Storage rings fell into Li Hao's hand one after another.
At this moment, Li Hao was practically penniless.
What little divine energy stones he had left had all been given to the two puppets. However, what he possessed in greatest abundance right now was the Spring of Life—over ten thousand drops.
In truth, the one who had gained the most from this battle was not anyone else, but Li Hao.
Right now, the Starry Sky Sword in his grasp shimmered with light, overflowing with energy.
It was stuffed!
This time, the Starry Sky Sword was genuinely sated, seeming to be full for the very first time. It was impossible to tell how many sacred weapons it had devoured; those world-suppressing divine weapons, regardless of tier, had all been swallowed whole by the Starry Sky Sword.
It had consumed an entire pile in one breath.
Li Hao swept his gaze across the storage rings, probed them briefly, and smiled.
Divine energy stones.
Mountains of them.
After all, the experts of these rogue cultivators and ancient clans were all gathered here, and nearly all of their divine energy stones were kept in their storage rings. A quick scan revealed at least fifty million divine energy stones.
Yet in truth, that was actually rather little.
There were over a dozen factions here.
For a major clan to have reserves of only a few million divine energy stones was terribly low.
Still, one had to remember that these people had spent recklessly of late, purchasing large quantities of the Spring of Life. Although Li Hao had not counted precisely, the Spring of Life gathered across the various families added up to well over a hundred drops.
It was still meager.
To Li Hao, the Spring of Life was dirt cheap. These fools had thrown money away, lining the pockets of those demon plants. While Li Hao paid three thousand stones per drop, these people readily shelled out fifty or sixty thousand per drop.
"Those demon plants might already know something has gone wrong!"
Director Zhou spoke up: "In this place, when the demon plant avatars fell, the environment wasn't as sealed off as a ruin. They might already know their avatars are gone."
Li Hao smiled. "And then?"
So what if they knew?
They couldn't come out anyway.
Besides, the experts of each clan had been slaughtered almost down to the last man. Even if there were still experts inside the ruins, would they dare show their faces now?
Naturally, they still had to prevent word from leaking out.
Li Hao reached out, and the five divine characters vanished.
At this moment, those demon plants likely realized their avatars were truly destroyed.
Li Hao did not take the mirror fragments. Instead, he looked at Lin Hongyu. "Are you coming with me to slay the demon plants, or will you stay here to handle matters in the City of Supernaturals?"
Lin Hongyu said solemnly, "Naturally, I will follow the Commander!"
With that, she turned back. "Third Elder, I leave this place to you. If anyone comes to investigate, cooperate with the City Guards and deal with them!"
The Third Elder's face was completely drained of blood.
Looking at Lin Hongyu, he still trembled slightly. Swallowing hard, he stammered in terror, "City Lord... Commander, I... I worry... I worry I am not up to the task, that I won't handle it properly..."
Li Hao looked back at him and said with a smile, "City Lord Lin is leaving only you behind. You are a Four-Element Divine Power expert, after all. Now that the other experts are dead, if you can't even maintain stability... why not just return home to retire?"
The Third Elder went pale as a sheet and hurriedly said, "Rest assured, Commander, I will certainly keep this place airtight!"
"If... if someone comes to probe, I will kill the weak. As for the strong... I..."
He worried that if these people were gone for too long, various factions might send people to investigate once no one emerged.
Seeing this, Lin Hongyu smiled reassuringly. "Fret not, Third Elder. When nearly a hundred Divine Power experts gather for a meeting, a battle wouldn't be settled in less than three to five days. You need only release some ripples of divine energy from time to time. Who would dare rashly intrude to investigate?"
The Third Elder had no choice but to nod.
Yet sheer terror consumed his heart.
For a fleeting moment, he even thought of running away as soon as they left...
However, he quickly stamped out that thought entirely.
It was too terrifying!
The world was vast, but where could he possibly run?
Staying here, he might still live. If he fled, he would surely die.
Li Hao smiled, and the Five Elements Domain emerged. He looked toward the sky. "Senior, it is time to depart—to fetch your true body!"
Over there, the Redwood tree felt helpless.
Yet soon enough, it returned into the domain. The jujube tree also descended swiftly, harboring lingering dread and astonishment. These people were truly brutal.
Still... it felt thoroughly satisfying.
This time, it had finally enjoyed a full meal.
Living alongside Sky Sword for over a decade, it had been perpetually starving. That had been truly miserable.
"City Lord Lin, you know where the ruins of each clan are located, correct?"
