can do odd jobs for you!” Li Hao was caught between tears and laughter. He looked at Wang Ming. The fellow was a Three Suns now, though only in the early stage. That was decent, but... far from enough to make an impact. The Demon Hunt Corps members had all made some progress. There were quite a few more Douqian. During the previous cultivation session by the little tree, Li Heng, the successor of the Willow Catkin Sword, had been the first to advance to Douqian. Not long after, Hong Qing and several others followed suit. Now, this small Demon Hunt Corps had multiple Douqian experts. Liu Long seemed to have stepped onto the path toward Spirit Accumulation as well. But having seen Heavenly Star City, Li Hao felt they were still too weak. Of course, this was already very impressive. Having broken through the initial barrier to enter Douqian, their subsequent progress would not be slow. “Wang Ming, I’ve offended a bunch of powerful figures over there. If you go, someone might slap you to death!” Wang Ming grinned broadly. “So what? With you around, senior brother, how could I die that easily? Even if I really bite the dust, at least I’ll leave behind a name!” Everyone laughed, their eyes shining with anticipation and longing. They wanted to go too! To head to the Central Region, make a name for themselves across the world, grow stronger, and fight on all fronts! Unfortunately, they knew they were too weak. That was why, though they had originally wanted to go to the Central Region to join Li Hao, they had chosen to remain in Silver Moon. At this point, Liu Long walked over, looking somewhat puzzled. “Sword Master Hong hasn’t returned?” Before leaving, Li Hao had arranged for Liu Long to go to the Sword Sect. Yet Hong Yitang had run off and was hardly ever home. First he had gone east, and no sooner had he returned than he took off for Heavenly Star City. Now he was completely absent, turning Li Hao’s arrangement into a joke. Without Hong Yitang at the Sword Sect, what could they do there? Run errands? They might as well go out and slay a few pirates! “No, he isn’t coming back!” Li Hao smiled. “Martial Uncle Hong decided to stay in Heavenly Star City to put theory into practice.” Liu Long’s eyes flickered, and he looked at Li Hao. Originally, Li Hao had told him to stay in Silver Moon... and he had been willing to. Yet now... He pondered for a moment before speaking: “Everyone says Silver Moon won’t see much upheaval anytime soon. Is that true?” “Pretty much.” “You might be in some danger in Heavenly Star City?” “Boss, what are you getting at...” “Why not... take us to the Central Region as well!” This was the first time Liu Long had proactively asked to step outside Silver Moon. Li Hao looked at him in surprise, but Liu Long’s expression was dead serious. “Originally, I thought that once I reached the Spirit Accumulation realm, I could kill Three Suns! I’d have a foothold in Silver Moon, and I could protect a small city like Silver City... But now that I know Divine Power experts are nothing extraordinary and die in droves, I believe... only by becoming stronger can I achieve what’s in my heart!” He actually wanted to venture out! “Commander, take us with you!” The others chimed in one after another, unable to hold back their impulses and excitement. Having seen the storms and what lay beyond the heavens, they were no longer the sheltered martial masters of the past who had seen nothing of the world. They had witnessed much, and they too wished to broaden their horizons. Li Hao exhaled. “I actually had that in mind when I came back this time... It’s just that I originally thought Heavenly Star City was too dangerous, and you...” “Martial masters don’t fear danger!” Liu Yan cut off Li Hao’s words, smiling at him. “If we feared death, why be martial masters at all? We want to see the wider world in the Central Region!” Li Hao smiled immediately. “Sister Liu can’t sit still either? Reaching Douqian really gave you confidence.” Liu Yan smiled brightly. “We can’t just watch the rest of the Martial Guard Army make a name for themselves while we sit on the sidelines. We want a taste of that glory too. Word has it the Martial Guard Army in the Central Region is very famous now. People only know the Martial Guard Army, but know nothing of our Demon Hunt Corps!” Li Hao considered it and said, “It’s not out of the question. You won’t be the