Harvest and the Rankings

"Nothing more than this!" Among the crowd lying scattered across the ruins, someone suddenly murmured the words. Nothing more than this. It turned out that the mighty figures of the ancient civilization were not invincible either. Hadn't one just died all the same? So what if it was an Immortal? Granted, this demon plant hadn't fully recovered and had even severed a portion of its origin source, but... dead was dead. A being that everyone had imagined to be invincible, an existence that no one had dared resist, had still been slain by their hands. Li Hao remained silent. His physical body was still cracking, but the tiger force mingled with the "Fire" divine character gradually faded away. As sword energy flooded inward, his wounds healed rapidly. Li Hao simply gazed up at the dim, murky sky. In that moment, a sudden smile touched his face. Each and every manifestation of force seemed to be growing vigorously. All along, his force had failed to keep pace with the growth of his raw strength, but at this moment, it was as if shackles had been shattered, surging forward in rapid growth. Inside him, both the fierce tiger and the towering mountain expanded swiftly. Slaying a demon plant yielded spoils of war, but those were secondary. What truly mattered was fortifying everyone's confidence! Force was the Dao. And the Dao stemmed from oneself. Such was the invincible momentum of the ancients: *I am supreme; there is nothing I cannot do.* Today, every person present shared that profound realization. *We are strong!* Even the mighty experts of the ancient civilization could be slain by our hands. At that moment, Huang Yu, who had fought in grim silence throughout the battle, spoke softly from the side. "In Silver Moon, including Old Zhao, every single one of us believed that once the second resurgence arrived, the only ones capable of resisting the ancient civilization would be the ancient civilization itself!" "We thought we could use the ancient civilization to empower ourselves and hold off the modern powerhouses. We never imagined we could actually kill ancient powerhouses!" Huang Yu lay on the ground, a faint smile surfacing on his face. "Though Old Zhao set his heart on defending Silver Moon, he knew full well how difficult it would be. He probably never dreamed that before the second resurgence even began, we would dare strike down an ancient civilization powerhouse." Not a single person had ever conceived of such an audacity. Whether the Nine Departments or the Imperial Family, even if they harbored other ambitions, they only thought to rise with the aid of the demon plants' power first, enduring humiliation and bidding their time until the second resurgence broke heaven and earth's constraints so they might break through. No one had thought of toppling an ancient powerhouse first; everyone was relying on their strength. Yet this time, someone had actually done it. At this moment, no one spoke of the spoils, and no one cared about the coconut tree's remains. They all lay on the ground, gazing at the sky heedless of their injuries, their smiles radiant and unrestrained. They looked like a group of innocent, carefree children. Even the gloomy sky seemed extraordinarily brilliant. In this instant, the world in their eyes was lucid and bright. So it turned out they truly could forge miracles. So it turned out the ancient civilization wasn't so terrifying after all. Perhaps peak powerhouses existed, but their own rise had spanned merely a few decades, yet they were already capable of slaying an Immortal. Even a crippled Immortal was still an Immortal. Did they still need to harbor such dread? Did they still need to fear so much? Li Hao had said that this battle could shatter the demons in their hearts, as well as the gods in their minds. They had achieved it. Each person was lost in thought, lying quietly on the ground and letting their blood soak into the earth. Surges of force crisscrossed through the air. Shattered divine characters were reforming. Sabers, spears, swords, halberds—all sorts of force sprouted anew. Force was born of the heart; when the warrior grew strong, the force grew formidable. Li Hao also quietly absorbed the sensations. Within his body, five kinds of force burgeoned vigorously. The surging force empowered his divine characters in turn. At this moment, he seemed to reach a new plane of comprehension. Gradually, the origin point atop the golden divine character within his lungs transformed into a golden sun. The willow tree formed of wood force also flourished vigorously. The mountain formed of earth force coalesced into an entire mountain range. The sound of surging waves crashed against all sides within his kidneys. These forces seemed to leap with joy, singing in jubilation. Li Hao felt as though he were witnessing an entirely new horizon, and a smile broke across his face. Gradually, the heavy burden of the five elements' power that had weighed upon his five internal organs began to recede. Guided by the force, the other four divine characters gradually sank into the depths of the five viscera, vanishing completely from sight before long. Yes, vanished. Just like the fire force, they disappeared into his viscera and slipped into what