Lin Hongyu smiled. "Of course. The ruins of each family are not far from here. When we chose this place as our stronghold back then, it was naturally calculated so that it wouldn't be far from any of the twelve clans. Otherwise, if trouble arose, wouldn't it be disastrous?"
"Their headquarters are generally built atop the ruins. Even if they weren't originally, they relocated continuously later on, choosing to stand directly above the ruins."
Li Hao nodded slightly. "Then let us clear them out first!"
With a flick of his hand, Li Hao produced a treasure—the Earth-Drilling Shuttle.
In an instant, Li Hao stepped inside. The others asked no questions and followed suit, though the Redwood tree remarked with emotion, "An Earth-Drilling Shuttle... It's been many years since I last saw one."
With that, its avatar also entered.
A ground map appeared before Li Hao's eyes.
He knew where the Lin Clan was located. Activating it in an instant, the Earth-Drilling Shuttle vanished on the spot, consuming over a hundred thousand divine energy stones in that single breath.
***
The Lin Clan's ancestral estate.
It was an enclave the size of a small city. At this moment, people bustled about, and the place remained lively. Only the experts had gone to the City of Supernaturals; that did not mean all members of the Lin Clan had departed. For now, the Lin Clan remained entirely unaware of the upheaval.
Throughout the small city, people were discussing heatedly how the Lin Clan would emerge as a regional hegemon and contend for supremacy across the world after this affair concluded.
The newcomers were immensely powerful.
In an instant, they appeared in the Lin Clan's rear mountains.
Someone was stationed here to guard it.
It was another Divine Power expert.
Without needing Li Hao to say a word, Lin Hongyu appeared in a flash and struck with a palm. The man was sent flying, coughing up blood from severe injuries. Seeing Lin Hongyu, he was completely dumbfounded.
Lin Hongyu said softly, "Second Grandfather, I don't wish to kill you. Release your supernatural defenses and let me knock you unconscious. You can live."
The old man's expression changed drastically.
At this moment, the Redwood tree also manifested its form. "What, do you wish to die?"
The old man's face turned completely ashen!
"Venerable..."
A moment later, he said nothing more. Lowering his supernatural defenses, he allowed the Redwood tree's origin power to seep in and immediately lost consciousness.
Lin Hongyu looked at Li Hao. "He is one of my closer kin and supported me within the Lin Clan."
Li Hao nodded slightly.
That was rather mediocre.
Excluding her, the Lin Clan had ten Divine Power experts, yet only two supported her. The proportion was truly unimpressive.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of a ruin.
The Redwood tree looked at Li Hao, and Li Hao smiled. "Senior resides here?"
The Redwood tree swayed its branches.
Li Hao smiled. "Shall we enter?"
"Please!"
The Redwood tree's thoughts churned. Did Li Hao and his group dare follow it inside?
Its true body was formidable.
Otherwise, it would not have been able to condense a new avatar immediately after one had just been destroyed.
***
Li Hao did not overthink it. Soon, the group entered the ruin.
What met their eyes was a towering Redwood tree piercing the sky.
This place resembled a small town.
Li Hao did not recognize it, but the puppet Li Shengzhang seemed to, expressing some surprise: "So you are the guardian demon plant of this place! No wonder your strength is so substantial!"
The Redwood tree's true body merged with the avatar, instantly learning everything. A phantom appeared upon its trunk, resembling not a man, but a woman.
Hearing those words, a chuckle drifted out: "Greetings, Imperial Scions! Forgive me for making a fool of myself before you both."
Li Shengzhang said nothing, turning his large head toward Li Hao. "This place is one of Silver Moon's nine primary communication stations—the crucial hub of communications in the land of Silver Moon back then. Even the military's armor communication system initially relied on this place, before a separate system was developed later to guard against unexpected crises."
"In those days, the nine base stations covered all of Silver Moon, allowing communication anywhere, regardless of distance."
Li Hao nodded. So that was it.
All nine base stations had demon plants guarding them.
Some of these stations were established in desolate, uninhabited regions with only demon plants standing guard. Consequently, the demon plants at these stations were remarkably formidable.
The Redwood tree was one of them.
In fact, there had been more than one demon plant here originally. As for where the others had gone, only the Redwood tree knew.
To have survived until now while retaining considerable strength, whether it had devoured the others was something Li Hao and his companions understood implicitly, yet none of them brought it up. In any case, it belonged to the ancient civilization's past.
The Redwood tree did not mention it either. At this moment, behind it within the small town, stood a tall tower.
This was the communication base station.
