Domain

The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office. When Yuan Shuo and the Jade Light Sword walked through the door, Li Hao looked up at the sky in speechless resignation. His master's timing was truly something else. The spoils were already completely divided, and only now did he show up. If he had arrived just three days earlier, there would have still been a share for him. Indeed, three full days had passed since the slaying of the imperishable demon tree, and only now did Yuan Shuo arrive. "Teacher!" Yuan Shuo glanced at Li Hao and nodded slightly. "Not bad!" Li Hao looked at Yuan Shuo in return, his eyes flickering slightly. His master seemed noticeably stronger than before. Over these past days, he had made quite impressive progress. Yuan Shuo did not stand on ceremony, acting as if this place were his own home. Walking straight toward the grand hall, he asked as he moved, "You broke your supernatural locks?" "Yeah." Yuan Shuo sighed. "Too impatient!" "The enemies were too strong." "Fair enough." Yuan Shuo nodded. They were indeed formidable, but his disciple's hasty temper was also partly to blame. This lad was always rushing headlong into things. "If you had waited just a few more days, I might have been able to help you restore your standing as a martial master." Yuan Shuo still harbored a trace of reluctance and regret. Li Hao smiled. "Teacher, does that really matter?" When they had communicated via message jade last time, Yuan Shuo had already sensed that Li Hao might break his supernatural locks. He just hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. He had thought that if he emerged from seclusion sooner, this kid might not have broken them after all. Arriving in the grand hall, Yuan Shuo sat down directly, picked up a teacup, and took a drink. "That's Martial Uncle Southern Fist's." Yuan Shuo cast a side glance at Li Hao. "Has this place become his home?" "..." Li Hao laughed helplessly and said no more. Yuan Shuo didn't mind and kept drinking the tea. After a few sips, he spat. "Has that fellow Southern Fist not brushed his teeth?" "..." Li Hao chuckled. Yuan Shuo dropped the banter and cut to the chase. "Last time, you told me you wanted to solve the issue of integrating mysterious energy into the flesh. From what I see now, there's only a faint trace of mysterious energy dissipating from you. Did you find a solution?" Li Hao nodded. "It's essentially solved. I was planning to tell you, Teacher, but I couldn't get in touch with you." Yuan Shuo pondered for a moment before speaking slowly: "You said before that force and mysterious energy could coexist. Have you achieved that now?" He looked at Li Hao, his brow furrowing slightly. "I don't sense the presence of force. Whether it's inner force or mysterious energy doesn't truly matter; for our generation of martial masters, the key lies in force! "It's not as though having inner force is the only thing that makes one a martial master. Martial masters don't care about that. Put it this way: martial arts have developed in this era for over a thousand years, beginning from the Star Yuan Calendar. "Generation after generation constantly innovated, eventually creating force... You could say it is the crystallization of a millennium of wisdom from the people of Silver Moon. "They figured out the cultivation path best suited for humanity in this era." Yuan Shuo began recounting the origins of martial arts to Li Hao: "After the ancient civilization was extinguished, the land of Silver Moon endured countless upheavals, even passing through an era of Great Annihilation. It wasn't until the Star Yuan Calendar began that a true new civilization was established. "Back then, to adapt to the harsh environment... you have to understand, the world was devoid of energy. In an End-Martial era, becoming powerful was exceedingly difficult. Later, people discovered force, which required no energy! "This was a unique, specialized system created precisely to cope with the End-Martial, energy-starved era!" Li Hao's heart stirred. Force required no energy. Martial masters technically did, but without energy, they could still nourish their flesh and blood through ordinary food. "As long as your force remains, you are still a martial master..." Li Hao nodded. "It's still here!" Yuan Shuo's interest was piqued. Li Hao continued, "I fused all the energies together into a special form of energy, and the force is still present..." "Show me!" Yuan Shuo turned his gaze sharply toward Li Hao. Without another word, Li Hao manifested a burst of fire force. A divine character for "Fire" floated up before Yuan Shuo. Yuan Shuo's eyes shifted, and he reached out to grasp it. *Boom!* A burst of fire force erupted, accompanied by the roar of a fierce tiger. Yuan Shuo frowned slightly, thrust his hand forward, and a giant ape manifested. *Boom!