Li Hao termed the secondary space, resting like supernatural locks—dormant and invisible unless summoned. His aura plummeted rapidly. His previously overbearing, chaotic aura gradually dwindled until only the power of wind and thunder remained. For Li Hao, the fortification of the five forces was worth far more than any material prize. At this instant, Li Hao felt his consciousness merge into another realm. In a daze, he seemed to behold a vast, glittering sea of stars. The starry expanse was dazzling. Chains stretched across the void, resembling colossal dragons. Yet among these massive dragons were several peculiar anomalies: a fierce tiger, a towering mountain, a cresting wave, a weeping willow... Li Hao's spirit was dazed as he gazed at the starry cosmos in profound awe. Was this... the secondary space? What were those countless dragons? Supernatural locks? He could hardly believe his eyes. As the five forces entered this space, they seemed to pull his spiritual energy along with them. In this moment, Li Hao was actually looking into the profoundly mysterious secondary space. The instant Li Hao entered that enigmatic space, the Silver Moon martial masters all around turned their eyes toward him. At that moment, Li Hao appeared bathed in a mantle of light. Looking closer, he seemed to have transformed into a boundless universe, a cosmos of stars. Believing their eyes were playing tricks on them, they sat up one by one despite their injuries and stared at him again. At this time, Li Hao was indeed enveloped in starlight. Not only that, a faint trace of starlight energy even wafted from his body. It bore a resemblance to sword energy, yet felt subtly distinct. Everyone held their breath, their expressions filled with disbelief. What was going on? A breakthrough? It didn't quite look like one! After who knew how long, Li Hao suddenly opened his eyes, a reflection of the starry sky seeming to surface within his pupils. He stared blankly upward for a very long time before murmuring softly, "Do you know how many supernatural locks the human body possesses?" The crowd shook their heads. How could they know such a thing? Southern Fist chuckled heartily. "Fourteen! That I know—the four limbs, the five internal organs, wind, thunder, light, and darkness, plus the head!" *Such a simple question; of course I know the answer.* Li Hao smiled. "Fourteen?" He whispered, "If there were only fourteen, wouldn't that mean whether for supernaturals, martial masters, or ourselves, the absolute limit would only be ten elemental powers?" Because the four limbs possessed no elemental attributes, those four had to be subtracted. A seven-element expert barely stood on equal footing with the Peak Realm. Perhaps all the way to ten elements, no second metamorphosis would occur, leaving one permanently stuck at that level. Wouldn't that imply the ceiling for humanity in this current era was merely the Peak Realm? How could that be possible! Li Hao smiled. "Perhaps... it far surpasses everyone's imagination!" The others all turned their eyes on him, but Li Hao did not elaborate further. He had merely caught a glimpse of something; that did not make it an established truth. Yet at this moment, a surge of fierce drive ignited within him! If every single one of those dragons represented a supernatural lock, things were going to get very interesting. Only... could they be discovered? Could those supernatural locks be found? Right then, someone could no longer endure it. "Um... I'm really about to blow apart. Not joking." Everyone turned toward the corner. A wretched figure lay prostrate on the ground, blood streaming relentlessly despite the Spring of Life constantly rejuvenating him, his body on the verge of exploding. How could he not be on the verge of bursting? In that single instant, he had shattered all his divine weapons and snapped all his supernatural locks. The only reason he hadn't blown to pieces was that Little Tree was helping suppress his volatile state. It had to be said that at times, Little Tree was far more dependable than any of them. No one else had paid him any mind... only Little Tree had looked after him slightly, which was why he was still breathing. Southern Fist suddenly sneered. "The old rogue sure had grand ideas!" Everyone understood full well what was going through the man's head. In that final moment, snapping all his supernatural locks—had it been necessary? There had been some merit to it, but... it hadn't been nearly as crucial as he made it out to be. Yet this fellow had pulled it off, gambling with his very life. Sure enough, to rise from a street hoodlum in the martial world over eighty years ago to become the head of one of the Nine Departments, Chen Zhongtian truly possessed unyielding grit. Li Hao glanced at Chen Zhongtian and suddenly laughed. "Director Chen... you are quite interesting!" Even as his face cracked with fissures, Chen Zhongtian grinned. "A man lives in this world just to earn a bite to eat. What choice do I have? Life forces one's hand." Li Hao had called him interesting; he claimed he only wanted to scrape a living. "Martial Uncle Hong... please teach Director Chen how to condense divine characters!" Hong Yitang chuckled helplessly and said nothing more. Looking at the old department head, he found him rather amusing. He was a gambler, but he had won his bet. Without another word, Hong Yitang began explaining the steps to condensing divine characters to Chen Zhongtian. Chen Zhongtian listened in rapt fascination. *So that's how it works.