Jiang Yingli suddenly asked, "If all nine base stations were repaired, could we contact the main world?"
"Back then, it was possible!"
She looked at Li Hao. "In those years, we could reach the main world. It was only later that contact was lost."
The Redwood tree swayed its branches. "There is likely no hope... The connection between the main world and this place was maintained through base stations in the void. But when disaster struck, those stations were likely shattered. Coupled with the sealing of the Star Gate... it is impossible to contact the main world now."
At these words, the two puppets looked deeply disappointed.
The Redwood tree said nonchalantly, "Do the two Imperial Scions wish to return? If an expert could forcibly tear open the world barrier..."
Before Jiang Yingli could speak, Li Hao shook his head. "How could that be possible! The Dean of Academic Affairs is currently only at the Great Sage level. With the Principal gone, Yuanping Martial Arts University only has a few Great Sages left. Add in the few Great Sages of Battle Heaven City, and together there aren't even ten of them. As for the other main cities, only the Zhao family is willing to offer support, and they have few Great Sages as well..."
Sighing, Li Hao shook his head. "With fewer than twenty Great Sages, tearing through the world barrier is impossible! Right now, our only option is to open the Star Gate, and we must also guard against powerful enemies holding the gate... For now, we can only hold sway from within!"
Fewer than twenty Great Sages!
At these words, though the Redwood tree's expression was obscured, the face upon its trunk showed clear astonishment. "So that is how it is. I thought we could directly open the Star Gate, leave this place, and return to the main world!"
Li Hao said indifferently, "How could it be that simple? Moreover, my domain is still too small; it can barely accommodate some weakened Immortals. Even Great Sages can hardly step outside. Otherwise, why would I ask for your assistance? Of course, Senior's strength is formidable... With the Great Sages unable to emerge, you should be number one under heaven. Senior, with your current prowess, if you were to kill us, the benefits would be immense..."
"Commander, what are you saying!"
The Redwood tree took fright.
Li Hao remained utterly calm. "Merely a joke. How could the Redwood Venerable truly do such a thing? Venerable, you had better move your true body and shrink it down. Come outside with me. If you are unwilling... I will not force you! As for demon plants at the Immortal Realm, I believe... we are not lacking in them!"
The Redwood tree could not fathom how many hidden cards Li Hao held and was gripped by uncertainty and fear. Its true body rapidly began to shrink, sending mental ripples: "Commander, please do not misunderstand! This humble spirit was merely concerned about the main world. Learning that there are still Great Sages alive brings me great relief."
"There is no need for you to worry over that. Those are matters for grand figures; why should small fry like us meddle?"
Li Hao smiled. "Even the successors of the Zhenxing Li and Jiang families aren't in a hurry. What are you rushing for?"
The Redwood tree was shaken, only now learning that these two puppets were actually successors of the Zhenxing Li and Jiang families. It immediately became solemn: "So you are descendants of the two Zhenxing Sovereigns! This humble spirit has been insolent!"
Jiang Yingli and her companion were not fools; they were merely somewhat simple-minded.
At this moment, as if realizing something, Jiang Yingli suddenly cursed, "Bastard, were you testing me just now? You have quite the nerve! Even if this lady stands here without moving, you wouldn't be able to shatter a puppet forged by the Principal! Unless this world never allows Great Sages to emerge, you will die without a burial place!"
"Imperial Scion truly misunderstands!"
The Redwood tree said in panic, "This humble spirit had no such intention!"
"Hmph!"
The two puppets said nothing more.
Li Hao merely kept a smile on his face, though he was inwardly on guard. One always had to be cautious against these demon plants. This one was not like Little Tree; Little Tree belonged to the younger generation and lacked extensive experience, merely inheriting some memories.
This fellow, however, was a wily old veteran.
When deterrence was needed, it had to be applied.
Yet intimidating an Immortal was extraordinarily difficult.
If Li Hao's group were to engage in a life-and-death struggle with this Immortal, whether they could bring it down... was highly uncertain. Of course, the other side would not have an easy time either. This fellow was likely even stronger than the one backing the Hu family.
At this moment, Lin Hongyu spoke up: "Milord, it is all a misunderstanding. We should hurry and deal with the other demon plants to avoid wasting time. Now that they know their avatars are dead, they might instruct their clans to investigate, and the Third Elder might not be able to stall for long!"
"Right, right, right..."
The Redwood tree chimed in quickly: "That makes sense. Commander Li, two Imperial Scions, shall we head out first?"