only ones this time—the Silver Moon Army will also dispatch a thousand soldiers to Heavenly Star City. From the General Administration Bureau, Deputy Director Zhou will be coming along as well...” Bringing them along wouldn’t be an issue. However... Li Hao still cautioned, “Staying in Silver Moon has its opportunities too. You know about the little tree. It will continue to grow stronger soon and will have enough life force to aid your cultivation, providing you with the best sacred ground to train...” “A martial master who only stays in seclusion isn’t a true martial master!” someone shouted. What was the fun in cultivating behind closed doors? No true powerhouse was ever born from seclusion! Li Hao laughed and stopped arguing. “Suit yourselves! But the danger is very real, as you well know.” “We know, Commander! We’re not afraid!” “All right, then. Get ready and pack your things. I might head back to Heavenly Star the day after tomorrow.” Earlier, he had considered dealing with Linjiang first to clear the road and prevent further blockades. After speaking with Deputy Director Zhou, Li Hao had abandoned that idea. At this stage, such matters were minor side issues. As for refugees, just as Director Zhao had said, as long as you opened your mouth, Linjiang would dare send you five million, ten million... As long as Silver Moon didn’t fear death, they would gladly send every single person your way! Their previous roadblock had only been to keep refugees from lingering in Linjiang. His objectives for this trip back were largely accomplished. Now, he only had to wait for the little tree to condense enough Spring of Life, give the seeds to the tree, and that would be about it. Additionally, Huang Yu would likely gather a batch of armor, so he could visit Battle Heaven City once more to exchange them for more sets of Battle Heaven armor. ... No sooner had Li Hao returned to the Martial Guard Army base than Hao Lianchuan, who was still at the Night Watchers, received word and rushed over at full speed. His words carried one single message: *Take me along too!* *I want to go to Heavenly Star City too!* Lately, the Night Watchers in Silver Moon had virtually nothing to do. With all the troublemakers gone, the Three Great Organizations had lost interest in this place—fleeing where they could, dying where they fell. The North Sea pirates were busy slaughtering each other for dominance, and the East Sea pirates were engaged in internal strife over the leadership... Silver Moon was practically out of the picture. ... At the same time. Heavenly Star City. With Li Hao’s departure back to Silver Moon, Heavenly Star City had quieted down somewhat, and the previous turmoil was gradually subsiding. The Nine Departments were still the Nine Departments. Since Li Hao was no longer killing people, fewer informants came to the Heavenly Star Governor-General’s Office. Seeing no movement from Li Hao, everyone chose to wait and see, no longer daring to lodge indiscriminate reports. The Night Watchers and the Martial Guard Army still went their own separate ways. There was no so-called integration, no unification. On the third day after Li Hao left, a sword intent surged forth within the Night Watchers headquarters. Yao Si materialized at the entrance of a small courtyard in an instant. At the same time, several young people arrived as well—Big Eyes and the other two appeared, looking a bit excited. Dao Jian was about to exit seclusion! Lately, Li Hao had completely stolen the spotlight. Dao Jian, who had once slain Yama’s grandson and triggered a war between the Three Great Organizations and the Night Watchers, had seen his ranking on the Divine Master Chart plummet almost out of the top ten due to his prolonged seclusion. “He’s finally coming out!” “Yeah!” “He’s been in seclusion for nearly three months, hasn’t he?” “Just about!” “In three months, Dao Jian has missed out on so much drama!” The youths chatted while Yao Si listened in silence. A moment later, a figure stepped out from the small building. Dashing and graceful, a smile gracing his face, he bowed slightly toward Yao Si: “Director!” “Mm.” Yao Si nodded slightly, looked at him, and said after a pause, “Transmutation? And... it looks quite stable. Does that mean you have hopes of stepping into Divine Power?” “Divine Power?” “The name of the new realm.” Dao Jian chuckled. “Understood.” With that, he looked toward Big Eyes and the others, nodding slightly. “You seem to be doing well too. Your strength has improved, and Transmutation shouldn’t be far off.” The saberman grumbled, “What good is Transmutation! This isn’t the era of Rising Light anymore. Divine Power experts are emerging everywhere. While you were in seclusion... a whole batch of Divine Power experts died! A few days ago there was an absolute slaughter, didn’t you know?” “I sensed a bit of it.” Dao Jian wasn’t surprised. He had only been in seclusion, not dead. He had simply been at a crucial stage of opening supernatural locks and unable to emerge. “It’s nothing. We simply press forward!” Dao Jian smiled. “Only when there are many strong figures can we walk further. A hundred flowers blooming is better than a single blossom standing alone. Having Divine Power before us gives us drive, doesn’t it?” “You sure take it in stride!” Big Eyes muttered glumly. “While you were away, the sky completely changed. Director Yao isn’t even the top boss of our Night Watchers anymore...” “Ahem!” Yao Si coughed lightly. *What nonsense!* *How am I not?* He had a good impression of these four. Especially Dao Jian. Though a supernatural, his talent was genuinely exceptional, and he was both bold and meticulous. Had Li Hao not arrived, Dao Jian would unquestionably be among the top figures of Heavenly Star’s younger generation. The current Divine Power experts were all veteran powerhouses. Among the new generation, Dao Jian had stepped into the Transmutation phase; aside from Li Hao, virtually no one was stronger. Furthermore, Dao Jian appeared stable. If he strengthened his five viscera further, he might smoothly step into the Divine Power Realm, becoming the first... well, second genius of the new generation to enter Divine Power. That fellow Li Hao was younger than Dao Jian and already in Divine Power. Dao Jian didn’t mind this. He chuckled and said, “Don’t dwell on it so much. Come, let’s have a meal at Nine Dragons Pavilion. You can fill me in on what happened while I was away. It feels like the atmosphere in the Night Watchers has changed; there must be plenty of stories.” “Oh, there are plenty of stories!” Big Eyes grinned. “Let’s go eat! If you hadn’t come out, we wouldn’t have had any appetite!” The four bade farewell to Yao Si and left together, laughing and chatting. Once they were gone, Yao Si smiled too. With Dao Jian out of seclusion, things in the Night Watchers would become more interesting. Dao Jian looked refined and gentle, but in truth, he was a fellow who feared nothing under heaven. Otherwise, how would he have dared to kill Yama’s grandson and seize the Heavenly Dao Ruler? At the thought of the Heavenly Dao Ruler, Yao Si glanced in the direction Dao Jian had left. Because Dao Jian had been in seclusion, the Heavenly Dao Ruler had stayed with him all this time. He wondered if Dao Jian had gained any insights from it. That ruler was no ordinary item. Even if it wasn’t one of the divine weapons of the legendary Eight Great Families, it was still an exceptionally potent divine weapon from the ancient civilization system. The Three Great Organizations had fought bitterly over it for ages. “When Li Hao gets back, things will get lively!” Yao Si chuckled. Dao Jian most likely wasn’t Li Hao’s match right now, but if he stepped into Divine Power... it was hard to say. He was also a supreme prodigy. While becoming a supernatural, he had also studied the martial dao deeply. He had even visited Sky Sword Mountain Villa to pay respects to Sky Sword, and Sky Sword had personally stepped forward to give him pointers for a time. Sky Sword rarely thought highly of anyone. Coupled with those three troublemakers who excelled at fanning the flames, watching the show would be quite entertaining. Thinking of watching the show reminded Yao Si of being called disgusting by Li Hao last time... A wave of annoyance washed over him. *I’m definitely going to watch the show, and I’ll watch yours!* *That little bastard actually wanted to subsume me recently. Outrageous!