* He had witnessed it before, so he quickly grasped how to form them. For someone of his caliber, once the critical principles were laid bare, it posed little difficulty. Li Hao still remained still. He rested a while longer until the injuries on his body had mostly healed before rising to his feet. He looked toward the distance, where the coconut tree stood frozen and cocooned by Little Tree. Its colossal trunk was battered and broken. The Heart of Life was shattered, and the Spring of Life was slowly trickling out of it, captured by Little Tree and partly used to treat the wounded. Li Hao walked forward to inspect it. The tree was utterly dead. Yet it remained extraordinarily durable. Within the massive trunk, the Spring of Life flowed not in sparse drops, but like a small brook. In that final instant, the creature had sought to mend its Heart of Life, only to be stopped by Li Hao. "It seems my dream of taking a bath in the Spring of Life might actually come true!" Li Hao gave a sudden laugh and looked at Little Tree. "Senior Tree, I can't even tell at a glance—roughly how many drops are there?" "Around five thousand drops!" Little Tree replied. Was that a lot? In truth, not extraordinarily so. By Little Tree's condensation rate, one drop required three thousand divine energy stones, which equated to fifteen million divine energy stones. In fact, the amount of divine energy stones Li Hao and the others had expended during this campaign exceeded fifteen million. Both during and after the intense battle, a vast amount of the Spring of Life had been consumed, all urgently condensed at great cost. Five thousand drops merely meant they had recouped their initial capital. However, one couldn't look at the ledger that way. The Spring of Life fortified the physical body and restored vitality. Everyone present had gained significant improvements, and their strength had hardly remained stagnant. "A bit on the lower side..." Li Hao shook his head. Had the Department of Criminal Law provided it with so few divine energy stones over all these years? Calculated at fifty thousand a drop—though it was said the tree charged sixty thousand per drop—the Department of Criminal Law had quite a few experts in the Divine Power Realm. Hu Mingfa had reached the threshold of four elements, and he alone must have traded for at least two hundred drops, not to mention the others. Adding it up, trading for over five hundred drops was entirely normal, which would amount to thirty million divine energy stones. Furthermore, energy had been reviving in the Central Region, so this place had ambient energy, and these demon plants were naturally recovering on their own, albeit at a slower pace. After twenty years, to have accumulated merely this much Spring of Life was indeed a bit meager. Still, it was decent enough. Sensing the waves of dissipating origin power, Li Hao smiled. "Senior Tree, Deputy Director Zhou, and... Black Panther, come absorb this origin power!" Black Panther, who had looked half-dead a moment ago, instantly sprang to life. In a flash, it charged into Little Tree's protective barrier and began gulping it down greedily. When it came to food, it never lagged behind. Moreover, it had truly performed a meritorious deed this time. Nearly all the blood in its body had evaporated, and the projection of the Demon Suppressing Emissary it summoned had dealt a severe blow to the coconut tree. Deputy Director Zhou also smiled and didn't stand on ceremony. His consumption this time had been tremendous as well. With the origin path vanished from the world, devoid of origin power to replenish him, his golden body was virtually impossible to advance. To fortify Li Hao's physical form, he had sacrificed a massive amount of the imperishable substance contained within his golden body. That substance could only be replenished through the Spring of Life and origin power. Devouring ordinary energy worked, but the recovery rate was agonizingly slow. In truth, the others present could also absorb and comprehend it—Li Hao himself had once absorbed and gained insights from Little Tree's origin power—but the improvement was negligible and easily led one astray. To maximize the benefits, letting these three utilize it was naturally the best choice. Right then, Little Tree transmitted a mental fluctuation. "Its true body will be of immense help to you! It was an entity of the Immortal Realm, and its main trunk contains a vast reservoir of imperishable substance, an indispensable requirement for the golden body in the ancient civilization's system!" "Though it is dead, given enough time, countless years later it might still revive. As long as sufficient energy is supplied, it could resurrect—though a new consciousness would be born, not necessarily the current one." Li Hao was somewhat surprised. "You mean... the golden body is imperishable, and the flesh endures forever?" "Correct!" Little Tree explained, "Almost all the powerhouses of the ancient