Shockwaves in All Directions

The world spun. When Li Hao and the others regained their sight, they had already returned to Heavenly Star City. The western outskirts. The moment Li Hao and his companions appeared... the world seemed to fall silent. As if in an instant, everything had frozen. They were out! Indeed, five days had not yet passed—it had only been four days, so many people were not paying close attention. But there were still sentries watching nearby, and at this moment... heaven and earth fell deathly still. Outside the ruins, the people stationed there gaped with mouths wide open, paralyzed in shock. Li Hao and his group had come out! Then... what about all those powerhouses who had gone in? The four directors? The master of Heavenly Roc Mountain? The master of Futu Mountain? King Dingshan? Where were all those regional overlords? The crowd could only watch in stunned silence, their minds seemingly frozen in place. The world was profoundly quiet. At that moment, just as Li Hao and the others were still readjusting their senses, the void seemed to split open. A dignified, middle-aged man walked out from the empty air. Li Hao felt a faint jolt in his heart. Tearing through space? No, it seemed... he was simply too fast. Even so, his strength was terrifying. Who was this? Looking closely, the middle-aged man wore a military uniform. Li Hao... seemed to guess his identity. Sure enough, the dignified man glanced at them, and after a long silence, spoke slowly: "Are they dead?" Li Hao raised an eyebrow. Hou Xiaochen also looked at the man and said calmly, "They should be dead, yes." "Did you kill them, or did the entities inside the ruins kill them?" "What do you think?" The man fell silent. After a moment, he glanced toward the ruins, then looked back at Li Hao, his tone utterly placid. "You may establish the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office. However... there will be no more slaughter. Whatever scores you have, settle them after the secondary revival!" Li Hao frowned. "Do you call the shots?" "I do!" The man gave a slight nod. "For now, that fellow and I have only been acting to restrain the one in the imperial family, never bothering with these matters. But... when your threat surpasses the imperial family, I will step in!" Li Hao's aura began to rise. "Yet I don't think... you necessarily can!" Li Hao sneered. "The founder of the Military Law Department, a figure who earned a page in the history books—the God of War, Qi Pingjiang?" Indeed, the founder of the Military Law Department. The former director of the Military Law Department. According to Yao Si, this man, along with the head of the Department of Administration and the one from the Inspectorate, were the three most terrifying figures among all the first-generation directors. One of civil affairs, one of martial might. As for the one from the Inspectorate, he was a seasoned veteran adept in both civil and martial paths, though held slightly beneath the other two in each. Yet eighty years ago, these three had led the other six directors to directly suppress the imperial family! From that alone, one could tell just how formidable they were. After all, Li Hao had encountered several old directors by now and even killed two... In truth, they were only so-so. The imperial family was immensely powerful, yet they had been suppressed; evidently, that had largely relied on these three. The God of War, Qi Pingjiang, was renowned throughout the world for his martial prowess. In his early years, he had even led troops to suppress the Black Armor Army, which spoke volumes of his staggering power. At this moment, Li Hao suspected that this man possessed at least six-element divine powers, and might have genuinely touched the Peak Realm—the so-called seven elements. However... the specifics were hard to judge for now. When Li Hao observed him with his eyes, there was a faint halo of energy, yet it also carried the glaring intensity of energy returning to a martial master. Perhaps he had previously converted to superpowers and then converted back into a martial master. What his true foundation was would remain impossible to determine without an actual fight. The man had arrived very quickly. He had appeared the instant Li Hao and the others emerged, clearly realizing there was trouble. Qian Wanhao and all the others had fallen! Not only that, but of the demon plant avatars taken inside, not a single one had made it out alive. Right now, isolated by the barrier of the ruins, those demon plants had not yet sensed it. But now that the ruins had reopened and their aura spilled out, the demon plants would soon discover that their avatars were gone. Far too many powerhouses had met their downfall this time. Including the masters of two sacred mountains and an imperial prince. This loss was even more catastrophic than the last. They had lost another former director, and a full three second-generation directors. At that very moment, the void rippled. Several more figures appeared. Some looked toward the ruins, while others wore sorrowful expressions. Clearly, among these newcomers were the former directors of the Department of Merit Assessment and the Department of Foreign Affairs. Now, only seven former directors remained alive. In the blink of an eye, the old man from the Inspectorate also arrived. He glanced at the ruins behind them, then looked at Li Hao and his group, keeping silent and uttering not a word. His son stood beside him, equally speechless and somewhat dazed. Li Hao... had made it out! His father had said: the moment Li Hao comes out... take the Inspectorate and join the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office. He had kept those words in mind. Yet even he had believed that Li Hao wouldn't make it out. Even... even if Li Hao truly emerged, it would surely be a pyrrhic victory with mutual destruction. But right now, Li Hao's entire entourage had emerged. Aside from Hou Xiaochen, whose aura was somewhat scattered as if he had stepped into superpowers, everyone else seemed unharmed. Even that dog had come out. Yet the people who had gone in were gone. Gone—they had surely all died. Otherwise, how could Li Hao and his companions have walked out? At that moment, another figure tore through the air. It was Liu Yunqing, the Director of Finance whom no one had seen for a long time. The chubby Liu Yunqing looked at the ruins, then at Li Hao's group, deep suspicion and wariness flickering in the depths of his eyes. He had been to the ruins, to the teaching building inside. There were peerlessly powerful puppets in there. At first, he hadn't known. It wasn't until his cousin mistakenly strayed into an area that several puppets instantly appeared. The moment they showed up, a single puppet easily killed his Divine Power Realm cousin in just one strike... From that point on, he knew these ruins were a death trap! Those puppets... were most likely at the Peak Realm. Furthermore, there were many of them. At least a hundred! He could not fathom how terrifying this small Martial Science University truly was. Those were merely puppets, before anything deeper had even been provoked into awakening, yet they were already so fearsome. Thus, he had assumed that once these people fought, everyone would die! Because he knew those fools had scattered divine energy stones inside—the very thing most likely to stimulate the awakening of ancient powerhouses in the ruins. Yet... facts proved him wrong. People had indeed died, but not Li Hao and his companions. It was Qian Wanhao and the rest. Had the entities inside the ruins killed them? Li Hao and his group coming out a day early meant they had likely triggered some upheaval inside. Otherwise, how could those demon plant avatars have been slain? Those avatars possessed the power of five or even six elements of divine power! There were so many of them, not just one or two. That Li Hao had killed them all himself... he honestly couldn't believe it. Yet now, the reality stood before them. Li Hao had emerged. And this old monster from the Military Law Department had stepped forward as well. A figure who had suppressed countless powerhouses eighty years ago, who had always maintained a low profile, acting in concert with the head of the Department of Administration to build up the Nine Departments and bring down the imperial family. Remember: when the Three Great Organizations rose, he had not appeared. When the Seven Sacred Mountains dominated, he had not appeared. When the City of Superpowers was established, he still had not appeared. Yet today, he had stepped forward. To warn Li Hao! And merely to warn him. Evidently, even this man felt threatened. The surroundings were deathly quiet. Everyone simply watched Li Hao and Qi Pingjiang. In this moment, they could hardly believe such an outcome was possible. Qi Pingjiang remained grim and aloof. "Do you wish to test me?" Li Hao smiled. "Testing you... what of it?" *Boom!* A torrential force erupted in an instant. An incomparably fierce sword force materialized out of nowhere, slashing forth in a single strike! Its speed was astonishingly fast! *Boom!* At the same time, Qi Pingjiang threw a punch. The surrounding space seemed to shatter, moving as swift as lightning! A thunderous crash echoed across the plains! The shockwaves rippled outward, and underground, a low hill instantly collapsed. The hill that had stood in the western outskirts for years vanished entirely. Revealing a gateway of glowing light—the portal to the ruins. Li Hao took several steps back, blood trickling faintly from the corner of his mouth. He let out a light laugh. "Nothing more than this! Around six elements of divine power, perhaps capable of bursting higher... but space itself cannot sustain it. Before the secondary revival begins, the Peak Realm of ancient martial arts cannot manifest... What gives you the right to be so arrogant?" The moment these words fell, shock rippled through all four directions! Six elements of divine power! Qi Pingjiang's strength was terrifyingly vast. Yet... what was even more frightening was Li Hao. Though he had been repelled by that single clash, there was no overwhelming disparity between them. How could this be? Qi Pingjiang seemed to have anticipated this. For Li Hao to suppress Qian Wanhao and the others, how could he lack the power of five elements? He showed no anger, merely looking at Li Hao. "You have the right to be arrogant, and the right to be brazen... Thus, as I said, the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office may be established. Both the old and new directors of the Department of Criminal Law have been wiped out, so you may take over their duties... However... that does not mean you may continue your slaughter!" Li Hao sneered. "You speak as though I were a demon and you a saint! Look across this world: does your Military Law Department have the better reputation, or my Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office? Qi Pingjiang, God of War... are you even worthy of that name?" Qi Pingjiang remained calm. "Worthy or not, what does it matter? If the Nine Departments hadn't suppressed the imperial family eighty years ago, and if the Nine Departments hadn't continued suppressing them for these eighty years, do you think you people could have gotten this far?" Li Hao scoffed. "That was a realm fought and won by the people of Silver Moon themselves... Be it the imperial family or the Nine Departments, neither has any say over Silver Moon!" Qi Pingjiang did not argue. The Silver Moon people were fierce; back then, even the imperial family had found them difficult to handle. Not wishing to waste words with Li Hao, he reiterated, "Whether you borrowed the aid of entities within the ruins or carry a supreme demon plant avatar... in this era, they cannot come out to help you! Once you release that old ghost of the imperial family... do you have any idea what you will face?" "Is he that strong?" "Naturally!" Qi Pingjiang glanced back and said indifferently, "If he weren't strong, could he have trapped me and that fellow from the Department of Administration? Li Hao, armed with divine weapons, you are indeed formidable. But have you forgotten the divine weapons that blocked your path that day? We simply did not wish to deploy them. You have already obtained what you wanted, haven't you?" Li Hao raised an eyebrow and remained silent. If possible, he would have loved to kill these people right here. Yet this man truly possessed the strength of six elements, and... perhaps had not even exerted his full power. He merely seemed perpetually wary of the imperial family's old monster. No matter how strong that imperial figure was, could he surpass seven elements? Why... was he so cautious? Mulling over these thoughts, Li Hao surveyed his surroundings. This time, with the exception of the former director of the Department of Administration, nearly everyone had arrived. Out of the eighteen directors of the Nine Departments, Li Hao had killed a full five—two old and three new. And right now, over ten directors were gathered here. Only two or three were absent. After a moment, more powerhouses emerged nearby. Several were clad in full suits of black armor, their bodies completely concealed—they were from the Black Armor Army. The imperial family had sent people as well. A short while later, another figure drifted gracefully into view. It was none other than the Seventh Princess of Nine Dragons Pavilion. At this moment, the Seventh Princess wore a radiant smile. Looking at Li Hao, she said softly, "Congratulations to Governor Li. Uncle Dingshan... became somewhat possessed. Uncle Plain rebelled and colluded with external enemies, yet Uncle Dingshan failed to distinguish right from wrong. I wonder... could we receive Uncle's remains so he may be buried in the imperial mausoleum...?" Li Hao looked at her and laughed. "If you erupt right now and help me kill this fellow, I will return the body to you. How about it?" "..." The Seventh Princess choked on her words, offering a strained smile. "The Governor jests..." "Why would I be jesting?" Li Hao stared at her. "It has already come to this. If our two sides join forces, I can't guarantee anything else, but I can leave everyone here dead for you except Qi Pingjiang! Can your imperial family really not handle even two six-element combatants? If so, why bother vying for supremacy? Why speak of staging a comeback? Are you kidding me?" The Seventh Princess had not expected Li Hao to be so aggressively overbearing. For a moment, she was utterly lost for words, her momentum completely suppressed! Li Hao watched her for a beat, then sneered. "A nest of snakes and rats, utterly incompetent. Watching a golden opportunity slip by—unfit to plot with!" With that, ignoring them entirely, he stepped into the sky and departed. Qi Pingjiang did not stop him. Among the rest, some were furious and some mourned, yet no one stepped forward to block the way. Hong Yitang and the others silently followed. Li Hao strode through the air, his hearty laughter ringing out: "The day after tomorrow is the grand opening ceremony of the office! I invite you all to join in the grand occasion! I won't bother sending invitations!" At this moment, Li Hao was arrogant to the extreme! Walking across the sky, his voice resonated through all directions. Heavenly Star City shook. They knew... Governor Li was back. That formidable figure seemed to have accomplished something monumental yet again. Right then, Li Hao pulled no punches, his voice carrying far and wide: "Qian Wanhao of the Department of Commerce, Hu Mingfa of the Department of Criminal Law, Zhang Zhen of the Department of Merit Assessment, Yu Qing of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and Jiang Chao, King Dingshan, colluded with the City of Superpowers and the Three Great evil energy organizations, colluded with the demon race of Heavenly Roc Mountain, and colluded with the rebel traitors of Futu Mountain... ambushing the law enforcers of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office! Today, all have been brought to justice and executed! Let this serve as a warning to everyone. The Departments of Merit Assessment, Foreign Affairs, and Commerce must take heed and place righteousness above kin—do not let both fathers and sons be stained black! The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office welcomes the three departments to deliver any traitors within their ranks to us at any time. Do not resort to private lynching; the authority of law enforcement belongs solely to the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office!" His voice reverberated, and at this moment, an eerie silence fell over the city. People could not process the news. Who had died? It sounded like important figures... Yes, it seemed so. Perhaps they had misheard? Four directors had died, one of whom was the former Director of Commerce recorded in the history books! Only a few days had passed since Hu Xiao's death, and now another figure immortalized in history was dead? As for the master of Heavenly Roc Mountain and the master of Futu Mountain... those went without saying; ordinary people weren't familiar with them anyway. King Dingshan... one of the imperial family's Nine Kings. Plain King had died last time, and now another had fallen? The entire city struggled to digest the news. ... Night Patroller Headquarters. Yao Si's expression shifted continuously in profound shock. It had really succeeded? All of them killed? Li Hao... truly had a ruthless hand! Beside him, Xiao Ye drew in sharp breaths repeatedly, murmuring, "I knew it. Governor Li is truly omnipotent, too terrifying... How did the Nine Departments and the imperial family dare provoke the Governor? Isn't that just courting death?" "..." Yao Si said nothing. Nonsense! Before Li Hao went in, I knew he was at four elements of divine power, and even I thought his chances were slim—that he was gambling with his life. You little brat, what do you know that gives you the nerve to say that? Yao Si walked out of the office building and looked outside. At this moment, the entire Night Patroller headquarters was terrifyingly quiet. Not far away, Dao Sword and the others stood in utter silence. That man... was truly invincible. Right now, he was brazen enough to publicly announce their deaths, even framing them... Well, it wasn't really framing; Li Hao was stating facts, but history was written by the victors. Whatever Li Hao said now was the absolute truth. "Truly terrifying!" Big Eyes, who had always been rebellious and indignant, now felt a lingering dread, thoroughly shaken. So many people had been killed this time? Dao Sword also looked silently toward the west. He could see streaks of radiance flying overhead—Li Hao and his companions. Looking up at them, his feelings were complicated. Killing Divine Powers like slaughtering chickens? Had that man... already reached such a level? Supposedly, the Divine Master Roll would be released soon... Did that roll still hold any meaning? If Li Hao wasn't ranked first, who would dare claim to be stronger than him? Not only was he powerful, but more importantly, he now commanded immense momentum. Powerhouses gathered beneath his banner like clouds, Silver Moon martial masters rushed to his aid in droves, and some overlords had even openly declared support for him. Indeed, just over these past few days, turmoil had broken out in the east. Several eastern overlords were reportedly cornering and pressuring the Xu family