Li Hao chuckled. "No rush. I still need to make sure. Does the Redwood Venerable truly wish to go out with me? It is very dangerous. If I disperse my domain... Venerable... you might be sliced to ribbons by space itself!"
"Aren't you afraid that I, Li Hao, will entrap and kill you?"
"How could that be!"
The Redwood tree spoke hastily, yet panic surged in its heart. Had its earlier probing words displeased these figures?
If they truly did that... it genuinely would not dare venture outside.
Stepping out right now depended entirely on Li Hao's domain for shielding. Once deprived of that, it would be cut to pieces by spatial shear. The shearing force of space was unimaginably powerful; otherwise, those ancient experts would not have remained cowering inside until now.
"It seems Senior does not trust us?"
Li Hao smiled. "Then forget it. We shall take our leave..."
"Don't!"
The Redwood tree blurted out, "I have no such doubts!"
With that, it rapidly shrank its body down to human size and hovered beside Lin Hongyu.
At this point, Li Hao dropped the mental barrier in his mind and sent a voice transmission to Director Zhou: "Do not release that Great Sage golden body of yours; don't waste it. This Redwood tree is a servile scoundrel. If not for the fact that it still has some use and I worried about squandering several sacred talismans, I would have executed it here today!"
Director Zhou's heart stirred, and he quickly replied via voice transmission: "I understand. This is for the best. After all, that is the golden body of my ancestral master. Once used, it might shatter completely. Though it could suppress an Immortal or even kill it outright, losing Master's golden body... would be an unbearable loss for me."
"Mm!"
Li Hao severed the transmission immediately.
The Redwood tree swayed slightly, harboring suspicion. A Great Sage golden body?
Was that real or fake?
Of course, having reached this stage, it dared not entertain reckless thoughts. Anything was possible, especially since everyone around Li Hao had immense backgrounds. Since it had made its choice... it had better resign itself to it!
It had previously entertained some ideas, but all of them vanished into smoke now.
These people were not to be trifled with.
***
The group emerged from the ruin, and Li Hao's domain expanded.
It was somewhat unstable.
The Redwood tree did its utmost to restrain its aura, yet it remained terrified. Li Hao's domain seemed none too sturdy, appearing rather unreliable.
If this shattered... it would be in deep trouble.
Li Hao also felt the crushing pressure of space.
Because of the Redwood tree, space had become exceptionally volatile.
The five divine characters manifested, channeling grand force to shield the surroundings, yet turbulence persisted. The Redwood tree was so frightened that it almost pressed itself directly against Li Hao. This was utterly terrifying!
Venture outside with its true body... It was truly gambling with its life!
"Commander, can... can this domain of yours be maintained continuously?"
The Redwood tree was nervous as the group reentered the Earth-Drilling Shuttle.
Li Hao smiled. "It should roughly be fine."
What did he mean by roughly fine?
This was a matter of life and death!
The Redwood tree had no choice but to transmit its voice to Lin Hongyu. Lin Hongyu, feeling helpless, spoke up: "Commander, the Earth-Drilling Shuttle also possesses the ability to pierce space. Moving too quickly, could it destabilize the domain?"
Clearly, the death-fearing Redwood tree had prompted her to ask.
Li Hao smiled. "It shouldn't be a problem!"
"..."
Still that same answer.
The Redwood tree wanted to say more, but Li Hao said coolly, "If you distract me again, the domain truly will become unstable!"
"..."
The Redwood tree instantly fell silent, filled with apprehension. As the Earth-Drilling Shuttle activated, Lin Hongyu guided the way. Before long, Li Hao arrived within the vicinity of an ancient castle.
At this moment, panic seemed to reign inside the castle.
"Hurry to the City of Supernaturals and check... What happened? Could it be a clash of supernatural powers that even forced the Venerable's avatar into action? Dammit..."
Experts still guarded the castle.
However, just like the Lin Clan, only a single Divine Power expert had been left behind.
Evidently, the news of the demon plant avatar's destruction had been relayed outward by the demon plant.
Yet at this moment, those here could not ascertain what had transpired.
Perhaps a fierce clash had erupted over the council seats, prompting them to deploy the demon plant avatars.
Confusion reigned!
Following their movement routes, Li Hao quickly drilled downward. A gate of faint radiance fluctuated slightly, and a faint spiritual consciousness permeated the air. There were people here too. At this time, the demon plant's spiritual consciousness rippled incessantly, filled with fury: "If you do not compensate this seat with ten million divine energy stones this time, don't expect an easy time! Never again expect this seat to provide you with a single drop of the Spring of Life!"