civilization could achieve immortality and imperishability, but the prerequisite was an adequate supply of energy to sustain it. Otherwise, it would slowly deplete and dissipate... That is why the ancient human powerhouses of today have almost all lost their physical bodies, because their forms dissipated bit by bit until they collapsed entirely!" "The reason demon plants managed to survive is partly our habit of stockpiling the Spring of Life, and partly that we root into the void to absorb drifting ambient energy. Even so, the consumption was enormous. My father collapsed because he couldn't hold out to the very end, leaving his remaining power to me. I was weak, so my consumption was lower..." Li Hao nodded, looking toward the colossal golden tree. In other words, once they absorbed this imperishable substance, everyone's physical body could be strengthened? Although there were currently many things that could enhance the body—such as life energy, sword energy, and even some techniques Li Hao was considering—at this stage, being able to rapidly elevate their physical strength was a tremendous blessing for everyone. "How do we absorb it?" "None of you have cultivated a golden body, so absorbing it directly is difficult. Let this Deputy Director Zhou draw it out, and once he extracts it, he can let it disperse outward for everyone to cultivate with!" Deputy Director Zhou nodded. "I can draw it out!" An ordinary person truly wouldn't be able to. Li Hao laughed. "Good thing Deputy Director Zhou is here. Those two hundred drops of the Spring of Life didn't go to waste!" "..." Deputy Director Zhou couldn't even be bothered to retort. The way this kid phrased things was unbelievable. "Don't just lie there, everyone! Come over; it's time to feast!" Li Hao bellowed with laughter. None of them were shy, swarming over immediately. Seeing this, Chen Zhongtian grew frantic with anxiety. He was still in the middle of condensing divine characters, and with his formidable cultivation, a single meridian wouldn't suffice; he needed time. Yet the others were running off to absorb the legendary imperishable substance. Wouldn't he miss out entirely? Thus, in the next instant, the man bluntly severed his condensation process. Allowing the violent energy to detonate within his body, he dragged his battered frame and practically crawled over on all fours! Agony or not, he had to get a share of the spoils. Li Hao and the others paid him no mind. If he could crawl over, that was his own capability. Li Hao, meanwhile, was in no rush to absorb it. Instead, he looked toward the coconuts hanging at the crown of the giant tree, slightly shriveled. Curious, he asked, "Do these coconuts serve any purpose?" Little Tree pondered a moment before replying, "These aren't coconuts. In the demon genealogies, this species is called the Golden Palm..." "Isn't that still a coconut tree?" "..." Little Tree gave up arguing and quickly said, "These coconuts have the effect of consolidating one's foundation and nourishing vitality. The exact potency is unclear right now, as they might not be fully ripe; they look a bit green to me. Still, they must have some efficacy. Strengthening the body is certain, and they might even bolster mental energy..." Li Hao swept his gaze over them and counted forty-two coconuts in total. He reached out to pluck one, but failed to pull it free. Summoning the Starry Sky Sword, he sliced through the stems, severing all the coconuts before using the blade to split one open. Instantly, a surge of life energy wafted out, revealing the milky-white liquid inside. Li Hao dipped a finger into it and licked it. A faint trace of life energy poured in. Seeing this, Li Hao raised the fruit and took a sip. An invigorating energy began to swirl within him, and his previously depleted divine intent actually showed signs of resurgence. Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "Good stuff!" This was even better than the Spring of Life. It possessed the effect of strengthening divine intent. It could also fortify the body. Of course, since it wasn't fully ripe, it tasted somewhat bitter, but that was a minor detail. Had it been fully ripe, it likely wouldn't have been Li Hao's turn to enjoy it; the coconut tree might have eaten them itself. A tree consuming its own fruit was hardly unheard of. He turned his gaze back to the massive tree. Slaying it naturally yielded benefits beyond these, including its true body. Its physical form was exceptionally sturdy. Looking at it, Li Hao felt that with a bit of compression, forging it into a shield or staff would make for an extraordinarily formidable weapon. Or should it be devoured by Little Tree? However, upon reflection, Little Tree had its limits. Having consumed so much already, it had surely strengthened significantly. After a moment's thought, Li Hao asked, "Senior Tree... has your strength... returned to your peak?" Little Tree remained silent for a moment before sending a mental fluctuation: "Once I finish devouring the origin power, it should be just about there." "The true Peak Realm?" "Yes." Li Hao nodded. "Then is there hope of stepping into the Immortal Realm?" "That... is exceedingly difficult!" Little Tree sighed. "The origin path is gone. Unless