* The tiger and the ape collided, and Yuan Shuo was clearly outmatched. But in the next instant, the giant ape swelled dramatically. In a flash, a black bear, a fawn, and others appeared one after another, assembling in the blink of an eye into a chimeric beast. This time, the chimera unleashed overwhelming strength, its five forces instantly combining into one to suppress the fierce tiger with a thunderous roar! Yuan Shuo caught his breath. Seeing that the tiger was no longer thrashing, he gave a laugh and looked at Li Hao. "Quite intriguing!" "Is this the Star Town ultimate technique from the ancient civilization?" With that, feeling somewhat puzzled, he took hold of the divine character directly. Li Hao reined in the tiger as well, or the beast would have continued struggling. Yuan Shuo held nothing back, even probing inside with his spiritual intent and force to investigate. After examining it for a while, he frowned slightly. "Now this is getting interesting. Mysterious energy, inner force, qi and blood, spiritual intent, force... things that had no business being together, things that couldn't possibly coexist, have actually been fused together into this object. "Force is the key... It is the vessel that bears everything. Force is like the Great Dao; without force, there can be no character..." He studied it meticulously, silently perceiving its composition. Li Hao let him investigate as he pleased. His teacher had arrived, said barely anything, and immediately threw himself into studying the divine character. That certainly matched Yuan Shuo's usual style. Paying it no further mind, Li Hao turned to greet the Jade Light Sword with a smile. "Martial Aunt Jade Light, did you obtain the follow-up manual for the Jade Light Sword?" Li Hao glanced at the Jade Light Sword's cultivation and saw that she had made considerable progress. Strictly speaking, however, she had only barely reached the stage of preparing to fill her supernatural locks. In other words, she had just attained the peak of a martial master, which wasn't overwhelmingly powerful. Even if she broke her supernatural locks right now, she might only barely step into the realm of divine abilities—and even that was far from guaranteed. Of course, compared to a few months ago, she had advanced by leaps and bounds. The Jade Light Sword possessed a somewhat aloof demeanor, but she remained courteous toward Li Hao. She nodded slightly. "I obtained it, but it isn't quite suited to my current state. Your master said he would modify it, but he hasn't succeeded yet." *Modify it...* *And you actually took him at his word!* Still, Li Hao reflected that it made sense. Yuan Shuo was extraordinarily skilled in this regard, and it was certainly better than having the Jade Light Sword attempt modifications herself. Just then, Yuan Shuo spoke up: "You should have a few other characters. Bring them all out for me..." "Teacher, if I manifest all of them... you won't be able to suppress them." "..." Yuan Shuo turned his head to glare at him. Li Hao stared back. After about three seconds of silence, Li Hao manifested the remaining divine characters. Yuan Shuo ground his teeth, erupted with force, and thoroughly thrashed the divine characters that Li Hao had intentionally weakened, finally venting his frustration. Li Hao chuckled and ignored him, sitting to the side to drink tea with the Jade Light Sword. The two chatted idly about trivial matters while Yuan Shuo resumed his examination. Divine characters were fundamentally straightforward; someone of Yuan Shuo's caliber ought to have seen through them in an instant. Yet Yuan Shuo kept staring, leaving everyone wondering what he was actually studying. Li Hao was quite knowledgeable by now, even if he lacked deep experience and years of practice, so he refrained from disturbing Yuan Shuo. *Perhaps Teacher is considering whether he should transition as well?* Li Hao mused inwardly. Meanwhile, Yuan Shuo conducted a thorough examination, even squeezing his own force into the divine character... It was hard to describe the feeling—deeply uncomfortable. A divine character was essentially an avatar of one's own self. For Yuan Shuo to force his own force inside was... well, rather awkward. Li Hao felt thoroughly helpless. *What in the world is Teacher doing?* Having usurped the nest, Yuan Shuo used his five forces to deliver another sound beating to the fierce tiger, nearly driving the beast to absolute fury. "This won't do!" Yuan Shuo frowned. "Doing it this way, one force per character—how many forces would you have to comprehend?" He thought for a moment before suggesting, "If you want rapid progress, I recommend you discard the other forces and keep only one, using that single force to manifest myriad forces..." "Martial Uncle Hong did exactly that!" "That method is terrible!" Yuan Shuo barked at once. "I was only floating the idea—under no circumstances should you actually do that!" "..." Li Hao nearly burst out laughing. *You were the one who just suggested discarding the other forces!