* ... The news of Dao Jian’s emergence spread quickly. The supreme genius of the Night Watchers drew attention from all sides. No sooner had the group arrived at Nine Dragons Pavilion than visitors began knocking on their door one after another. ... Far away in Silver Moon, Li Hao received word not long after. This time, he carried a transmission jade belonging to the Silver Moon communication network, though he rarely checked it. When he saw the news, he didn’t pay it much mind. Last time Big Eyes and the other two had made a move, he hadn’t made a fuss. Dao Jian had been in seclusion previously and hadn’t shown up, so Li Hao didn’t care either. What did being a genius matter? As long as you don’t interfere with me, fine; interfere with me, and even a genius becomes waste. ... On the third day after returning to Silver Moon, Li Hao visited Cat Head Mountain again. Outside the Imperial Palace. The little tree’s aura rippled, its origin energy diffusing. It seemed somewhat fatigued, but its aura was far stronger than before, and the tree itself had grown significantly larger compared to earlier. “Mission accomplished!” Drops of the Spring of Life condensed together. Li Hao brought out the large water vat he had crafted previously. In the past, obtaining a single drop felt like a fortune, but now, there were a full 500 drops! Though still not enough to fill the large vat, it was at least clearly visible. “Congratulations!” Li Hao smiled. “Senior, your strength seems to have grown considerably.” “Not grown, merely recovered a bit. I was in a state of severe depletion before.” The little tree sent a mental pulse and added, “Are you leaving?” “Yes!” Li Hao nodded. “Nothing major will happen in Silver Moon in the short term, so I need to make a trip out.” “To the Central Region you mentioned?” “Yes.” “I hear there’s a Heavenly Star Great Mine over there?” “Senior knows of it as well?” “There are mentions of it in my memories.” The little tree swayed gently, seemingly observing Li Hao. After a moment of contemplation, its mental energy rippled again: “Previously, I said I would condense several Origin Talismans for you. But with your current progress in strength, you might not need them...” Li Hao wanted to say: *I do!* Before he could speak, the little tree continued, “I’ve thought it over. You helped me revive, and we, the guard clan of the Imperial Palace, cannot be ungrateful. So I have an idea...” The little tree seemed to struggle internally before saying, “I will sever half of my origin to create an avatar. Its strength won’t be too formidable—only slightly superior to yours—but it will possess some intellect... You can carry it with you!” “However, unless absolutely necessary, do not expose my avatar to the outside world.” “From now on, whether you trade for divine energy stones or Origin God Armaments... you can trade directly with my avatar. The avatar can also produce the Spring of Life.” “Using my father’s husk as a vessel, you can place me inside your body or keep me in a storage ring... Though inside a storage ring, I won’t be able to sense the outside world and might not emerge at the very first moment... If placed inside your body, I can instantly perceive everything!” Li Hao’s jaw dropped in surprise! The little tree wanted to go outside? Well, not entirely, but half of it wanted to venture out. Hadn’t it said that as long as the Imperial Palace remained, it would not travel far? Of course, its main body remained here; it was merely severing half of its origin. Li Hao quickly weighed the pros and cons. A moment later, he asked, “If Senior’s avatar accompanies me outside... will there be danger when taking action?” “I’m not entirely sure... But as long as the power doesn’t exceed the threshold, it shouldn’t be an issue. The current danger lies in the fragility of heaven and earth—the void shatters easily, lacking sufficient energy to stabilize space... If I unleash my full power and shatter the void, chaotic void currents might slice me to death before the enemy even dies!” “That is also why you rarely see powerful entities appearing. The void today is much stronger than it was decades ago; when I first awoke, it was truly fragile.” *Before the first supernatural revival!* Li Hao understood. He quickly pondered: what were the pros and cons of bringing the little tree along? There were plenty of benefits, of course. A personal bodyguard, a demon plant that could produce the Spring of Life at any time, an entity that could create a sacred cultivation ground on demand. Yet there were downsides too! The little tree was stronger than him; could it be tempted by greed? Could other motives arise? Of course, keeping it in a storage ring might be a good option. Li Hao thought swiftly, then slowly said, “That works! It will be very convenient... However, Senior, I need to make a trip to Battle Heaven City next. If your avatar comes with me, will there be any issues?” “Battle Heaven City...” “Yes!” Li Hao nodded. “I’m going to retrieve some items and will return quickly!” The little tree almost said: *Then come find me after you’re done.