a massive amount of origin power is provided, it's impossible. That's why the demon plants here in Heavenly Star Town all want to invade Silver Moon, because many powerful demon plants lie slumbering there." "Then... if the true body of this coconut tree is given to General Huai to devour, can he be revived?" Little Tree felt somewhat helpless. In truth, it wanted to devour it as well. Yet with Li Hao asking this, it knew its hopes were dashed, because even if it consumed the body, it couldn't step into the Immortal Realm. Devoured by that general, however... he might genuinely awaken. "It should... be just about enough!" Li Hao smiled. "No need to rush, Senior Tree. This is only the first. There may well be a second, and a third... Senior Tree, devour enough origin power first, and when the prospect of advancing to the Immortal Realm arises, you certainly won't lack for materials!" Little Tree thought about it and found the logic sound. It said nothing further. Li Hao, meanwhile, was stirred by the prospect. To think that feeding this tree's true body to General Huai could revive him... This was an unexpected windfall. Back then, Director Wang had stated that at least one hundred million divine energy stones would be required. Li Hao had reaped massive gains recently, but his expenditures had been equally staggering. The divine energy stones he had left barely amounted to thirty or forty million. That was far from enough. Yet using the giant tree's body as the equivalent of one hundred million divine energy stones was making good use of waste material, since Li Hao and the others currently possessed no means to forge this thing into divine weapons. They had no blacksmith of that caliber, nor any powerhouse capable of working it. A corpse at the Immortal Realm wasn't something just anyone could handle. Li Hao spoke no more and ceased his observations. He promptly sat down cross-legged and circulated the Five Animals Breathing Art. Vast quantities of the special substance surged into his body, nourishing his five viscera, six bowels, and physical frame. Soon after, Li Hao began circulating the Wind and Thunder Secret Technique. At this juncture, what he yearned for most was to comprehend the force of wind and thunder. As for the force of thunder... he had gained a faint glimmer of insight from Black Panther. When the dog condensed the projection of the Demon Suppressing Emissary and the golden horn unleashed lightning, Li Hao had truly sensed a power of heavenly retribution, a power of destruction! It felt as though it could obliterate the world! Unfortunately, it had lasted only for an instant before vanishing. Otherwise, the coconut tree might have been struck dead directly by heavenly retribution. As countless thoughts drifted through his mind, he recalled the void he had witnessed earlier. At this moment, Li Hao drew in vast quantities of energy, no longer to reinforce his physical body, but to strengthen those blank, empty expanses. Gradually, tiny chains began to surface. Li Hao opened his eyes, a strange glint flashing within them. Inside his body, the supernatural locks of light and darkness emerged, stronger than before. With a flick of his wrist, Li Hao tossed the Starry Sky Sword into the pool of the Spring of Life. In the next instant, the Starry Sky Sword drank voraciously, channeling waves of unique sword energy into Li Hao's body. Guided by the coordinates etched in his memory, Li Hao directed the sword energy across various locations. A large portion of the sword energy spilled outward to be absorbed by the surrounding powerhouses, but Li Hao paid it no heed and continued the process. Gradually, more and more supernatural locks were condensed by his efforts—tiny and exceedingly faint. He expended a great deal of energy, yet it provided no immediate boost to his combat strength; they were too frail, and snapping them wouldn't amount to much. Yet for Li Hao, this was laying a foundational groundwork. His eyes shone with excitement and delight. Sure enough, the human body possessed far more than fourteen supernatural locks. These newly surfaced ones showed no discernible elemental attributes for now, and their exact functions remained unknown, but... they were the bedrock of his future supremacy. The Spring of Life was depleted in massive quantities, an extravagance that made Little Tree's heart ache. The others also looked toward Li Hao in bewilderment. Could he really absorb that much? Wasn't that a bit wasteful? Yet no one said a word. Reaping such an immense harvest today was already an extraordinary fortune for all of them. Besides, Li Hao, Little Tree, and Black Panther had been the primary combatants. At this moment, everyone was frantically drinking in energy. Sword energy, life force, imperishable substance... It was safe to say that any stray wisp of energy escaping this place would have been considered a supreme treasure that many cultivators could never hope to absorb in an entire lifetime. *** While Li Hao and the others were cultivating... At the far end of the ruins, separated as if by endless darkness, the path did not terminate; following the darkness to its culmination revealed an ancient city. Inside a grand hall, a demon plant resembling a rose swayed