* Still, his teacher's fleeting thought had indeed coincided with Hong Yitang's approach. Li Hao found the coincidence amusing. Having finished his inspection, Yuan Shuo pondered and said, "Though the method is crude, even somewhat brutish... I have to admit, using force as the foundation to bear everything and fusing it into divine ability characters shows real ingenuity. Drawing on the Blood Saber Art and the Star Town ultimate technique was a very good choice!" He rarely praised anyone, but this time he offered genuine commendation. Sitting in his chair, he thought it over and added, "This way, you can break through some of the barriers between martial masters and supernaturals, integrating the two paths into one." At that point, he fell into deep contemplation once more. Silence lingered for a long time. Li Hao and the Jade Light Sword simply waited. Yuan Shuo remained quiet for at least half an hour. Half an hour later, he suddenly asked, "Have you tried connecting with heavenly momentum?" Li Hao froze. What heavenly momentum? Yuan Shuo looked at him, and seeing Li Hao's bewildered expression, he immediately frowned. "I told you before about the Five Animals Breathing Technique, and I also told you about the revised Five Animals Secret Art. Did you not consult them at all?" Li Hao remained silent. Yuan Shuo sighed. "Perhaps... you felt that my Five Animals Secret Art was inferior to the secret arts of the ancient civilization. You thought, how could a modern person devise a secret art superior to those of antiquity, right?" Li Hao said hurriedly, "Not at all..." "You did!" Yuan Shuo gave a small smile. "There's nothing wrong with that, really. The absolute limit of my Five Animals Secret Art is Spirit Convergence, whereas the limit of the ancient civilization's secret arts reaches into the heavens! One is in the sky, the other on the ground... why would you hold mine in high regard?" "..." Li Hao felt helpless. "Teacher, I truly didn't mean it that way." Yuan Shuo waved it off with an indifferent tone. "However... you must remember one thing. It's true that my Five Animals Secret Art cannot compare to the ancient manuals, but it is definitively the most suitable for the heaven, the earth, and the people of today!" He readily admitted that his art fell short of the ancient civilization's techniques; there was no point denying it. Yet his art was undeniably far better suited to the human race of the present era. Yuan Shuo frowned and said, "I told you last time that force does not exist in isolation. It integrates into heaven and earth, summoning wind and rain just like a divine ability... Everything between heaven and earth is a vessel for force! "The Dao is not the person itself... You need to understand that you haven't reached the stage where one person can embody the Dao on their own!" He looked at Li Hao. "You modified the art and created divine characters. Truth be told, I'm very gratified. You have your own thinking and your own ideas, which is truly wonderful. But your teacher would never harm you... The key to the Five Animals Secret Art lies in one thing: integrating force into heaven and earth!" He gazed at Li Hao. "There is a saying: 'He who holds the Dao finds abundant support; he who loses the Dao finds scant aid.' In truth, this shares common ground with martial master cultivation and the cultivation of force. "Don't always keep your force hidden away... Concealing force may offer advantages, but it also has drawbacks... "You must understand that you were born of heaven and earth, and in the end, you will return to heaven and earth. When a martial master dies, their force scatters into the world, allowing successors to comprehend force anew..." At these words, Li Hao experienced a flash of insight. Looking at Yuan Shuo, he hesitated briefly before asking, "Teacher, do you mean..." "The nature of heaven and earth!" "The Dao follows nature!" Yuan Shuo said solemnly, "You tend to walk a solitary path, but you haven't reached that level yet. You must understand one thing: this heaven and earth are far more powerful than you! Far more natural than you. "You are always hiding your various forces away, and that is not good. Spirit Convergence... you've only merged it within your body. Last time, I had you merge it into the supernatural locks in your body, but your supernatural locks have been swallowed. You need to make adjustments; you can no longer merge spirit in that manner. Right now, you need a different vessel for Spirit Convergence..." Li Hao explained, "Teacher, that's not quite it. My force discovered the secondary space of the human body where the supernatural locks reside. Recently, I've been integrating my force into that space..." Yuan Shuo paused