under the name of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office. Originally, they might have simply intended to borrow momentum... Yet now that Li Hao had suppressed all sides, borrowing his momentum... meant they would likely end up giving themselves over to him. Otherwise, did they think Li Hao's momentum was so easily borrowed? ...At this moment, the news swept across the world. The City of Superpowers. Inside a magnificent, palatial hall, terrifying figures stood on all sides. Above them sat an incomparably glamorous woman at the head of the hall. After a long silence, she spoke softly: "What a man, this Li Hao!" She looked around and murmured, "The City of Superpowers was established to be free and unconstrained, intended as a haven for supernaturals, perhaps even to become a holy land of the extraordinary like Star Suppressing City during the ancient civilization! Yet now... that man seems unwilling to let that happen. The Nine Departments and the imperial family have both chosen to back down, and this Li Hao has successively slain four of our city's Divine Powers..." Below, someone said in a sinister voice, "The imperial Jiang family and the Nine Departments... are all useless! The Three Great Organizations are equally incompetent. With so many powerhouses acting together, they actually failed..." The woman said indifferently, "Enough! Before this, did you expect them to fail? They even brought along demon plant avatars—did you think Li Hao and his group could win? Hindsight is utterly meaningless! That Li Hao reached a tacit understanding with the man from the Military Law Department and refrained from pressing further is clear proof. So next... the biggest trouble lies with our City of Superpowers and the Three Great Organizations..." The Three Great Organizations were elusive and unpredictable. Yet the City of Superpowers stood rooted in the Central Region, an unmoving fixture. At this moment, the female City Lord had already sensed the crisis lurking on all sides. She sighed. "If Li Hao wants to establish his authority further, he probably won't suppress the Nine Departments' powerhouses again. The Three Great Organizations and the Seven Sacred Mountains... all move without a trace. Only we possess a million supernaturals! Nearly half of the supernaturals in the Central Region have joined our City of Superpowers... The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office wants to set rules for the supernaturals... Who do you think... is the most suitable target?" Did it even need to be said? Naturally, the City of Superpowers! Below, an elder said in a deep voice, "Li Hao isn't stupid either. Having offended the Nine Departments and the Three Great Organizations completely..." "Are you trying to say he won't dare offend us?" The woman laughed. "Do you think... that's realistic?" Not dare? What a joke! Was there anything Li Hao wouldn't dare do? The elder said gravely, "Even if he dares, if he comes, we will let him know why the City of Superpowers can stand here unshakeable, forcing the Nine Departments to yield and the imperial family to show respect!" He snorted coldly. "The ancient clans are not something he can comprehend..." The woman smiled. "Do not mention such things in front of him; it will only make us a laughingstock. Among ancient clans, is there any more ancient than the Silver Moon Li family?" At those words, the elder was left speechless. The logic held, yet how could the current Li family still be considered an influential clan? However, when Li Hao emerged and suppressed all four directions, everyone realized... sometimes, one didn't need numbers; a single person was enough. Mentioning the Silver Moon Li family now, people would only say: as expected of an ancient, renowned clan! "Then what does the City Lord... intend?" The elder looked at the woman above. Despite her young age, to become the City Lord of the City of Superpowers with the backing and tacit consent of the major clans, she naturally had formidable capabilities. The woman looked into the distance, and after a long time, said slowly, "Let us wait and see. Doesn't Li Hao want to establish rules for supernaturals? Let us see what his rules are like, and whether they affect the City of Superpowers. If the impact isn't significant... we can simply let him have his way!" At these words, someone's expression changed. "The City Lord means... to let Li Hao's laws be enforced in the City of Superpowers? That cannot be! Wouldn't that make us Li Hao's vassals...?" The woman gave a light laugh. "Or should we fight him to the bitter end over trivial matters? Where does his brazenness come from? It comes from the fact that the Nine Departments, the imperial family, and the Three Great Organizations... are ultimately not a single entity! Each has its own petty calculations, always hoping to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. Right