Li Hao was in no rush to make a move.
At that moment, faint ripples of energy were rising, signaling that the formation within the city was activating. There was no great disturbance inside the city yet, so he had no reason to hurry.
Furthermore, several demon plants had not taken part in the strike this time.
He had to prevent them from causing trouble.
At the very least, the demon plant of the Inspectorate had not joined in.
The Inspectorate, the Department of Finance, the Department of Internal Affairs... None of these factions seemed to have participated in the current expedition to seize the mine.
These lingering threats had to be resolved as well.
As for the concern that killing them would cause excess energy to flood the Central Region... Excess energy, my foot! Couldn't anyone see the crowd of ravenous ghosts reincarnated on his side?
Slaughtering them this time wouldn't be an issue in the slightest.
If nothing else, the eight demon plants from the Wind and Cloud Pavilion alone could suck all the dispersing energy dry. They were on the brink of starvation—why would they worry about too much energy spilling over?
After a long while, the ground suddenly jolted.
Director Wang's eyes snapped open. "The formation is active!"
This was the second formation.
A military array!
The first was the demon plant guardian formation, which had already been activated earlier. What was being initiated now was the second grand array. Li Hao opened his eyes at once.
A faint halo of energy rose from all directions.
Gradually, it began to envelop one side of Heavenly Star Town.
Director Wang said swiftly, "Once this formation opens, it severs heaven from earth! It was originally built to protect the city's inhabitants and could cover the entirety of Heavenly Star Town. But it isn't what it used to be back then, so it can only cover a single section now. The demon plant formation possesses no offensive power and serves solely as a defense. The military array, however, has offensive capabilities... One attacks, one defends. Those fellows are preparing to surround and slay that deputy commander, while simultaneously barring any other demon plants from joining the battle."
Thorny Rose was exceptionally shrewd. How could it not worry about someone else swooping in to steal the prize?
The demon plant formation was set up to envelop the mine and prevent the remaining demon plants from entering.
Meanwhile, the military array Jiang Chen activated was designed to trap and kill that deputy commander.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "Is the defensive strength formidable?"
"Very formidable!"
Director Wang nodded. "Though that was back in the ancient days. It's hard to say now. For one, we can't be sure how much energy has accumulated in the city. Second, the demon plants aren't united; even if the participating demon plants cooperate, they might not be able to draw out its full power."
Saying this, he looked toward Li Hao. "Still, don't worry. We should be able to breach it. Martial Uncle is here, after all."
Black Armor remained silent as stone.
Li Hao took a deep breath. "At this stage, several demon plants remain on the outside, and they might all be watching closely. What we must do... is act in tandem, both inside and out. We'll eliminate these remaining demon plants first, without allowing word to spread inside."
To be safe, Li Hao remained thoroughly cautious.
"Right now, we've confirmed that factions like the Inspectorate didn't take part... yet they might have been keeping an eye on things all along. If they possess military armor, it will be easy for them to communicate within the city and expose our presence. Therefore, we need to take them down in an instant, with thunderous speed!"
Li Hao said in a grave tone, "Directly seizing the Nine Departments in the outside world isn't advisable; doing so could easily plunge the realm into turmoil..."
He pondered for a moment, then spoke briskly: "Please wait here briefly, everyone. I need to confirm which factions' demon plants have stayed behind. Aside from that... I need to step outside to handle some business."
"Right now?"
"Right now!"
Li Hao nodded. "They won't succeed that quickly. If it were that easy, why would they have waited until now? We should take advantage of the fact that they've activated the formation and trapped themselves. Taking action now won't trigger too much unrest."
With that, Li Hao turned to Black Armor. "Senior, the source of chaos here will require your strength to breach. Please head toward the Inspectorate's demon plant. Director Wang will head toward the Department of Internal Affairs' demon plant..."
He then turned to the other demon plants, considering for a moment before saying, "Wait here for my signal. I'll go up first to confirm the locations of each faction's demon plants and see which ones remained behind... In fact, if they've departed, the source of chaos might already be broken, but we still need to confirm it first..."
He gave instructions in rapid succession. Neither the humans nor the demon plants raised any objections.
This time, Li Hao was the one who had invited them and paid the price. They would do whatever he said, and if anything went wrong, the responsibility would fall on him alone.
...
Li Hao swiftly exited the ruins.
The armor's communication channels opened.
A moment later, figure after figure tore through the sky. One expert after another assembled in haste, and even Yao Si, who had been overseeing the Night Patrol, rushed over through the air.
This sudden movement instantly caused a stir across the city.
The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office had only just eradicated the Wind and Cloud Pavilion—what were they up to now?
Right at that moment, Li Hao's voice reverberated between heaven and earth. Massive projection screens surfaced throughout Heavenly Star City, displaying his figure. Li Hao's expression was icy and stern: "According to intelligence reports, members of the Three Great Organizations have infiltrated Heavenly Star City, plotting to overthrow the dynasty!"
"The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office cannot shirk its duty. Effective immediately, the city is placed under lockdown! All supernaturals within the city are to proceed at once to the central square for registry and roster compilation!"
"The Heavenly Star Demon Hunt Army, the Night Patrol, and the governor-general's offices of the four quarters are mobilizing in full force to search for any supernaturals who fail to register! The Eight Departments, the imperial family, the princely manors, and noble estates will all receive visits from the Night Patrol to personally record their rosters!"
"No one may obstruct this! Anyone who dares resist... will be guilty of treason! We ask all factions to cooperate and complete the registration of supernaturals in Heavenly Star City. Any who conceal themselves will be charged with treason!"
As soon as his voice rang out, shockwaves rippled in every direction.
...
"Insolence!"
Inside the imperial palace, even the Heavenly Star King could no longer sit still, flying into a complete rage.
"Who gave you the audacity?!"
That scoundrel Li Hao!
Where did he get the gall?
To lock down the city and audit the number of supernaturals across every faction—to many people and powers, this was the absolute most intolerable, unacceptable transgression.
What was more... the imperial family was included in that list.
Had Li Hao lost his mind?
Or did he know that multiple experts had entered the ruins and was doing this intentionally—on one hand to provoke the various factions into recalling their powerhouses, and on the other to confirm whether those individuals had truly gone underground?
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through the Heavenly Star King's mind.
Just then, princes and princesses arrived in a rush. One of them fumed the moment he stepped through the doors, "Imperial Father, does this Li Hao truly take himself for the emperor? The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office is merely a regional command—where does he get the authority to search the imperial palace?!"
The imperial sons and daughters were all seething.
This was an outright provocation!
At the same time, overpowering auras surged into the sky from all directions.
Yao Si's voice echoed across the city: "The Night Patrol is mobilizing in full! Blockade the four gates! