Secondary Space

"Where is my sword?" When Li Hao's voice rang out, everyone present was overwhelmingly exhilarated. Li Hao was still alive. ... At that moment, Li Hao had been wandering through the vast, starlit sky, transformed into a ferocious tiger roaming heaven and earth. He spotted a tiger riding a gigantic stone saber. Unable to pin down his own position, Li Hao felt a surge of excitement upon seeing this tiger. Drifting with the wind, he materialized in an instant and grabbed hold of the stone saber beneath the tiger. ... At that very instant. In the outside world. Yuan Shuo gave a harsh shout. Using his blood as a guide, a path of crimson blood manifested in the void. A surge of potent energy erupted from within his body as Yuan Shuo bellowed, "Return!" Boom! Heaven and earth seemed to tremble. In that instant, a figure emerged—or rather, a tiger silhouette. Clinging to the stone saber, Li Hao, still in a daze, followed the saber out. Yuan Shuo collapsed limp to the ground, cursing up a storm. "Fooling around blindly all day long!" He no longer cared about his image, longing to unleash a torrent of abuse. Fortunately, he had arrived in time and discovered where Li Hao was. Of course, he knew Li Hao had nowhere else to run; if he fled, he could only flee here. After all, the human body's secondary space had been proposed by Li Hao himself—he was its first discoverer. With Li Hao's audacity, it would have been stranger if he hadn't fled here at the critical juncture. Li Hao's human form emerged. In the next instant, Director Wang leaped to his feet and grabbed the utterly frail Li Hao. With a sharp crack, he snapped the tiger claw. He had only meant to show concern, but froze on the spot. Reverting into human form, Li Hao looked down at his broken hand. He just stared at Director Wang in silence. It wasn't that he was trying to run an injury scam. The problem was that he truly was a porcelain doll right now, and Director Wang had snapped his hand off. Director Wang was so mortified he wished the ground would swallow him whole. "I..." He wanted to say he hadn't done it on purpose. But in his agitation, he exhaled a heavy breath. A gentle breeze blew past, and Li Hao's entire arm suddenly fell off. Li Hao said nothing. He crouched down, picked up the fallen arm, and quietly slotted it back into place. Director Wang leaped backward in an instant! He stared at Li Hao in utter disbelief. I really didn't touch you that time. I'll admit to snapping your hand just now. But there's no way I could kill you just by breathing on you. "A minor matter." Having fitted his frail arm back on, Li Hao offered a smile. Crack... plop. A patch of skin fell off his face. "It's fine!" Li Hao chuckled dryly. His skinless face looked all the more terrifying. Everyone frowned in distress. How could this be? Li Hao's physical body was like a clay doll right now, shattering at the slightest touch. Li Hao did not mind too much. Looking back at the fierce battle, one could say he had suffered immense losses. Then again, having condensed the divine characters of Wind and Thunder, calling it a loss wasn't entirely accurate. More importantly, he had entered the secondary space. All in all, it wasn't a loss. As for his utterly frail physical body, there was no helping it; even before stepping inside, he had been reduced to nothing more than a layer of skin. He turned to his teacher and smiled. "Teacher, thank you for your trouble!" Flake, flake. More skin peeled off. Yuan Shuo rolled his eyes. "Nourish your body first. Look how weak you are!" Li Hao smiled. Streams of the Spring of Life surged forth, quickly nourishing his flesh. Within moments, a hint of color returned to his skin, and at last he stopped shedding flesh and skin every time he moved. Director Wang also breathed a sigh of relief and hurried forward, though he dared not touch Li Hao again. "Are you all right?" he asked cautiously. "Just a minor thing!" He calls that a minor thing? Director Wang hurriedly asked, "Where did you go just now?" "The secondary space." "The origin world?" Director Wang asked with some bewilderment. "But origin has been severed..." The origin world. It was also an existence similar to a secondary space, the world where the origin path resided. Every path would ultimately manifest between heaven, earth, and the cosmos. Li Hao did not understand this yet. However, hearing Director Wang's words, a flash of realization struck him, and he mused, "The origin world... You mean to say the origin path has a world of its own as well?" "Of course!" Director Wang explained. "In the world of the origin path, each dao is a star, each person corresponds to a star, and when a person dies, their star falls..." Li Hao's gaze flickered slightly. Interesting. Another starry cosmos. When he had entered the secondary space just now, he had also seen a cosmos of