* Li Hao added quickly, “Once I go there, I’ll head straight to Heavenly Star City from Battle Heaven City. If Senior wishes to come... you can only perform the severance now.” “...” The little tree faintly understood. A lack of worldly experience didn’t make a demon plant an idiot. *A show of force?* It roughly caught Li Hao’s drift. Hesitating for a moment, the little tree pulsed mentally: “That works too... It’s just... just that... As fellow demon plants, General Huai in Battle Heaven City won’t... eat me, will he?” “Certainly not!” Li Hao felt a twinge of guilt, but quickly assured it, “Definitely not! That’s my turf. How could I let him eat you, Senior?” The little tree wrestled with itself! Yet for the sake of the future, for further recovery... it needed to follow Li Hao. Weighing everything, it made up its mind. *I’ll go!* Moments later, the little tree began to tremble violently. Below ground, the fallen crystalline giant tree began to shrink, gradually vanishing, until it condensed into a tiny, miniature crystal tree. The little tree’s aura weakened drastically in an instant. Severing one’s origin carried heavy losses. Of course, if the avatar returned smoothly, it would be fine. But if the avatar perished, half of its origin would be gone—resulting in death at worst, or a drop in realm at best. This required immense resolve! The miniature tree floated before Li Hao. The little tree’s aura was feeble, and its voice was equally faint: “Unless absolutely necessary... do not discard it... Otherwise, I might die!” Li Hao was rather taken aback. It really had gone all in! “Senior, would you like to reconsider?” *Nonsense!* The little tree wanted to curse. *I’ve already severed it, and now you ask if I want to reconsider? Do you think slicing yourself in half doesn’t hurt?* *It’s the equivalent of cutting yourself in two!* *Why don’t you give it a try?* Yet for a brighter future, it endured the pain and said weakly, “No need. Will you place me inside your body, or...” “Uh... the storage ring, if you don’t mind the hardship, Senior!” Li Hao said apologetically, “I’d like to place you in my body, Senior, but the Starry Sky Sword can barely enter my body now, and it tends to release rogue sword qi. I’m afraid it might inadvertently harm you, Senior, which wouldn’t do!” Well, what an airtight excuse! The little tree didn’t mind. Whatever. As long as you give me the divine energy stones and Origin God Armaments first whenever you acquire them, everything else is secondary. Li Hao stored the miniature tree into his storage ring. A moment later, he took out a pile of seeds. “Senior, how long will it take to cultivate the grain I need from these seeds?” “The strain is... poor! It will require some modification from me. It’s a very inferior strain. About three months.” Li Hao sighed inwardly. As expected, it was the lowest quality! And this was what Director Zhao had called the best variety. It seemed that in this era, even crop seeds lagged far behind those of the ancient civilization. With the little tree’s main body remaining here, cultivating them wouldn’t be heavily impacted. Li Hao did not linger any longer. This trip had yielded massive gains! The little tree’s avatar, 500 drops of the Spring of Life, and roughly 2,000 suits of armor Huang Yu had gathered for him to exchange for Battle Heaven armor. It was an assortment of all sorts of armor, mostly Black Armor from the Black Armor Army—over a thousand sets. There were also some suits Li Hao didn’t recognize, gathered from who-knew-where, and he couldn’t tell if they belonged to regular armies. Without stopping to rest, Li Hao rushed toward Cross-Cut Gorge. This time, Black Panther served as his mount; Li Hao was tired of flying. ... Battle Heaven City. Li Hao had returned once more. This time, Director Wang sensed him and was surprised. *Why is he back again?