gently. Before long, it assumed the form of a woman, gazing into the distance. She looked toward the end of the darkness! The relationship between the Nine Departments and the Imperial Family was exceedingly peculiar—or rather, the relationship among the ruins they occupied was peculiar. Much like General Huai and his subordinate commanders, a city rarely housed only a single guardian demon plant. In Battle Heaven City, there were thirty-six guardian demon plant generals, with General Huai merely serving as their core. Heavenly Star Town was no different. The Nine Departments occupied nine vital strongholds of Heavenly Star Town, while the core sector was held by the Imperial Family. The rose held a status similar to that of General Huai. At that moment, an elderly man in the hall opened his eyes, looking perplexed. One of the chains binding him had suddenly snapped. Precisely because of this, he had just broken free of some of his restraints. He looked toward the rose. "Exalted One, has turmoil broken out again outside? Was that old bastard slain?" Chen Zhongtian seemed to have died! Back then, the heads of the Nine Departments had placed nine seals upon him. Now, three had been shattered. The other two were manageable, but the destruction of Chen Zhongtian's seal granted him a colossal opportunity! He felt that the Nine Departments could no longer suppress him! The woman formed from the rose did not speak, her eyes fixed on the distance. After a long pause, she murmured with suspicion, "Perhaps! Chen Zhongtian... you mean that head of the Inspectorate? If he died..." After reflecting for a moment, she continued, "Perhaps he died over at the Security Bureau." "The Security Bureau?" The Former Heavenly Star King seemed to recall something. "The place occupied by the Hu family?" "Yes." The Former Heavenly Star King was somewhat surprised. "Why would he go there?" *You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?* The rose offered no reply, only feeling puzzled. Though separated by barriers and murky darkness... just a moment ago, a tremor signifying the severing of a Great Dao had rippled through. Of course, with the origin path vanished today, it was impossible to be certain. Back in the ancient era, the severing of a Dao would have provoked heavenly upheavals. It shouldn't have come to that! The rose reasoned that it might have been a misjudgment. Perhaps that fellow was engaged in slaughter, causing violent Dao fluctuations. It seemed Saint weapons were indeed useful; judging by the Former Heavenly Star King's reaction, perhaps a Saint weapon had been shattered. The Former Heavenly Star King pressed the matter no further, only feeling overjoyed. "Chen Zhongtian is dead, and his Saint weapon must have shattered. His seal has vanished entirely. Now, of the two strongest remaining seals, I doubt those two old bastards can hold me back for much longer!" The rose said nothing. She merely continued to gaze into the dark expanse in all directions. The city was divided into nine sectors, all crucial junctions and key positions from back then, guarded by demon plants. After awakening, those few fellows had also betrayed her. She had long wished to unseal the Heavenly Star Great Mine, only to be thwarted multiple times... Of course, those nine fellows weren't the crux. The crux lay at the mine entrance, where other entities still stood guard. Unfortunately, those nine bastards refused to join hands with her; otherwise... why would she be in such a bind? Were they afraid she would devour them? The rose sneered inwardly. The New Martial era was gone, never to return, and the internecine nature of the demon race had reared its ugly head. Naturally, the human race was no better; without a supreme figure to suppress the world, chaos was inevitable. They couldn't unite. Otherwise, holding the initiative, they could have breached the vein and perhaps fully recovered long ago. A bunch of fools! After cursing silently for a while, she glanced at the Heavenly Star King and sighed with resignation. What a pity! When she chose the Jiang family, she had thought them powerful and resolute, believing that with her backing, they could swiftly overwhelm and crush the others. Deprived of external support, she would have secured abundant supplies, recovering immediately and dealing with those few rebels. Who would have guessed this useless trash couldn't even best those nine men! "Break the seal as soon as possible. The second resurgence is imminent. Even if we don't breach the great mine, it can no longer be suppressed; too much energy has accumulated, and it's about to detonate!" "Before the second resurgence, you still have some use. Otherwise... you will lose all value!" The rose abandoned all pretense of politeness, her tone icy. The Former Heavenly Star King's expression shifted slightly before he quickly said, "Rest assured, it won't be long. That Li Hao truly is a troublemaker. Without him, breaking free would have been difficult. With him stirring the pot, as long as an accident befalls either of those two old bastards from the Military Law Department or the Department of Administration... I can break the seal directly!" Even if no accident befell them, as long as the divine weapons suppressing