countless stars. Was it the same world, or... was it not? Could it be that every path ultimately led toward the boundless starry sky? Was every path a Dao universe of its own? Li Hao drifted into thought. The others looked at him with strange expressions. What was it now? Li Hao, however, was no longer dwelling on the danger he had just survived. The Great Dao held myriad forms, and exchanging blows with powerful experts was genuinely fascinating. Someone like Hong Tu, for instance, had provided Li Hao with a wealth of insights. There was pressure and peril, but also comprehension. The closer one came to the brink of death, the more one grasped. Had Hong Tu not been so formidable, forcing him to seek survival in the jaws of death, how could he ever have entered the secondary space? Every peck and sip was predestined—such was Heaven's will. Heaven's will... Li Hao suddenly gave a derisive chuckle. Bullshit Heaven's will. Heaven's will was nothing to fear. In this world, the heavens had likely developed a shred of conscious will, actually bewildering him into clashing with Hong Tu and clouding his mind. Heaven's will manipulating the hearts of men... That was unacceptable! Li Hao found this utterly intolerable. The heavens could have consciousness, but they had no right to manipulate human will. To dare manipulate him! No wonder from the moment he heard of Fengyun Pavilion, he had been obsessed with destroying Hong Tu, harboring even greater animosity toward him than toward Ying Hongyue. It was because Hong Tu sought to usurp this world. At this moment, Li Hao was somewhat lost in thought. The rest merely watched him. Some were puzzled, some looked amused, and others shook their heads with a chuckle. Li Hao possessed supreme talent. Right now, he seemed to have conceived another idea or gained another epiphany. But... he had just walked back from the gates of death, and his body was frail to the extreme. Under such circumstances, wouldn't he take a rest? "Enough. Whatever you're pondering, save it for later!" At this moment, only Yuan Shuo could step in to interrupt. His face slightly pale, he stood up, looked at Li Hao, and frowned. "Reckless!" With that, he quickly added, "The cosmos is boundless, and one can become lost at any moment—whether in the physical universe or the Dao universe! The human body is not an isolated entity. The river of life projects into the void; that is the cosmos of the river of life, and you could easily be lost within it at any time." Li Hao felt a spark of comprehension and looked toward Yuan Shuo. Yuan Shuo shook his head. "Don't flatter yourself. You and I share the same martial roots, and our Five Animals Secret Art shares the same origin and foundation. That is the only reason I could vaguely sense your presence. Anyone else would simply be lost forever, and even I wouldn't be able to find them." So that was it! The others felt as though they were listening to celestial scripture. Director Wang, on the other hand, was deep in thought. As an expert of the origin path, he had experienced the origin cosmos, so he could broadly follow along. Yet... he still found it hard to believe. What did this imply? It meant Li Hao and his master had discovered a new path—a truly new path. One path, one world; one path, one universe. Could this really be possible? And yet, where had Li Hao gone just now? Director Wang's mind raced. He recalled the ancient rumor that during the Human King's early, weaker days, he had roamed the origin cosmos. In that era, only a single being had initially been capable of doing so: the Cang Emperor! The Cang Emperor could roam the origin cosmos because he was born from origin itself, virtually one with the origin cosmos. Yet Li Hao and his master were not. Director Wang's expression shifted repeatedly. Could there truly be another Dao in this world? A Great Dao in the truest sense. Throughout the countless years of the Neo-Martial era, no one had ever discovered another Great Dao. Even the Human King's internal world still belonged to the origin path; it was merely sealed off to form a world of its own, rather than completely separating from the origin cosmos. Thoughts churned continuously through his mind. Li Hao was very weak! Even with seven elements, he remained weak. Calling seven elements comparable to the Peak Realm now merely meant comparable to Peak Realm experts who lacked origin amplification. In the Neo-Martial era, before the origin was cut off, a Peak Realm expert of that time was vastly different from a seven-element combatant today. The gap between the two was massive! A true Peak Realm expert could practically take on a hundred six-element experts at once, unlike now. Could a seven-element combatant fight a hundred six-element combatants? Certainly not! While he was pondering this, Hong Yitang smiled and spoke up. "As long as you're all right, that's