slightly. Li Hao quickly explained the details. Yuan Shuo fell into deep thought once more. The secondary space—the space where the supernatural locks were located. It seemed he had underestimated his disciple just now. After a long time, Yuan Shuo finally said, "Concealing spirit within the apertures... there is merit to that, but it isn't suitable for you right now. As you are, I suggest you nourish your force outside." "Nourish it outside?" Yuan Shuo reached out and conjured a burst of rising flame. In the next moment, raindrops began to fall. He nodded. "Nourish it outside, nourish it between heaven and earth! Integrate it into heaven and earth! "I'll study the secondary space you mentioned thoroughly. Right now, I lack experience in that area, but I do have experience in nourishing force." He explained to Li Hao, "In the nature of heaven and earth, there is wind, fire, water... All of these are the source of force. The grand momentum of heaven and earth is the most powerful force of all; your force is merely a fraction of this vast expanse... You must perceive it with your heart, integrating everything into it until it becomes part of heaven and earth! "Especially now... it's even better!" He smiled. "You actually fused them into divine characters. This not only makes nourishing force much simpler, but it also allows you to nurture other elements. Your force simply isn't strong enough yet!" "How do I integrate it?" Li Hao still didn't fully understand. Yuan Shuo explained, "When you first comprehended earth force, did you feel the pulsations of the earth, a kind of rhythm...?" Li Hao nodded. "Then isn't that all there is to it?" Yuan Shuo laughed. "Enter that state once more, go with the flow, and integrate your earth force into that rhythm. From then on, you will be part of the earth itself." With that, he reached out again, and a killing aura erupted. "Look, this is metal force! Recently, all of my forces have been integrated into heaven and earth. When I taught you the Five Animals Breathing Technique back then, I mentioned it in passing, but it wasn't very clear at the time. And you, brat, didn't take it seriously yourself..." Li Hao smiled sheepishly. How could he have studied it that closely back then? "Also, I sense that your forces show signs of fusion." Yuan Shuo remarked with a curious look, "Did you learn something? It feels like there are signs of forced fusion." Li Hao knew what he meant. It was related to the Records of Yuanping; he had indeed attempted forced fusion, though he had never succeeded. Seeing Li Hao's expression, Yuan Shuo knew he had guessed correctly. However, Li Hao was unable to disclose those matters, bound as he was by restrictions. Yuan Shuo didn't dwell on it and spoke again: "Your fusion... is somewhat forced, but it's a good sign. Once you integrate your force into heaven and earth, achieving fusion will actually become very easy. With this foundation, try to perceive why wind, fire, water, and lightning can coexist between heaven and earth. "How do these natural forces manage to exist side by side? "Place yourself in the position of heaven and earth. You must learn to imagine, to identify with it. If you were heaven and earth itself, how would you reasonably integrate all these natural elements into your body?" Li Hao nodded continuously. Seeing this, Yuan Shuo rolled his eyes. "What are you nodding for? Try it right now!" Li Hao felt deeply embarrassed! His teacher's temper had not been great lately, completely devoid of benevolence. Still... should he give it a try? Li Hao considered the matter, glancing at the five divine characters. The "Earth" divine character would probably be the most suitable. Integrating into heaven and earth... perceiving the pulsations of the earth? Pondering this, he recalled the sensation from when he had first comprehended earth force, closing his eyes and sinking into contemplation. Gradually, the "Earth" divine character began to fluctuate. At that moment, it also resonated with the ground. Inside the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office, the floor seemed to tremble. Ordinary people couldn't sense it, but several martial masters who possessed force appeared to perceive something. The ground was pulsating in a rhythmic pattern. And Li Hao seemed to behold a wondrous sight: the earth was trembling, breathing as if it were alive. Yet... where should he conceal his divine character to nourish it? In his ear, Yuan Shuo's voice drifted over once more: "Follow the pulsations of the earth. Your divine character is part of it and will fluctuate in kind. Follow the rhythm, and naturally integrate the divine character into it..." Li Hao felt a surge of understanding, and the divine character began to vibrate in resonance. No one knew how much time passed before the fluctuations of the divine character merged completely with