"A bunch of good-for-nothings!"
"Milord, please calm your anger!"
At the entrance, several elderly men hurriedly tried to soothe it, each trembling in fear, visibly terrified.
At this moment, the jujube tree's voice sounded in Li Hao's ear: "Sigh, now that is what a true relying demon plant should look like!"
This was the kind of life a demon plant was meant to live.
Thinking back to itself, it was truly pathetic.
That bastard Sky Sword only came when he remembered it; if he forgot, he might not visit once in a decade. Look at this one—merely losing a weak avatar, and it was scolding people like grandchildren.
This was the proper way for the weak to rely on the strong!
It was intensely envious.
Li Hao transmitted his voice: "Does Senior desire such a life? If so... I can fulfill your wish!"
The jujube tree fell instantly silent.
Forget it, I value my life.
These people were coming straight for the other party's true body. Even the Redwood tree's true body had come along. The other party was almost certainly doomed... This could only be counted as its final burst of swagger. It certainly had no desire to walk that path.
Right at that moment, the demon plant's spiritual consciousness rippled slightly, suddenly lashing out with a mental spike: "Who is there?"
In the underground hall, the elderly men were baffled.
Before they could even process the thought—*boom!*—their vision went black, and their life force was snuffed out instantly.
In a flash, an Earth-Drilling Shuttle appeared.
"Battle Heaven Army?"
Terror surged within its spiritual consciousness. Was this the Battle Heaven Army's shuttle?
How could such a thing still exist in this era!
Before it could withdraw its spiritual consciousness, it was instantly pulverized by a spear intent and two sword intents!
In the next instant, Li Hao led his group directly into the ruin.
***
Inside the ruin, a massive golden tree violently convulsed.
It roared in fury, "Who are you?"
A moment later, it seemed taken aback: "It's you... Redwood Venerable?"
The Redwood tree immediately materialized, revealing its form. A face hovered upon its trunk, bearing a slight smile: "I trust you have been well."
"How is this possible? The outside space is unstable..."
Realizing this, it was struck with sudden dread. These people were here to kill it!
Most certainly!
Its avatar had likely been slain by them as well.
Without time to think, it charged toward the entrance at once. Like a humanoid entity, the massive tree bolted straight for the exit—it wanted to flee!
The ruins were their sanctuaries.
Yet now, even the powerful Redwood could venture out, so it surely could as well.
Everyone was startled, then watched in silence.
A moment later, a wretched scream rang out.
At the entrance, the moment the tree's branches poked outside—*rumble!*—space shattered. In an instant, its canopy along with nearly half its trunk vanished into nothingness!
The massive tree retreated frantically, filled with disbelief and shock. Its spiritual consciousness erupted in a shrill screech: "How can this be?"
The Redwood Venerable had come in person, so why had it suffered spatial shearing the moment it stepped outside?
"Truly... foolish!"
In the next instant, an overwhelming aura erupted!
*Boom!*
Myriads of branches pierced through heaven and earth, instantly locking down the injured golden tree. Cracks tore across its trunk, and the golden tree was both furious and terrified!
"You want to kill me..."
Right then, Li Hao let out a low shout and slashed with his sword!
A burst of sword intent permeated heaven and earth.
Seven-element supernatural power erupted in an instant!
The others did not hold back either, unleashing their attacks one after another.
Even Black Panther was not idle. With a roar, it transformed on the spot. Blood gathered, and a shadowy silhouette manifested, causing even the Redwood tree to shudder: "The Demon Suppressing Emissary!"
Just as it cried out, *boom!* A bolt of lightning blasted forth!
From the phantom's golden horn, a streak of light struck the golden tree directly, instantly scorching it black.
Li Hao barked, "What are you standing around for? Kill it!"
This Redwood tree was far too slow to react!
The Redwood tree had already been thoroughly unnerved. The Demon Suppressing Emissary...
Truth be told, it truly hadn't discerned Black Panther's background earlier. Now it was terrified, even feeling bloodline suppression. Fortunately, it fared much better than the golden tree.
Taking advantage of the target being stunned by the strike, it exerted all its might in an instant.
Countless branches drove forward!
As a demon plant, it understood a demon plant's fatal weaknesses intimately.
A thick bough pierced through the opponent's heart of life in a flash.
The other party gathered its origin power, letting out a shriek of terror, but an even stronger origin power swept in. With a deafening boom, as if something had detonated, the golden tree dimmed.
Its origin power shattered instantly.
Li Hao shouted, "Its origin path hasn't broken yet... Redwood, what are you doing?"