what matters. By the way, is this mirror what you were after? Your sword... seems to be inside." He handed Li Hao a mirror. Even though battered and damaged, it still emitted a faint glow, undeniably formidable. Accepting the mirror, Li Hao sighed in admiration. "What a powerful divine weapon!" This artifact was truly formidable. Hong Tu simply had not been capable of unleashing its full power. Otherwise, Li Hao felt that the current Starry Sky Sword, even after devouring the Hong family's divine hammer, would not have matched it. Director Wang glanced at it, nodded, and remarked with a sigh, "This must be the Fengyun Auxiliary Mirror, right? Strictly speaking... this is a Sovereign weapon!" Li Hao looked at him, and Director Wang explained, "Divine weapons forged by Sovereigns are what we call Sovereign weapons! This was likely forged by one of the Hong family's Four Emperors. As for which one, I'm not certain." "The Fengyun Treasure Mirror was originally forged by that patriarch of the Hong family. It was immensely powerful and was later presented to the Human King. Afterward, he forged the Fengyun Auxiliary Mirrors, but more than one... which is why they appear slightly lower in grade." Regardless, it was still a Sovereign weapon. Director Wang hesitated a moment before adding, "Truth be told, while the eight divine weapons carry extraordinary significance, even the Starry Sky Sword isn't necessarily that much stronger than this artifact. Of course, the Starry Sky Sword is special—the Human King specifically forged it for the Sword Venerable—so once its seals are fully undone, the Starry Sky Sword will definitely be stronger." At present, however, the Starry Sky Sword's seals remained intact. Strictly speaking, it was inferior to this Fengyun Auxiliary Mirror. Li Hao nodded. No wonder! He hadn't realized the Starry Sky Sword was sealed. Looking inside the mirror, he saw the Starry Sky Sword swimming around, and he couldn't help but frown. How was he supposed to get it out? While Li Hao pondered, Li Shengzhang whispered from the side, "Try refining it. Of course, refining it is very difficult for anyone not of the Hong bloodline. But now that its master is dead, you might succeed if you try. Once refined, you can retrieve the Starry Sky Sword." Li Hao nodded and smiled. "That was my goal in coming here. I just didn't expect Hong Tu to be so powerful that he nearly got me killed. By the way, where is that tree?" The tree was gone. Although there seemed to be other trees in the city, Li Hao still remembered that white tree—it was massive and immensely strong. Director Wang gave a dry cough. "I ate it." "..." Li Hao looked baffled. You ate it? What do you mean? Director Wang coughed again. "My expenditure was too great just now, so I ate it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to make up for the deficit." Using the City Lord Seal was no simple matter; otherwise, he would have used it long ago. Even so, he felt a bit embarrassed now. Everyone had pitched in this time. Although the white tree had been the strongest, Hong Tu hadn't been weak either. Director Wang had come out to work for Li Hao, yet the greatest spoil of war had ended up in his stomach... It felt rather improper. Back then, however, he had assumed Li Hao was dead, so he hadn't thought about it that much. Li Hao didn't say anything. If it was eaten, so be it. He was actually quite surprised that Director Wang had managed to kill it. That white tree hadn't looked weak in the least. To kill it just like that... had he been away for a very long time? And why was his teacher here? Only now did Li Hao register this in hindsight, looking at Yuan Shuo in surprise. "Teacher, how did you get here?" Yuan Shuo snapped irritably, "As soon as I woke up, all of you were gone! I asked around and learned you came to attack Fengyun Pavilion. Didn't I tell you? Call me when you attack Fengyun Pavilion! Why didn't you notify me?" "No, wait, back then you had turned into a ball..." Screw you! Yuan Shuo was speechless, but didn't press the matter. At the time, he had probably been in a phase of his Transmutation stage, so Li Hao wasn't entirely to blame. Still, if not for me, you brat probably never would have made it back in your lifetime. Grumbling inwardly, he held his tongue. Meanwhile, Li Hao looked around and noticed a fair number of demon plants. He asked Director Wang in confusion, "These demon plants..." "They all belong to Fengyun Tower!" Director Wang sighed with emotion. "In the early days of the Silver Moon continent, Fengyun Tower once established a branch here, with Hong Tu overseeing this place. Back then, he was a Saint, an important figure of exalted status. On the entire continent, strictly speaking, only a few factions held a status higher than his: Yuanping Martial Arts University and the Li family. Everyone else, including my