him were withdrawn, he could forcibly shatter the seal. Naturally, he didn't dare voice his inner thoughts. Deep down, he thought that if this Exalted One hadn't been reluctant to intervene—fearing that the eruption of the nine divine weapons would suppress or wound her—he would have broken free long ago. Divine weapons could hardly unleash their true might out in the world. Yet inside the ruins, once revived, they were terrifyingly formidable. Facing nine of them at once was more than even this rose could bear. The rose paid his thoughts no heed. Enduring the assault of nine divine weapons for the sake of a piece of trash was something she would never do. Those weapons had been forged by the human race; as a member of the demon race who had now turned traitor, triggering the weapons' lingering wills would severely wound her even if they couldn't kill her. When that happened, the nine bastards nearby might well unite to devour her. Still, now that one weapon was shattered... had the Golden Palm suffered injuries? Pondering the matter, she reasoned that with only a single weapon destroyed, the Golden Palm might not have been harmed. If she acted against it rashly, the others might easily band together against her. The rose banished the thought and vanished in an instant, a rose swaying once again in the void. Her gaze, however, remained fixed in a certain direction. *The second resurgence is inevitable. Even you cannot stop it. You have long been dead; why remain so obstinate?* *** At the same time. In the outside world, dawn broke. The third day had arrived. The Wind and Cloud Pavilion had previously announced that it would publicly unveil the Supernatural Ranking today, and countless people were waiting in eager anticipation. Inside the Inspectorate, Chen Yao's face was pale. He kept staring in the direction of the Department of Criminal Law, yet the person he awaited never returned. Was he dead? Truly dead? His father had told him that if he had not returned by daybreak, Chen Yao was to flee immediately, sending the others to the Department of Administration to seek the Zhao family's protection. Yet... his father was so powerful; could he really have died? At this moment, Chen Yao felt deeply unsettled and dazed. As for the Wind and Cloud Ranking that everyone else eagerly awaited, he couldn't care less. "Someone come here!" Chen Yao barked in a low voice. A subordinate promptly entered. Chen Yao asked grimly, "Did you call the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office to discuss countering the Wind and Cloud Pavilion as instructed?" The subordinate hurried to reply, "Director, we notified them, but they said Governor Li led a contingent out of Heavenly Star City last night... All the powerhouses in the Governor-General's Office have left, reportedly having tracked down the Wind and Cloud Pavilion's movements..." Chen Yao said nothing. The Wind and Cloud Pavilion? Impossible. If it had merely been the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, his old father wouldn't have told him to flee before departing. It had to be an even more terrifying existence! On this day, word spread far and wide that the powerhouses of the Governor-General's Office had all departed, including Yao Si of the Night Patrollers. It appeared they had caught wind of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion's tracks. *** Before Li Hao and the others reemerged, copies of the Wind and Cloud Ranking erupted from various regions, spreading like wildfire across the world. The Wind and Cloud Ranking was out. The moment anyone laid eyes upon it, they froze in disbelief. This was a list that Li Hao had repeatedly revised and altered after cross-referencing it with the authentic ranking. First: Ying Hongyue, Seven-Element Divine Power. Second: Former Heavenly Star King, Jiang Chen, Seven-Element Divine Power. Third: Former Head of the Department of Administration, Seven-Element Divine Power! Fourth: Former Head of the Military Law Department, Peak of Six Elements. Fifth: Li Hao, Peak of Six Elements. Sixth: Reigning Heavenly Star King, Peak of Six Elements. ... Yes, Li Hao had changed a great deal. Yet he had included himself as well, placing his strength at the Peak of Six Elements. Many who received this list were left stunned. Aside from minor discrepancies regarding a handful of individuals, the rest of the assessments were remarkably accurate. Among them, the presence of three seven-element powerhouses sent shockwaves through the realm. Wasn't it impossible for a seven-element powerhouse to emerge before the second resurgence? In an instant, whether in the City of Supernaturals or among Feitian and Yama, everyone was profoundly shaken. Three seven-element experts? *** Red Moon Headquarters. Ying Hongyue received the ranking immediately. He frowned slightly, remaining silent for a long time. What was the Wind and Cloud Pavilion playing at? Everyone had assumed Li Hao would take first place. Even if inaccurate, Li Hao should have been at the top; otherwise, there would have been no need for them to cause such a commotion during the inauguration of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office. Yet what was this? Although several Silver Moon martial masters were indeed listed—even Yao Si and his peers had made the roster... Why was *he* ranked first? Seven elements! A dark gloom flickered in Ying Hongyue's eyes. His hidden strength had actually been exposed. How was that possible? Could the other party truly possess the legendary Wind and Cloud Mirror? Damn it all! At that moment, a red cloak manifested, its voice eerie. "Congratulations, Leader Ying. Seven-element divine power—the foremost expert of Silver Moon!" It chuckled faintly. "It seems Leader Ying possesses certain special methods that I was unaware of." Ying Hongyue frowned. "This ranking is nothing but reckless nonsense. The Wind and Cloud Pavilion is deliberately targeting me!" He remained baffled. *Why target me?