The Redwood tree jolted and hurriedly responded, "I forgot! There is no source of origin nowadays; even if the origin path remains, it cannot revive..."
Offering an excuse, it was inwardly astonished. It seemed these people had killed origin experts before.
Not daring to delay, a towering grand path emerged from the Redwood tree, slamming directly toward the golden tree. It collided against a patch of void with a thunderous roar, and a grand path materialized—the origin path of the golden tree.
At this moment, the opponent's phantom projected outward, filled with fury: "You would drive me to utter destruction?"
Last time they killed Golden Palm, Little Tree had used the Imperial Palace's projection to suppress its origin path.
This time, it felt as though this Redwood tree's suppression over the origin path was even inferior to Little Tree's. When their paths collided, the Redwood tree even seemed somewhat hesitant.
Li Hao frowned.
Suddenly, he gave a cold snort. A blood-red saber intent abruptly spilled from the Starry Sky Sword.
The saber intent of the Blood Sovereign!
The Starry Sky Sword was already substantially awakened. Coming into contact with this saber intent, it violently surged. Li Hao roared, "Sever!"
A terrifying, heaven-cleaving intent erupted in an instant!
In the void, the origin paths of both demon plants trembled violently.
The Redwood tree was scared out of its wits!
A blood saber!
This was... the saber intent of a Sovereign, the saber intent of the Southern Martial Sovereign!
Li Hao actually possessed his legacy as well!
Amidst its shock, it heard Li Hao's furious command: "Suppress its path's power!"
Terror gripping its heart, the Redwood tree dared not delay. It unleashed a savage roar, pouring all its origin power into suppressing the other's path. The golden tree's phantom thrashed in sheer terror: "No..."
As long as the origin path remained unbroken, it still had a chance to revive.
Once the path shattered... it would be thoroughly finished.
A burst of saber intent paired with the Starry Sky Sword was unimaginably potent, possessing devastating destructive power against an origin path.
A single slash fell!
Heaven and earth seemed to split apart. With a sharp crack, that small path fractured, snapped, and completely collapsed moments later. The dying tree roared in despair and resentment: "Redwood... you fool! We are both demon plants, while they are humans... You actually abet their tyranny... Neo Martial is gone, and the era of the demon race's rise has arrived! Demon plants are the most abundant now... you utter fool..."
Demon plants had been ruled by humans for an entire era. Now that humanity had finally declined and the demon race was rising,
Redwood had actually colluded with humans to kill its own kind.
What a fool!
*Rumble!*
The path collapsed, and rich origin power rapidly dissipated. The little jujube tree and Black Panther devoured it voraciously. Redwood glanced at Li Hao, then cautiously began absorbing it as well.
It was dead!
When it struck the golden tree earlier, it hadn't intended to sever its path. Yet... these people had severed it themselves.
Now, the golden tree was dead beyond all doubt.
How ruthless!
Li Hao looked at Director Zhou, who shook his head slightly. He could not absorb any more; doing so would push him directly into the Seven-Element stage, and he would no longer be able to leave Li Hao's side, losing all freedom.
Li Hao felt a trace of regret.
Frowning slightly, he wondered: if this continued... would no one else be able to advance to the next level before the second resurgence?
Saying nothing more, he stepped forward quickly and gouged open the trunk. A dense, concentrated vitality gushed forth.
Li Hao took out a massive water vat and began collecting it directly.
The sight made Lin Hongyu sway on her feet.
So much!
Endless Spring of Life.
It was astonishing, but Li Hao already possessed over ten thousand drops. This tree did not seem to have stored much—only about three thousand drops, not even as much as the Hu family's demon plant. Li Hao kept his brow furrowed.
He collected all of the Spring of Life.
Next, he stored the trunk into his storage ring without letting anyone absorb the indestructible matter within.
The Redwood tree felt tempted, but Li Hao said calmly, "Senior and Senior Jujube Tree can absorb the origin power. That is what you lack; as for the rest, I have other uses for it! Furthermore... next time, I hope things go smoother rather than requiring me to sever the path myself. When we killed those Immortal demon plants before, the Imperial Palace Guardian used the Imperial Palace's projection to instantly suppress their paths. Senior Redwood... do you lack this ability?"
"The Imperial Palace Guardian?"
The Redwood tree was dumbfounded. Where had an Imperial Palace Guardian come from?
Who was that?