Wang family, was inferior to him." Jiang Yingli and the others said nothing. In a true sense, when it came to individual might, the Human King and the Cang Emperor were overwhelmingly powerful, but when it came to family clans... the Hong family was even more formidable than the Star Town Li family. They could arguably be considered the number one clan. Families with two Emperors did exist, and more than one. But a family of Four Emperors... truly, there was only that one. "Later, Fengyun Tower withdrew from Silver Moon, and I assumed Hong Tu had left long ago..." Director Wang sighed with nostalgia. "Who would have thought that not only did he not leave, he stayed behind all along, and even... reincarnated!" Reincarnation was not the same as condensing a physical body. They were entirely different. Reincarnation was practically a form of rebirth, living out a next life. Reincarnation required immense willpower: renouncing everything to start from scratch, building up from nothing, cultivating and recovering bit by bit. Even though one retained past-life memories, they were fragmented and incomplete, making this life fundamentally different from the previous one. Choosing reincarnation proved Hong Tu was a man of great resolve. It was just that... he had chosen the wrong path. Or rather, he had run into Li Hao. Had he not encountered Li Hao, he might truly have had a shot at becoming the master of this minor world, reaching unprecedented heights. History was written by the victors; he couldn't truly be called a fool, only that he had ultimately lost to Li Hao. Li Hao nodded repeatedly. Reincarnation! Perhaps it was even more daunting than mental power resurrection in Lu Zhen's research institute. Thinking of this, he asked, "How does it compare to resurrection through mental power?" "Mental power resurrection... is actually simpler. After reviving, one merely suffers a drop in strength, but if all goes smoothly, there isn't that much fundamental difference. Reincarnation, however, is truly starting from scratch in a different form. Even if memories carry over, they are hazy..." "You seem very familiar with it, Director Wang?" "Neo-Martial had such cases!" Director Wang replied casually, "Many people in the Neo-Martial era had such experiences. Of course, the Neo-Martial world was different and could support reincarnation, but a minor world cannot. There is no division between the Yin and Yang realms here." Li Hao nodded thoughtfully. It seemed the main world spoken of by these ancients was far more complete and established than this place. Of course, Li Hao did not care all that much. As a descendant of the Li family, perhaps these people treated him as a Neo-Martial person as well—Li Hao could sense it. Yet to Li Hao... he was a man of Silver Moon. This was his homeland, his hometown. Born here and raised here, he cared little for whether he was "Neo-Martial" or whether there was a "main world." He turned the mirror over in his hands. This was his greatest harvest from this operation, a genuine treasure. Unfortunately, aside from this object, he seemed to have gained nothing else. A colossal loss! He hadn't even retrieved Hong Tu's storage ring, gaining nothing else. Li Hao swept a glance across the demon plants in the city. There were roughly seven or eight left... but they looked even more withered than General Huai's disciples and grand-disciples. Every single one was so frail it looked on the verge of collapsing. Were they... malnourished? Li Hao sighed inwardly. Even if he killed these demon plants, all he could harvest was some immortal wood. As for the Spring of Life, he shouldn't even dream of a single drop. Meanwhile, his physical body was extraordinarily weak right now, desperately needing nourishment. He checked on the others, who seemed fine. The Silver Moon martial masters were strong, far stronger than the Eight Legions. As for the several seven-element opponents, they had mostly been handled by the puppets, while Deputy Director Zhou's injuries were somewhat heavier, though he was recovering quickly. To annihilate Fengyun Pavilion completely with minimal casualties—aside from his own heavy toll—this outcome was actually quite favorable. "Then I'll refine this thing first and retrieve the Starry Sky Sword. Otherwise, I can't rest easy." Li Hao looked around at the crowd. "Everyone, take inventory of the spoils. Also... these demon plants..." He glanced toward the demon plants, contemplating whether to finish them off. Director Wang hesitated before speaking up. "Fengyun Tower... isn't actually a hostile power. Of course, Fengyun Pavilion is, as was Hong Tu and that white tree that attacked earlier. But these demon plants... were only following orders and didn't join the fight..." Even though he had wanted to slaughter every demon plant a moment ago, he was now pleading for them. These demon