the pulsations of the earth. Gradually, the tremors subsided. Li Hao opened his eyes; inside his body, the earth divine character was gone. Yet beneath his feet, he could still sense its presence. Exactly where it was, Li Hao couldn't tell for certain—it might be deep in the soil, or simply drifting along with the ground's rhythm, flowing wherever it pleased. Fascinating! Li Hao had never attempted this before, but at this moment, he genuinely felt as though he had merged into one with the earth. With a shift of his foot, his entire person suddenly vanished. When he reappeared, he was standing at the front of the hall—earth escape! Li Hao stared in astonishment. Earth escape! This was an ability used by supernaturals, but previously, Li Hao hadn't known how to use it. He hadn't given it much thought, because supernatural users didn't consciously learn it either; it was something that manifested naturally for them. He had assumed that because he had transitioned directly into divine abilities, his supernatural energy had transformed, stripping him of such special effects. Now, however, Li Hao understood. It wasn't that he lacked the ability; he simply hadn't understood supernatural power well enough. He actually knew how to use earth escape now! Yuan Shuo laughed. "These are true divine characters, true divine abilities! Your force was imprisoned by your own making before, so how could you possibly master divine abilities? Is a so-called divine ability nothing more than raw explosive power? "Your perspective was too narrow!" Yuan Shuo shook his head. "Earth escape is merely the most basic application! Do you know how long it took me to travel here from Silver Moon? A single day! If not for Jade Light being too slow, forcing me to carry her along, I could have used earth escape through mountains and water escape through rivers... In half a day at most, I could have crossed ten thousand li! "That is what a divine ability truly is!" Yuan Shuo was rather dissatisfied with, and even somewhat contemptuous of, the present-day divine abilities. "The name 'divine ability' was actually chosen very well! This realm ought to be called the Divine Power Realm! Yet these supernatural users, upon reaching this stage, have instead begun chasing raw explosive power, forgetting the very essence of supernatural abilities! "Explosive power is merely the foundation; the core is the divine ability itself... Endless transformation is the true mark of a divine ability! If you don't merge with nature, how can you attain a divine ability? When weak, they could do it, but upon growing strong, they can no longer do so. Do you know why?" Li Hao was taken aback. "That's true. I noticed that experts with divine abilities... no longer use earth escape, wood escape, and the like... Why is that?" "Because their self-consciousness has grown too strong!" Yuan Shuo explained once more: "In the past, their abilities were beyond their conscious control. Upon reaching the divine ability level, these experts gained control over their latent potential. But in controlling it, they ran contrary to nature! Supernaturals may lack force, but that doesn't mean they lack the Dao! They have their own Dao as well; it's just that at this stage, the more everyone strives to dominate their own self, the further they stray from the Great Dao!" Li Hao nodded. He suddenly smiled. "Teacher, do you mean that if I integrate all of them, I'll be capable of myriad transformations... virtually omnipotent?" "On the condition that you master countless kinds of force!" Yuan Shuo smiled as well. "Try the other divine characters. Once they are all integrated, attempt fusing them... That too must follow nature. Observe how earth and water blend, how earth and plant life intertwine, how light and darkness alternate..." Li Hao nodded repeatedly. Every time his teacher appeared, he brought fresh inspiration. He began attempting to integrate all of his divine characters into heaven and earth. Gradually, a novel sensation washed over Li Hao. When all five of his divine characters were integrated into heaven and earth, he suddenly discovered that a sealed space seemed to have formed around him—a five-elements space. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth were all present in his surroundings. With a thought, he felt completely isolated from the outside world. With another thought, Li Hao instantly vanished from his spot. Before him lay the rhythm of the earth; with a flicker, he disappeared and reappeared directly before the gates of the Inspectorate. Chen Zhongtian appeared in an instant, looking surprised to see Li Hao pop up. Li Hao looked back at Chen Zhongtian. Just as Chen Zhongtian was about to offer a greeting, in the blink of an eye... Li Hao was gone. "What was that?" He stared blankly. "Spatial movement?" No! He frowned, sensing the surroundings in bewilderment. *Earth escape?