now, the City of Superpowers hasn't suffered massive losses. Li Hao acts without restraint; if he truly attacks us, even if we repel him, how much will we lose? At that point... the others will be the ones watching the show." The crowd fell silent. Sometimes, people knew this would be the outcome, yet even knowing it, they had no choice. This time, the factions had indeed united once. And what was the result? Total annihilation! Unite again? Would there still be an opportunity? Perhaps... everyone was waiting. Since they had failed to take down Li Hao this time, when would they wait for? Wait for the secondary revival! Before the secondary supernatural revival, would these people dare take another risk? Perhaps even Ying Hongyue wouldn't dare! ... At the same time. Red Moon Headquarters. Ying Hongyue leaned back in his chair, gazing at the sky. After who knew how long, he murmured softly, "Orange Moon is dead, the Red Shadow puppet is gone, and the Hong family's hammer is lost as well... Truly impressive!" With so many powerhouses working together, they had even hoped to crush the man from the Military Law Department or the Department of Administration. In the end... they had still died! How laughable! Ying Hongyue chuckled self-deprecatingly, shaking his head with a sigh. Beside him, only Cyan Moon and Purple Moon remained. Of the Seven Moons in the sky, fewer and fewer remained. Purple Moon's eyes were somewhat reddened. Even though the Black Widow had a foul reputation and the Silver Moon martial arts world spoke of her with disdain, that had been her mother... Her mother had protected her for many years, and her high status within Red Moon was largely due to her. Yet today, her mother was dead. The father before her... was merely a cold-blooded man. He seemed gentle on the surface, but Purple Moon knew all too well just how heartless this nominal father truly was. Lately, Red Moon had lost a great many people. Where had they gone? Purple Moon knew. They had all died! Turned into the power of the Red Shadows, they had entered the ruins alongside her mother, only for none to emerge. So many powerhouses, including several members of the Elder Council, had all perished. The Red Moon organization, which had always enjoyed smooth sailing with countless powerhouses, had now seen almost all its mighty supernaturals wiped out. Only the Ancient God Guards still retained some top-tier martial powerhouses. "Chief!" At this moment, Cyan Moon no longer indulged in jealousy, feeling only a strange sorrow. It seemed as though nothing major had happened on the surface, yet... Orange Moon, Yellow Moon, Green Moon, and Lanyue were all dead. The Elder Council was nearly wiped out as well; after the deaths of the three great elders, few remained. How had the peerlessly mighty Red Moon declined so abruptly? She couldn't understand it. Barely half a year had passed since Li Hao's rise. How could Red Moon, which had dominated the world for twenty years, have ended up like this? Of the Seven Moons of yesteryear, only she and the Chief remained. Ying Hongyue looked at her and smiled faintly. "Worried?" "No, it's just..." Ying Hongyue raised a hand gently. "It's fine. Don't worry!" Looking at the sky, he said calmly, "It's merely a few setbacks, not yet enough to cause despair or dejection. Back then, I was defeated by Yuan Shuo, suppressed and forced to kneel on the ground, surviving in humiliation. In the end... I still succeeded! Today is merely history repeating itself. Besides... Li Hao cannot bring me down." Purple Moon remained silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Why doesn't Father act in person? Is uniting the bloodlines of the seven families truly that important? With Father's years of accumulation and foundation, even without combining the seven bloodlines... you would still be a supreme powerhouse of this era. Why must you obsess over the bloodline powers of the Eight Great Families?" Ying Hongyue smiled faintly. "You don't understand." Purple Moon said nothing. That was all he ever said. I don't understand. Yet at least I know that if he hadn't fixated on uniting the seven bloodlines and simply focused on pure cultivation, this cheap father of mine would surely be an invincible existence in this era. He wouldn't be like he is now, constrained by the Li family bloodline and unable to fight Li Hao. Ying Hongyue possessed immense innate talent. His defeat to Yuan Shuo back then was only because he was far younger than Yuan Shuo. Later, when superpowers emerged, he seized the initiative and rose step by step, using the power of the Red Shadows early on to bypass many restrictions that shackled others. During that period, Ying Hongyue was definitely one of the strongest beings in the world. Even if he had rivals, they wouldn't have been people like Li Hao. Yet what about now? Perhaps to her father, those who died were of no consequence. Ying Hongyue said no more, simply continuing to gaze at the sky. Orange Moon's death had been unexpected, but... anything was possible. Now that she was dead, it wasn't entirely unacceptable. He was merely contemplating certain matters. He waved his hand, signaling the two of them to withdraw. Without a word, Purple Moon turned and walked away, filled with sorrow. *Mother, do you see?