plants had merely obeyed orders, specifically the orders of Fengyun Tower. They were demon plants of Fengyun Tower, and thus of the Hong family. Hong Tu had sought to usurp this minor world, which was the Li family's fiefdom, so killing him was justified; even that Earth Emperor of the Hong family would have nothing to say about it. But these demon plants... it would be a shame to kill them. Li Hao frowned slightly. He glanced at Director Wang. Director Wang coughed. "I'm not ordering you... I'm just... explaining the situation." He was beginning to understand Li Hao. This fellow didn't consider himself a Neo-Martial person, nor was he one in reality. It was just that Battle Heaven City subconsciously viewed him as a Li descendant, hence one of them. In truth, Li Hao preferred to follow his own will. Which was completely natural! Director Wang took no offense. The prodigies of every era were often like this; no matter how formidable their predecessors had been, they always believed they could forge a new era of their own. Li Hao pondered for a moment and said, "We'll see. Let me refine the Fengyun Auxiliary Mirror first." He spoke no further. A vast quantity of the Spring of Life poured into his body, initiating rapid recovery. Meanwhile, his divine intent probed into the Fengyun Auxiliary Mirror, meeting tremendous resistance. Yet Li Hao paid it no heed. His sword momentum swept through with abandon as he forcibly refined the item. You're already damaged—what are you being stubborn for? As he refined it, his thoughts wandered back over what had just happened. He had previously entered into his force, entering the secondary space. Though it had only lasted an instant to the outside world, Li Hao had actually lingered there for quite some time. He had seen a sky full of stars, seen all sorts of supernatural locks, and seen forces roaming about. Perhaps... he wasn't the only one. Perhaps the human body's secondary space was universally shared. Just like the origin cosmos, it was a grand universe. It was simply that others hadn't managed to enter or discover it. Perhaps everyone's supernatural locks were situated within that space. Otherwise, his teacher could not have guided him back out. He then thought of his teacher's previous transmutation, when he had turned into a cocoon. He hadn't understood it before, but now he had some inkling. That reckless madman of a teacher had probably entered that space a step ahead of him. Li Hao could not help but admire him: Li Hao had only entered because he had been backed into a corner of certain death with no alternative, whereas Yuan Shuo had likely entered voluntarily. Teacher's body underwent a transmutation... So the special energy contained within the human secondary space might be able to strengthen the physical body... Even though his teacher was right beside him, Li Hao did not ask. Just as Yuan Shuo said, one shouldn't ask about everything. Only after you tried, acted, and then pondered how to resolve the problem could you understand more clearly what you truly wanted. Martial arts were truly fascinating. The corners of Li Hao's mouth curved upward slightly. Rather than becoming a king or emperor, he preferred being a chivalrous wanderer. Sometimes, he would think that if the supernatural had never arisen and the world had remained the jianghu martial world of old, he might have become a renowned wandering knight whose name echoed across the realm. Just like his teacher and the others: free and unrestrained, dedicated solely to martial arts. Earlier, during his sword duel with Hong Tu, he had felt remarkably exhilarated. The Dao of Myriad Swords... the Dao of Myriad Paths... the Dao of Divine Characters... the Dao of Origin... internal and external worlds... One concept after another surfaced in his mind. A ferocious tiger prowled across his body. A moment later, the tiger vanished, then reappeared, looking as though it were holding something in its mouth. As it exhaled, an extraordinary surge of power dispersed from within his body. This power nourished his heart, instantly revitalizing Li Hao's frail organ. "Interesting..." As Li Hao refined the Fengyun Auxiliary Mirror, the smile on his lips grew deeper. The secondary space of the human body seemed to contain a unique power that couldn't be absorbed directly. Yet, upon entering it just now, Li Hao had realized that force could breathe it in and out. In other words, force could draw that energy in and exhale it to nourish the physical body. The human race of the new era possessed extremely frail bodies. Perhaps... the cause was linked to the secondary space as well. Every era possessed its own paths. The existence of force was something extraordinarily unique to this era, and force seemed capable of achieving what many other things could not. At this moment, Li Hao understood all the more. Force... was crucial! And