* In the next instant, the entire Battle Heaven City shuddered faintly. Looking down from above, the colossal tree that almost blanketed the city seemed to quiver slightly. Li Hao had intentionally released the little tree to intimidate it. The little tree seemed to tremble, remaining utterly silent as if dead. Yet inwardly, it was shaken to its core! *It really is alive!* Not just General Huai—the other demon plants in Battle Heaven City weren’t completely dead either. They had merely been enveloped by General Huai, retaining a thread of vitality that might allow them to revive as well. The little tree was terrified. This time, without waiting for Li Hao to pay a visit, Director Wang swept across the sky, landing atop the city wall. He saw Li Hao in the distance and spotted the miniature tree. Seeming to ponder something, he quickly vanished again. Li Hao carried the little tree forward and soon reached the city gates. Upon arriving, the little tree suddenly landed on the ground, transforming into a man-sized tree. It bowed slightly toward the two characters “Battle Heaven,” as if paying respects. Li Hao was somewhat surprised, but soon understood. Evidently, the little tree knew the origins of these two characters; perhaps someone in the Imperial Palace had mentioned them back in the day. After paying its respects, the tree shrank back into a miniature form, hovering motionlessly above Li Hao’s shoulder. “Regiment Commander Li!” The three regiment commanders landed once more. Looking at Li Hao and then at the little tree, they showed surprise and confusion. “A demon plant? Where did it come from?” “From the Imperial Palace.” “The Imperial Palace?” The Seventh Regiment Commander seemed to recall something, pausing before saying, “Oh... the Imperial Palace... the abandoned temporary palace? I seem to remember... vaguely, that there used to be a tree by the gate... but... it didn’t seem to be this one...” “That was my father!” the little tree pulsed mentally. Li Hao looked at the little tree in surprise. “You can communicate with them?” The three regiment commanders communicated with him through their armor, not via pure mental pulses. “We both walk the Origin Dao, and their origins haven’t fully dispersed, so naturally we can.” Li Hao understood. So that was how it worked! The Seventh Regiment Commander remarked with understanding, “So that’s how it is! What a pity... But that’s only natural. After so many years, countless members of the Battle Heaven Army have fallen, and we have decayed as well. Time ages all men; surviving at all is already a stroke of luck!” “Too bad General Huai hasn’t revived, or he could have chatted with you.” He didn’t dwell on the matter, turning to Li Hao. “Regiment Commander Li, are you heading to the barracks?” “Yes, to exchange some armor.” “You obtained more armor?” “Yes.” “It seems your reinforced regiment might expand even further!” Li Hao chuckled and didn’t chat much longer, quickly leading the little tree toward the barracks. Once inside the city, the little tree grew even quieter. In the next moment, a voice echoed deep within the tree’s mind: “Is your father dead? What a pity. He was a loyal guard. I remember when the temporary palace was abandoned back then, only your father refused to leave. Later, that esteemed one from the Cat Palace seemed to bestow a cat fruit upon him, yet even that couldn’t save him?” The little tree’s heart shook! *Who?* In the next moment, the image of a tortoise surfaced deep in its mind. “It is I.” “Senior!” The little tree responded in its mind, thoroughly shaken: “Senior is... still here...” “I am a divine weapon. I do not perish, so why wouldn’t I be here?” “But... the Starry Sky Sword... the Wind-Chasing Boots...” “They are different from me. I am an ancient divine weapon spirit. The Starry Sky Sword and Wind-Chasing Boots were later refashioned. The Sword Venerable disliked divine weapons with autonomous consciousness, so he had Lord Zhushen reforge them. Besides, even if they had weapon spirits, under the Sword Venerable’s hands, they wouldn’t have survived until the next battle...” *True enough!