* *Even in death... you earned nothing more than a sigh from him. And that sigh might not even have been for you. Of the Silver Moon martial masters who followed him back then, how many are left?* Looking around, only Cyan Moon remained. No wonder the Silver Moon martial masters said that any woman who followed Ying Hongyue was a fool bound to regret it sooner or later. She wondered if her mother had ever regretted it. Once they had left, Ying Hongyue suddenly spoke: "All these years, you've kept secret how to completely merge the eight bloodlines. Now that Li Hao has risen, you've seen and heard it all. Weren't you just worried that I would become too powerful and break beyond your control? And now? Do you still think that way?" Silently, a red shadow appeared in the hall. It seemed to wear a red cloak, appearing somewhat ethereal, as though existing in another world. Hearing this, it chuckled softly. "You misunderstand. I have no intention of restricting you... It's just that space is unstable right now. If you truly merge them, you might instantly break through to another level. At that point, the unstable space would shred you to pieces!" Ying Hongyue said placidly, "The ones who would be shredded are merely ancient beings like you, right? You cling to the origin path, and now that there is no origin path to cling to, would people of our era truly be shredded as well?" "They would!" The Red Cloak said softly, "Do not doubt it... Spatial instability doesn't single out individuals; it affects everyone! You must understand the terror of shattered space. Shattering repeatedly, no matter how powerful you are, you will be utterly torn apart!" "Only with the secondary revival is there hope of stabilizing space. At that time, it will be your chance to merge them." Ying Hongyue chuckled lightly. "Is that so? Will I still have that chance? Do you think Li Hao won't come looking for me?" "Even if he comes, he cannot escape this rule. No matter how strong he is, he will be restricted! Besides... could you truly fear him?" "Why wouldn't I?" Ying Hongyue said indifferently, "His progress exceeds all imagination. Such a person... reminds me of the ancient Human King recorded in the ancient texts I've read! How much longer until the secondary revival? That time might be more than enough for him to destroy me!" "Rest assured. If it truly comes to that, you need only come find me... At worst, we can hide away for a while." Ying Hongyue sneered and said nothing more. Seeing his silence, the Red Cloak added, "Preparations should be made in Silver Moon in advance. There are still many powerhouses stationed in the eight cities of Silver Moon..." "I care nothing for that. I only want to know: does a supreme powerhouse truly reside in that Yuanping Martial Science University? Otherwise... how could so many people perish so easily?" The Red Cloak was silent for a moment. "Unclear... Everyone should have evacuated back then. Even if anyone remained, there shouldn't have been many. Yuanping Martial Science University... had great fame, but few true peak powerhouses. The academy itself didn't house many supreme beings; at the final hour, they all marched off to war... In such martial science universities, powerhouses would not easily stay behind..." "Meaning you can't judge either?" "Correct." "Then what origins does this university have?" "A terrifying background... connected to the ancient Human King you mentioned. However... I am certain the chancellor of the school departed back then. Had she not left, turmoil would never have arisen in the Silver Moon land..." These words carried a vast amount of information. Ying Hongyue understood, and after a long silence, cursed softly, "More hindrance than help!" He was referring to the Finance Department, but naturally, he was also cursing this Red Cloak. Since it knew Yuanping Martial Science University had such an extraordinary background, why hadn't it said so earlier? It had to wait until after the fact to reveal how profound the place was. Had they chosen another location, perhaps the outcome wouldn't have been like this. The Red Cloak said nothing. It knew Ying Hongyue was throwing veiled accusations... yet this matter had indeed defied expectations. Who could have known a powerhouse was still stationed there? Besides... the situation was murky right now. Perhaps it was merely a single Peak Realm combatant? Without a way to investigate deeply, everything remained an unknown. The Red Cloak vanished. Ying Hongyue watched silently, and after a while, let out a light laugh. *Fine!