* At that thought, his eyes flickered. "Could it... have something to do with you? They aren't targeting me, but know of your existence and are targeting you? Otherwise, why would they place me first without rhyme or reason?" At those words, Red Cloak fell into contemplative silence. That was plausible. Previously, neither side had crossed paths, and Red Moon harbored no particular hostility toward the Wind and Cloud Pavilion. Li Hao, on the other hand, had resolved to eradicate them. Placing Ying Hongyue first at this juncture seemed utterly bizarre. Red Cloak was equally bewildered. After a long pause, it said, "Unclear... We know little about the Wind and Cloud Pavilion; it is quite mysterious. I initially thought it might be that faction... but now it seems that might not be the case. Could it truly be the legacy of Daoist Fengyun?" It added, "I will have someone investigate thoroughly. You should exercise caution lately!" With that, Red Cloak vanished. Ying Hongyue frowned, picking up the list to examine it from top to bottom. His brow furrowed once more. This ranking... there were many Silver Moon figures, suggesting an intent to target Silver Moon, but... what the hell was this? Li Hao wasn't even in the top three! Himself, the Imperial Family, and the Nine Departments—these were publicly acknowledged as the three strongest factions. Listing representatives of all three at the very top—was this some kind of joke? Everyone already considered them the three strongest figures! Of course, for others, this only confirmed their suspicions, lending even greater credibility to the ranking. "Bastards!" Even Ying Hongyue, who usually maintained his composure, knitted his brows tightly. This list made no sense. What was the Wind and Cloud Pavilion scheming? Were they trying to offend all three factions and unite them in an extermination campaign against them? *** At the same time. Inside a certain ruin. A thunderous crash echoed from the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, followed by a harsh, frigid voice: "Why has this happened?" The moment the ranking was distributed, they knew something was wrong. Many names were missing, and the order had been completely reshuffled. Deputy Director Zhou didn't appear, Director Zhao's rank had dropped considerably, and while Yao Si and Hong Yitang were listed, they had been pushed beyond rank twenty... The revised list Li Hao had released contained fifty names in total. Arranged like this, it seemed almost deliberately tailored to target Ying Hongyue. Even though Ying Hongyue was indeed first on their authentic list... This was not the outcome they had intended. "Pavilion Master... we... we don't know either. We handed the list over to that Wu fellow..." "Incompetent fool!" A dark shadow materialized, brimming with wrath. "Investigate! Be discreet! Damn it all, bungling such a trivial task!" At this point, could they claim it was a forgery? Release another version? That would turn them into an absolute laughingstock! The dark shadow was seething with fury. The distribution channels were a trivial affair that had never once malfunctioned. Yet at this critical juncture, they had pulled such a stunt, throwing all his plans into disarray. "Understood!" A figure outside hastily departed. The Pavilion Master's expression shifted erratically. Ying Hongyue might well believe they were deliberately targeting him. He didn't fear Ying Hongyue, but the entities backing Ying Hongyue were what truly gave him a headache. *** At this moment, the ranking circulated far and wide. Before long, it sparked a storm of heated debate. Seven elements... and three of them at that. The revelation left all factions both tense and astounded. How had they accomplished such a feat? Had they all broken through while secluded in ruins? Yet breaking through in ruins meant remaining trapped inside forever, or emerging only after the second resurgence. Doing so was meaningless, serving only to deprive their factions of a top powerhouse's presence. Or did they possess some other means? As for Li Hao being at the Peak of Six Elements, people were equally shocked, but compared to three seven-element powerhouses, it paled in comparison. As for whether the list was genuine... quite a few believed it to be authentic, as their own evaluated strengths were entirely accurate. "Whose side is the Wind and Cloud Pavilion actually on? Instead of targeting Li Hao this time, are they targeting these three factions?" A great multitude of people were utterly baffled.