"The Emperor once had a temporary imperial palace in Silver Moon back then. Did you not know? Outside the palace, there was a demon plant that served as the Imperial Palace Guardian. It could summon the palace's projection and instantly suppress origin paths. I assumed every demon plant possessed similar capabilities. The last few times, Immortals were suppressed directly to death. This time, I left the Imperial Palace Guardian to guard Heavenly Star Town and suppress Thorny Rose. I didn't expect... that Senior Redwood wouldn't know how!"
Li Hao frowned. "Had I known, I would have brought the Imperial Palace Guardian instead."
The Redwood tree was speechless.
Who... who would know how to do that?
From Li Hao's tone, this was not a lie. Thinking of this, it trembled inwardly. Naturally, anyone capable of channeling the Imperial Palace could suppress a path in an instant. So Li Hao had yet another faction backing him?
It was numb with shock!
Yuanping Martial Arts University, the Imperial Palace, Battle Heaven City... Were there more?
The experts from all these places had actually aligned with Li Hao.
Incredible!
Moreover, besides the Longevity Sword Venerable's sword intent, he also possessed the Blood Sovereign's saber intent... What kind of monster was he?
At this moment, before the Redwood tree could speak, the little jujube tree chimed in hurriedly: "Commander Li, if you trust me, you can summon my true body here! Slaying demon plants is not something that needs to be rushed. My true body possesses some strength. While I might not match Venerable Redwood, I will certainly fight with everything I have and never hold back!"
It was all but stating outright: *This fellow held back, but I won't! Hurry and bring my true body!*
The jujube tree was filled with regret.
Had it known, it would have brought its true body.
Now that a demon plant had been slain, the origin power its avatar could absorb was limited. If its true body were here... it might have recovered most of its strength. What a pity.
The Redwood tree was startled, then cursed inwardly.
*You wretched cur, trying to steal my position!*
In the next instant, it transformed into human shape and landed beside Li Hao with a smile: "There is no need for such trouble, Commander. I haven't fought in so long, and my origin was dormant; I simply hadn't thought of it earlier. Now that I have experience, it won't happen again!"
Only at this point was it thoroughly subdued.
The Redwood tree added, "In the past, I possessed peak Immortal combat power; I have simply recovered slowly, falling behind the one in Heavenly Star Town. As for this jujube tree, it is likely just a wild demon plant. I was once part of the military establishment, whereas it is merely an outdoor wild demon that barely crossed into the early Immortal Realm. Its recovery is even more abysmal... If its true body came, it might not even be as strong as the Commander himself!"
At this point, its attitude had completely shifted. It didn't even mind the origin power being voraciously consumed by the jujube tree and Black Panther. It could not afford to be despised and cast aside by Li Hao, or its opportunity would be gone.
The amount of origin power those two could absorb was limited. If they kept killing, those two wouldn't be able to take much more, leaving the rest to it.
"Commander, such an incident will not occur a second time. The more I recover, the more thoroughly I can suppress them..."
Li Hao stared at it for a long while before saying, "I hope so! If you are unwilling to exert yourself, plenty of others are. Perhaps you consider yourself invincible at the peak Immortal Realm, but in my eyes, I can summon dozens of beings with your strength whenever I please!"
"Do you know why I chose not to call upon them, or those from Battle Heaven City?"
The Redwood tree adopted an attentive posture.
Li Hao said calmly, "Checks and balances. I cannot allow any single faction to dominate. Whether it is you, the Imperial Palace Guardian, or Battle Heaven City, I have only allowed you to recover partially, not entirely. Because... you must understand that this era is no longer the Neo Martial era; it is the era of Li Hao!"
He looked at the Redwood tree. "That is why you were granted this opportunity. You must cherish and seize it! Otherwise, with my capabilities, I can take any demon plant with me at will. Must it be you?"
Li Hao said coldly, "If this happens again... you may return to your base station and continue your slumber!"
"I wouldn't dare!"
The Redwood tree understood instantly and bowed hastily. Lin Hongyu watched in amazement. This Venerable had always been exceedingly arrogant, looking down upon humans as fragile creatures. Even with her exceptional talent, the tree had merely viewed her as a subordinate worth nurturing.
Yet before Li Hao, it groveled so submissively...
Was the difference between people truly this immense?
"Let's go. To the next family!"
"As for this place, after you step out, send a mental transmission telling them not to approach. Those fools can't distinguish one demon plant from another anyway. With a demon plant's command, they definitely won't dare come near!"
The Redwood tree nodded.
Soon, the group exited the ruin. The Redwood tree sent out a furious mental wave: "Get lost, all of you! No one is permitted near this place! This seat must restore its strength. Anyone who dares approach within a thousand meters shall die!"