now, having comprehended seven forces, he was genuinely a seven-element supernatural expert. The Five Elements forces, the Wind and Thunder forces... and not only that, he was close to comprehending the forces of Light and Darkness as well. If all seven forces entered the secondary space to breathe the power of heaven and earth, could they provide him with limitless energy—energy to strengthen his physical body? Would it work even better than the Spring of Life and sword energy? Those two were good, but strictly speaking, neither brought about that sense of true metamorphosis when strengthening the body. Perhaps they simply weren't suited to the human race of this era. When people of the Neo-Martial era absorbed them, their bodies could grow mighty or even undergo metamorphosis. But for people of the new era, no matter how much they absorbed, there was an upper limit that prevented them from achieving that next stage of transformation. Thoughts swirled through Li Hao's mind. Nearby, noticing that Li Hao seemed to be breathing and circulating that special energy, Yuan Shuo broke into a faint smile. This disciple of his... possessed peerless talent just like him. Truly impressive. He had originally come looking for Li Hao to tell him about this very thing. Yet before he could say a word, Li Hao had discovered it on his own. More importantly, this kid had the guts to plunge into the secondary space as well. One had to realize that Yuan Shuo had prepared thoroughly before venturing in, whereas Li Hao... hadn't made any preparations at all, diving straight in. At this moment, the Spring of Life flowed continuously over Li Hao, enveloping him completely. His weakened physical body gradually began to grow stronger, and at the same time, something peculiar manifested within him. His heart! Right now, Li Hao's heart wasn't merely recovering. As the tiger breathed in the energy of the secondary space and channeled it back and forth, the process was slow but exceptionally effective; Li Hao's heart actually took on a faint golden hue. Director Wang, who had been watching him closely, stirred slightly, his gaze fixed on Li Hao. The greatest weakness of the human race in this era lay in the physical body. A frail physique was a problem nearly everyone encountered, and their internal organs were especially fragile. As formidable as seven-element experts seemed, strictly speaking, they were inferior even to weak ancient martial artists of the past. Back then, a fifth- or sixth-rank martial artist's heart might have been stronger than that of a modern seven-element combatant. It sounded unbelievable, but the flaws of this era's human race were vast beyond imagination. That was why Neo-Martial people looked down upon the physical bodies of this era. It was also why, when Li Hao had asked the dean of academic affairs whether someone might try to seize a modern human's body through soul possession, the man had nearly laughed himself to death—only a fool would do such a thing. Though Li Hao's physical body was strong, it was still inferior to the level of a golden body. A golden body corresponded to the eighth rank in Neo-Martial, roughly equivalent to a modern five-element supernatural combatant. Li Hao had constantly tempered his body and absorbed countless quantities of the Spring of Life and sword energy, yet his physique remained inferior to that of an eighth-rank golden body. This proved how poorly things like the Spring of Life actually nourished his body. Li Hao simply hadn't had a clear standard for comparison, or he would have noticed long ago. Yet at this moment, as the tiger swallowed the energy, circulated it, and channeled it into his heart, the organ strengthened at an unbelievable pace—far outstripping the effects of mysterious power, the Spring of Life, or sword energy. Inside him, the tiger also seemed intensely excited, roaring ceaselessly! The commotion Li Hao made while refining the mirror was enormous. A ferocious tiger hovered in midair, roaring in all directions. At this moment, Li Hao truly resembled a tiger king bursting from its cage. Nearby, Hong Yitang looked puzzled as he observed closely. The other Silver Moon martial masters also gathered round one after another, their eyes glued to Li Hao. Yuan Shuo rolled his eyes. These fellows... He still retained some of the old generation's mindset. While gratified that his disciple was treading a path no one else could walk, he didn't want outsiders peeking in before Li Hao had even succeeded. Seeing everyone crowd around his disciple, he felt somewhat displeased. Just as he was about to speak, Hong Yitang took the initiative and said, "Brother Yuan truly lives up to his reputation as a grandmaster. Li Hao must have learned this method from Brother Yuan, right? We're just taking a look to see how formidable it truly is..." "..." Yuan Shuo was speechless. Is