* The little tree understood! With the Sword Venerable’s sword intent, every strike was do-or-die. Anyone serving as the weapon spirit for the Starry Sky Sword would suffer terribly—a replacement would be needed every three days, or else a single slash would obliterate the spirit entirely. “Senior, I...” “No matter. We are merely having a casual chat; there is no need for fear. You are the descendant of an Imperial Palace guard and have now succeeded your father. Though it was merely a temporary palace, and an abandoned one at that... you were recognized by Lord Cat Tree after all. We belong to the same camp. Besides... who would dare provoke someone from the Cat Palace? No harm will come to you!” The little tree felt bashful and dared not say more. The Cat Palace certainly held immense status! However... what era was this now? Who knew what the situation was here? Besides, it was only an abandoned temporary palace, not the true Imperial Palace. The old tortoise’s figure began to fade. “There is no need to mention me to Li Hao, nor tell him too much about the past. What is gone is gone. Do not let the existence of New Martial interfere with this era! Let nature take its course!” “Junior understands!” “Mm.” The old tortoise vanished completely, and the little tree fell quiet. Li Hao remained entirely oblivious. ... Inside the armory. When Li Hao brought out several thousand suits of armor, Zhang Liang was speechless: “I won’t complain about the Heavenly Star Army’s—at least they’re regular army! But what is this junk? This... this is security armor issued by a martial arts university! You brought this to trade as regular army armor?” “And this—this is escort armor used by merchant caravans! You’re trading this too?” “This is... this is... Heavens above, this is children’s armor! It’s for kids playing house! You brought this to trade too?” Zhang Liang looked utterly disgusted. “Bringing every piece of scrap you can find... I’m truly... truly speechless!” Li Hao felt sheepish. *Was that so?* *Aren’t they all armor?* Zhang Liang showed utter disdain. After tallying them up, he said in exasperation, “Two thousand two hundred sets. Only one thousand six hundred are from regular armies... The rest are pure junk!” Li Hao smiled ingratiatingly. “Director Zhang...” “Deputy Director!” “Right, right. Here’s the thing: didn’t I exchange for two thousand three hundred sets earlier? I originally had a hundred sets of my own, and the Martial Guard Army has five hundred... That makes two thousand nine hundred suits in total. I was thinking, how about trading these for two thousand one hundred sets? That rounds it up nicely to five thousand men! We can’t have an odd number, right? An incomplete count would look bad! It’d disgrace the Battle Heaven Army. People would look at it and wonder what happened—four thousand-odd men, did a few hundred get killed? They’d think we suffered casualties!” Did that make sense? A little! Yet Zhang Liang still retorted in exasperation, “How can that do... While you have a point, giving you several hundred extra sets of armor just like that—this is the armory! I’d face court-martial!” Right at that moment, a voice echoed in Zhang Liang’s mind: “Give it to him!” “Division Commander...” Zhang Liang froze. In the next instant, he cursed internally: *That back-door-scheming bastard!* *Bah!* *Shameless!* Yet since the division commander had spoken, what could he say? He had no choice but to say, “Fine. You have a point. I’ll give you two thousand one hundred sets!” “Thank you, Director Zhang!” “Deputy Director!” Li Hao didn’t care about the correction at all. Beaming with joy, he took them. They really gave them to him—what a treat! The little tree was stunned. *Even this works?* *Weren’t the Battle Heaven Army supposed to have strict military discipline?* Soon, a sense of awe rose within it. Indeed, Li Hao truly had great clout; even here, he could throw his weight around. Someone in Battle Heaven City was indeed backing him. At this moment, the little tree was thoroughly impressed. Formidable! The descendant of the Eight Great Families truly thrived wherever he went... especially the Li family! It seemed even Battle Heaven City held deep reverence for the Sword Venerable’s renown. Shortly after, Zhang Liang brought the armor, tossed it to Li Hao, and ignored him. *I have no love for back-door schemers!* Li Hao didn’t mind. Grinning from ear to ear, he slipped away in an instant. As for the division commander, Li Hao didn’t enter his office; he merely gave a token salute outside the building and took off immediately, so no one could accuse him of failing to pay his respects after arriving. Inside the office. The Ninth Division Commander was speechless. *What a perfunctory gesture!*