* He couldn't make heads or tails of it! Could Li Hao have made another breakthrough? ... Meanwhile, Li Hao had returned to the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office. Yuan Shuo was already sipping tea again. Li Hao, however, remained puzzled. "Teacher... this... feels very strange. After the five elements integrated, it's somewhat..." "A domain!" Yuan Shuo smiled. "Do you feel as though you are enclosed within a small world? Don't overthink it; in my eyes, that is a domain! To me, that is my own exclusive world!" "An internal world?" Li Hao murmured to himself. Yuan Shuo paused, then shook his head after a moment. "Not an internal world. I've heard of the internal world—that was the path walked by the ancient Human Kings. If ours counts as anything... it's merely an external world! You're so weak, where would you get an internal world? If you could construct your own world, you wouldn't be weak anymore; you would be an ancient Human King! "You can call it an external world, or you can call it a domain. Using force to integrate with heaven and earth to construct your own domain... gradually expanding this domain is the process through which your force grows stronger. When the day comes that your force can encompass the entire world, turning heaven and earth into your own... well, then it will become an internal world!" "..." Li Hao was somewhat shaken. "Encompassing the entire world?" "What of it?" Yuan Shuo laughed. "Is it impossible? That's merely the ultimate goal; no one said you actually have to achieve it. Just aim for that target and keep moving forward!" He was only setting a grand objective, not claiming he would literally conquer the entire world. Li Hao, however, felt somewhat dazed. Internal world, external world, domain, the secondary space of the human body... At this moment, all manner of complex thoughts rose within his heart. Yuan Shuo continued, "You must strive toward that goal. For instance, your light divine character could eventually become the sun of your world! Your dark divine character could become the moon, your fire divine character could become the primordial spark of the world, your wood divine character could become the world's vegetation, and your earth divine character could become the soil..." Li Hao's mind trembled. Was that... truly possible? An internal world... It was said that the ancient Human Kings had created internal worlds, and his teacher's words carried a similar implication. Yuan Shuo continued, "Your path of divine characters is very fascinating and creative. You need to explore more of their applications. Becoming powerful doesn't just mean endlessly condensing more divine characters. If you don't even understand the functions of your current characters, how can you build further? The foundation must be solid! Don't rush to develop new divine characters... "The five elements form a minor fundamental cycle. Once you solidify this foundation, you will discover that even with the same five elements, you can overpower opponents with seven, eight, or nine elements..." At this moment, Li Hao couldn't help asking, "Teacher, what... what level of opponent can you fight right now?" "I've only completed the minor five-element cycle." Yuan Shuo refrained from boasting and added, "I'm still constrained by supernatural locks and the fusion of the five forces. In terms of actual combat power, I'm only at the level of nine saturated meridians—roughly where Bright Sword and the others were before breaking their meridians... Even so, I don't fear ordinary divine abilities!" Last time, he had barely been able to resist a divine ability, making it seem as though his strength hadn't grown by much. Yet hearing him say that he was only at nine saturated meridians left Li Hao astonished. One had to remember that previously, Yao Si and the others had eleven saturated meridians, yet without unsealing, they could only barely contend with certain divine ability experts. Yuan Shuo added, "Still, you gave me some inspiration... Martial arts are like that. You advance, I advance, everyone advances together. Absorbing each other's strengths opens up greater room for growth." Yuan Shuo pondered for a moment before saying, "I'll attempt it next. My approach might not be the same as yours, but we'll know once I try." Li Hao nodded. He felt a stir of excitement. A domain! At this point, he didn't care whether his teacher would attempt it; with him around, no one would dare trouble his master anyway. What he wanted most was to test whether using the fusion of the five forces to form a small domain... could trap powerful experts. As for the fusion... his teacher had said that as long as he perceived more and figured out how to combine them, he might soon complete the fusion of the five forces. "Teacher, what about my sword momentum..." Yuan Shuo laughed. "Thinking your