flattering me supposed to work? In the end, he chose silence. Whenever his foolish disciple got hold of something good, he loved to share it with everyone—just like with the divine characters. And now he was cultivating out in the open again. Truly... there was nothing to say. Yuan Shuo sat down cross-legged as well, watching quietly. Previously, Yuan Shuo had also tried drawing back some of that energy into his body to bolster his physique. However, the path he walked was slightly different from Li Hao's, so he watched to compare and verify. After a while, he frowned slightly. Why was Li Hao only using the tiger momentum to breathe the energy? He waited a moment, and seeing Li Hao pause, he said, "I've tried it—the Five Animals Breathing Art yields the best results. Once circulated in the secondary space, its speed is extremely fast!" The Five Animals Breathing Art's current potency had exceeded even Yuan Shuo's expectations; it could function even inside the secondary space. Li Hao opened his eyes, nodded, and smiled. "I know, but... one force isn't as good as multiple forces. I believe any secret art adaptable to the cultivation of modern people ought to be able to do this. Perhaps one force, one method is more appropriate! The Five Animals Breathing Art is slightly outdated; fusing five forces is too few..." "..." Yuan Shuo fell silent. He cursed inwardly! Fusing five forces is too few? You've gotten way too full of yourself! Li Hao said with a smile, "Right now, I wield seven forces. Teacher, do you think the seven forces can be fused? They should be able to. I remembered what you told me about the Five Animals Breathing Art—a fusion of the macro-forces of heaven and earth. Heaven and earth possess the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, wind and thunder, light and darkness... and ultimately, they form heaven and earth!" "Therefore, as long as one finds the connecting link, they can be fused one by one sooner or later. In the Five Animals Breathing Art, the fusion of the Five Elements must hinge on a crucial nexus: shattering and recombining..." This point touched upon the Records of Yuanping again, which could not be discussed openly. At this moment, Li Hao gained further insight. Closing his eyes once more, he sank into a world of his own. Shatter and recombine. Just like the physical body. Five Elements, five internal organs. The five internal organs represented the Five Elements, forming a minor cycle. Yet the human body consisted of more than just the five internal organs, and together they made up the body. What did that signify? Wind, thunder, light, and darkness were also present within the body. Perhaps he could substitute and integrate them using different parts of the body, creating a grand cycle. In this instant, a surge of self-confidence welled up within Li Hao. I think... perhaps I can walk faster than Teacher now. Five Elements and five forces are already outmoded. I want ten thousand forces and ten thousand methods, ten thousand swords and ten thousand forces! At this moment, Li Hao wished he could simply enter secluded cultivation right here and now. Yet ultimately, he opened his eyes with a twinge of regret. Unfortunately, he could not linger here indefinitely. The damned imperial family and the Nine Departments were exploiting the giant mine. If he left them unchecked and triggered the second recovery prematurely, unleashing a swarm of powerful demon plants, things would become extremely troublesome. A bunch of damned bastards, always causing trouble for me! Taking a deep breath, seeing that the mirror was still defying him, Li Hao unleashed his seven forces in an instant. With a tremendous boom, the Starry Sky Sword inside struck violently against the mirror, sending violent tremors through it! A pincer attack from within and without! Eat my sword, will you? Spit out what's mine! Rumble! Roars of thunder echoed endlessly. Under the pincer attack, the mirror shuddered even harder. After a long while, Li Hao squeezed out a drop of blood—golden blood! Indeed, at this moment, a drop of golden blood flowed out from his heart. The cracked mirror trembled slightly. In the next second, it absorbed the drop of blood. Gradually, the fractured cracks began to mend slowly. In the blink of an eye, the mirror vanished, sinking into Li Hao's body. At the same time, the Starry Sky Sword emerged, seeming elated, and instantly burrowed into Li Hao's heart. Li Hao frowned slightly and couldn't help cursing, "The moment you see something good, you jump right on it. People are opportunists, but swords are even worse—no wonder 'sword' sounds just like 'shameless'!" Previously, this thing had been unwilling to fuse with him. Today, it suddenly dove right into his heart. If it hadn't sensed something, Li Hao wouldn't have believed it for a second. Had this thing developed a spirit?