The castle fell instantly silent. A moment later, someone inside hurriedly replied, "Milord, please appease your anger! We would never dare approach... Men, seal off the perimeter! Do not disturb Milord!"
Meanwhile, Li Hao had already piloted the Earth-Drilling Shuttle and vanished from the area.
***
On that day, Li Hao took the Redwood tree and visited family after family.
All of them housed lone demon plants, mostly wild demons. After slaying three demon plants, the Redwood tree's combat power was nearly restored to its peak, and it dared not devour any more origin power.
If it consumed more, Li Hao would no longer be able to shield it; it would burst through the domain, and everything would be ruined.
As for the surplus origin power, such a substance was difficult to preserve.
Li Hao could only envelop some of it with his Five Elements Domain, have the Redwood tree compress it, and then stuff it into Black Panther's belly. Black Panther trembled in terror; there was so much that if it detonated, even its cavernous stomach would be blown apart!
***
At the same time.
Heavenly Star City.
The imperial palace.
Underground.
Thorny Rose suddenly took human form, looking puzzled. The Old Heavenly Star King awakened instantly: "Milord, is something the matter?"
"Something isn't right!"
Thorny Rose said in a low voice, "Has the world loosened, or what? Previously, there were many demon plants on Heavenly Star Island, all vying for energy. Today... I suddenly noticed that energy has become somewhat more abundant. Why is that?"
Could a batch of those competing for energy have died?
That shouldn't be!
Thorny Rose was perplexed, but the Old Heavenly Star King did not think in that direction. Instead, he smiled. "Milord, could it be... that more energy is leaking from the mineral vein? Does this mean the second resurgence is truly about to begin? They can no longer contain the energy leakage!"
Was that so?
Yet Thorny Rose felt that the competition from the outside world had weakened. Trapped inside the ruin, however, its senses were not very clear.
It felt a twinge of unease.
Soon, it spoke: "I shall go check on the Security Bureau's side. There seemed to be some disturbances last time..."
Last time, to avoid misunderstandings, it hadn't gone over.
Now, it felt slightly uneasy.
Had something happened outside?
If a large number of demon plants had truly fallen... that would be a catastrophic problem, signifying a massive upheaval.
Soon, a rose vine stretched across heaven and earth.
Before long, it arrived before a dark, chaotic barrier.
Its barbed vine probed into the darkness.
Right at that moment, a formidable aura erupted violently from the other side!
It felt as though the majesty of heaven and earth had descended!
On the other side, Little Tree's heart jolted. Directly channeling the Imperial Palace's projection, it instantly pulverized the vine that had pierced into the dark wall!
"Hmph!"
From the other side came a faint, stifled groan!
***
Thorny Rose instantly retracted its vine, but the tip was already pulverized.
Fury flared within it!
Bastard!
Golden Palm had recovered rather swiftly and possessed terrifying strength. More importantly, it showed zero mercy, shattering its vine the moment it attacked. It seemed nothing had happened to it last time after all.
"Hmph!"
Letting out another soft snort, it thought: *No, I must head to the mineral vein as soon as possible. As for these fellows... I will settle scores with them one by one later!*
Turning around, it flew back swiftly.
Since Golden Palm was still there, crossing over rashly would expose it to injury from chaotic origin power, and an all-out assault from the other party might wound it. It was better to drop the idea.
Returning to the underground hall,
it said coldly in foul humor, "Have your son contact the other factions immediately. This seat wishes to explore the mineral vein; we cannot wait any longer!"
The Old Heavenly Star King said hurriedly, "Milord, calm your anger! I will have him prepare at once... What about Golden Palm...?"
"Stubborn and intractable—pay it no heed! This time, it shall be excluded as well. Once I fully recover, I will teach it a lesson!"
At this moment, it put aside the matter of the outside competition diminishing.
Perhaps those fellows had recently absorbed large quantities of divine energy stones and thus ceased snatching the free energy outside?
That was entirely possible.
That Li Hao had forced all factions to consume massive amounts of divine energy stones, which was a blessing for demon plants.
***
Meanwhile, outside, the Nine Departments—the Bureau of Military Law, the Administrative Department, the Department of Personnel Evaluation, and the Department of Foreign Affairs—quickly received transmissions from the imperial family, expressing a desire to discuss cooperation and head to the mineral vein as soon as possible.
Taking advantage of Li Hao's recent disappearance, they might be able to initiate the second resurgence before his return, or simply devour the energy of those veins for themselves.
Chapter 276