sword momentum is useless now? Don't overthink it. You're far from the Sovereigns of the ancient civilization. Sword momentum is still immensely useful. It focuses on offense: one sword, one world; one sword, one domain—capable of trapping, killing, and defending... All-around development suits you very well!" Li Hao nodded continuously. "Then the critical issue remains the physical body..." "Indeed!" This time, Yuan Shuo agreed as well. "My Five Animals Breathing Technique can indeed strengthen the body, but at this stage, the progress is too slow! The secondary space of the human body you mentioned might hold the key. "I'll need time to study and verify that." Having said that, Yuan Shuo thought for a moment and added, "In that case, I'll stay here for a while. Provide me with five hundred drops of the Spring of Life, and I'll conduct some research." "..." Li Hao gave a wry smile. "Teacher, you truly have..." *Quite an appetite!* Yuan Shuo chuckled. "Research is very expensive! Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't bother, but when I think about how you wasted vast amounts of resources on Southern Fist and those fellows, it would be much better spent on my research. The results might be far superior." Li Hao was left without an argument and nodded. "Then I'll get five hundred drops together as soon as possible." *This kid is truly loaded!* Yuan Shuo grumbled silently in awe. *What a nouveau riche!* *He used to be dirt poor, and now he's this wealthy?* "I heard you're eager to strike at the Wind and Cloud Pavilion. Don't be in such a rush..." Yuan Shuo continued, "Get your little domain sorted out first. If you succeed, you'll have much greater confidence. Another thing... wait until I test my ideas successfully. When you're ready to make a move, call me along; I'd like to test myself as well." Li Hao chuckled and nodded. When master and disciple met, they discussed only these matters. Once finished, Yuan Shuo felt his throat parched, which finally reminded him of someone else. He turned to the Jade Light Sword and said, "Over the next few days, have Li Hao help you saturate the supernatural locks in your body. Don't rush to convert them into divine characters; doing so while you're still weak doesn't hold much meaning. "The key is still force. If your force isn't strong, nothing else will be! Try to integrate your sword momentum into heaven and earth... Once your force grows, you'll become powerful in no time. Don't mind how formidable Southern Fist and the others seem right now; they don't understand the essentials and are just cultivating blindly." The Jade Light Sword smiled and gave a gentle nod. Li Hao glanced at his teacher, then at the Jade Light Sword. The old man was remarkably considerate toward her, while toward him... aside from checking in whenever he emerged from seclusion, he barely paid him any mind, ignoring his messages completely. Just as he was thinking this, Liu Long stepped in from outside and said in a low voice, "Governor-General, Professor Yuan, a visitor has arrived at the gate." Yuan Shuo was slightly startled. What did that have to do with him? "It's Yuan Xingwu!" Yuan Shuo frowned slightly and fell silent. Li Hao said nothing either. Yuan Xingwu! After a long time, Yuan Shuo said calmly, "Tell him to leave! Back then, he chose that path himself, and he's walked it smoothly enough. The Bureau of Military Law remains powerful, and Qi Pingjiang is a peak six-element expert. Since he made his choice... let him see it through! There's no need to consider how we are doing. Meeting would only cause awkwardness. In the martial world, those who betray their master rarely come to a good end." "Teacher..." Li Hao looked at Yuan Shuo. Yuan Shuo sighed and shook his head. "I know what you're thinking. The Bureau of Military Law and the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office cannot coexist! He overestimates himself, thinking he can act as a mediator... Pay him no mind! Everyone must walk their own path. I can only offer reminders and suggestions. Even with you, if you embark on your own path in the future, you needn't heed me. "I am only your teacher, not your parent. Even if I were your parent... I wouldn't interfere with your personal choices!" With that, he gave a laugh. "Send me to the ruins. I'll cultivate over there." Li Hao had mentioned slaying the demon plant earlier, which was why Yuan Shuo had brazenly asked for five hundred drops. He hadn't displayed any shock—perhaps he felt that since Li Hao had created divine characters, such feats were only to be expected. Li Hao nodded. Liu Long asked no further questions and quickly departed. ... Outside the gates of the Governor-General's Office. Upon hearing the response, Yuan Xingwu sighed, bowed slightly, and turned to leave. His master refused to see him. The Bureau of Military Law had hoped to negotiate