* *You kept restraining me, and now you watch helplessly as Li Hao rises... Let's see how you deal with it!* ... On this day, news spread across the north and south of the river, reaching every corner of the land. Shockwaves reverberated across the world! White Moon City. Director Zhao was all smiles! He looked at Huang Yu, then at Kong Jie, and finally said, "This has exceeded my expectations. It seems... the Silver Moon turmoil is not far off! Prepare yourselves, invite the old seniors out of retirement. Silver Moon... must prepare to open its doors to guests!" Kong Jie shot him a glance and said after a long pause, "Don't tell me about it. Those old ghosts are troublesome to deal with. Several of them... ran off the moment they heard the news about Li Hao! You know those old-generation Silver Moon martial masters have long been itching for action. Can I control them? You sent Hou Xiaochen away, and I'm not that familiar with them..." "..." Director Zhao stared at him silently before slowly asking, "Then tell me... what bloody use are you?" Kong Jie snapped, "I'm no damn use at all! If I'd known there were so many opportunities in Heavenly Star City, I would've gone there long ago! Look at the mess now—Divine Powers are treated like garbage, while I'm still stuck here agonizing over whether to become a supernatural or enter the Divine Power Realm... Look at Hong Yitang, running around following them... damn it, he's practically become one of the world's top powerhouses, while you kept holding me back! I quit!" "..." Director Zhao looked at him. "You want to run?" "So what if I do?" Kong Jie said grumpily, "Hou Xiaochen left, Old Zhou left, but I'm not allowed to leave?" "Not allowed!" "I—" Director Zhao felt a massive headache coming on. After a while, he said, "Don't leave. I'll use treasures to saturate your other supernatural locks—saturate all of them! However many you discover, I'll saturate that many. You're not weak either. Now that they're gone, it's fine; all the saved resources go to you!" *Don't you dare leave!* *If you run off too... do I have to handle every single rotten chore myself?* When it came to fighting, martial artists were naturally better suited. Kong Jie stroked his chin and murmured, "But Li Hao has sword energy over there..." "Is he familiar with you? Would he give it to you?" "Why wouldn't he?" Kong Jie grumbled, "I can just join the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office too. What's the big deal?" "..." Director Zhao coughed and tried coaxing him: "Don't be like that. Not many old friends are left, and at least you're familiar with things here... How about this: I'll give you some more Spring of Life." "How much?" "Ten drops." "Get lost! You think I don't know? When Old Zhou left, Li Hao spent two hundred drops to poach him!" "Are you worth that price? Ask Li Hao—he wouldn't even spend ten drops to recruit you! Otherwise, why hasn't he reached out to you?" "..." That hurt his pride too deeply! Kong Jie stood up, glaring at him through gritted teeth. "Don't you regret this!" "Wait, Xiao Kong, I was joking! Twenty drops... I really don't have much... If I had more, I'd give it all to you!" Kong Jie snorted and glanced back. "Deliver it all to me this afternoon. That's final! It's not like I don't have anywhere else to go!" With that, he turned and left. Once he was gone, Director Zhao slapped the desk, fuming. "Every single one of them... Is Heavenly Star City such a wonderful place? Do they really think it's a land of benevolence?" "..." Beside him, Huang Yu pondered for a moment and said softly, "Old Zhao, my share... ought to be doubled as well. I need to cultivate diligently soon." "Wait, Old Huang..." Huang Yu stood up and walked away without looking back. "Deliver my share this afternoon as well. Otherwise... it's not like I don't have anywhere else to go either!" "..." Once everyone had left, Director Zhao unleashed a barrage of curses. He truly couldn't hold it in any longer! What was wrong with them? So what if Silver Moon was a bit poor? Li Hao making a name for himself in Heavenly Star City had nothing to do with them! What, using Li Hao to pressure me now? Bah! I won't give you a damn thing! Let's see if you really leave! If you leave, it'll save me resources anyway! Don't you know the situation in Silver Moon? There's a bunch of voracious beasts here; any treasure gets devoured clean right away. Would it ever be our turn? "A bunch of bastards!" After venting furiously, he felt somewhat better. After a pause, he snorted, "Doubled, is it... Fine. I'll make you pay for this later!" Saying it was one thing, but he was still utterly depressed. What was going on? Every single one of them had learned how to jump ship? That fellow Li Hao... Sigh, he really knew how to cause trouble for him!