with his master and junior brother through him, but it seemed that path was closed. He turned to look back at the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office, his emotions mixed. Among the Nine Departments, the Bureau of Military Law was considered relatively fair and just. He believed that if his junior brother joined forces with them to eliminate the imperial family first, it would be a more sensible course of action; after all, the bureau was home to many experts who had risen from ordinary backgrounds. However, neither his junior brother nor his master seemed to share that view. ... Li Hao escorted Yuan Shuo into the ruins. He didn't concern himself with how Yuan Shuo and the little tree would get along; his teacher was experienced in such matters. As for the Jade Light Sword, Li Hao simply provided her with cultivation resources. She seemed more inclined to follow his teacher's guidance and showed little desire to transition into divine characters at this stage, to which Li Hao raised no objection. Meanwhile, Li Hao began studying the domain. It was truly fascinating! Every time his teacher appeared, he brought fresh surprises. With the five forces integrated into heaven and earth, the five-element energy between heaven and earth seemed naturally subject to his control, though the range remained very small for now. Moreover, Li Hao discovered that when the five divine characters formed a domain and enveloped the area... it felt somewhat like an ancient ruin—the kind of environment that shut out everything else and even allowed for bursts of tremendous power. Soon, Li Hao sought out Director Zhou. Director Zhou had been very busy lately and rather miserable, as the space outside was not stable enough, forcing him to constantly resist the slicing effects of space. "Director Zhou, step close to me for a moment!" Though puzzled, Director Zhou walked over to Li Hao. In the next instant, his expression turned to astonishment as he looked around. Everything appeared unchanged, yet it felt as though he had stepped into an ancient ruin. What was going on? The spatial slicing had ceased affecting him. Li Hao felt it as well, finding it rather uncanny. It was just as he had suspected! Ruins seemed to function in a similar manner, possessing a property that isolated space. Of course, in the case of ruins, that was due to the immense power of ancient experts or the ruins themselves. In the next breath, the small domain began to contract, trapping Director Zhou inside. The director's brow furrowed slightly. "Director Zhou, try striking it open!" Zhou Chuan held back no longer and threw a punch. With a thunderous boom, a sound like shattering metal rang out despite the empty air. A burst of five-element power scattered outward. Director Zhou exhaled, feeling the spatial slicing once again. Li Hao perceived the outcome and frowned slightly. The five forces hadn't fused yet, leaving gaps that made the domain easy to shatter. No matter; once the fusion succeeded, Li Hao felt that even this small domain would be enough to trap Director Zhou. Like a child who had acquired a new toy, he vanished in a flash to continue tinkering with it. Director Zhou watched him leave, then glanced toward the rear courtyard, guessing that Yuan Shuo must have said something to him. He let out a sigh of deep emotion. This master and disciple pair—one dared to imagine, and the other dared to act. Li Hao had concocted yet another new trick. Being their enemy was truly a terrifying prospect. "His body is frail, but if that construct just now can serve as a protective barrier... the issue of his frail physique can be temporarily resolved... If so, Li Hao will be virtually invincible out in the open!" That wasn't a simple defense from a divine weapon; it was a natural protective shroud formed from the power of heaven and earth, capable of blocking spatial slicing. As a result, Li Hao could fight at full strength, while others would have to resist spatial forces—even a seven-element expert would be suppressed. Fighting Li Hao out in the open... Li Hao would almost certainly overpower anyone. How long had it even been? Director Zhou sighed internally. As things stood, the only entities capable of posing a threat to Li Hao were those beings from the ancient civilization. ... At the same time. In the western suburbs, Yuanping Martial Arts University. Black Armor looked up at the sky, his gaze seeming to pierce through the world to behold the outside. After a long silence, he murmured slowly, "Grown stronger again?" Li Hao seemed to have further refined his new Dao. Even though this path still appeared far too frail in his eyes, the world outside seemed to have undergone subtle shifts once more. It was growing more and more intriguing! Black Armor smiled wordlessly. A new era, a new dawn—he wondered just how far this era would ultimately go.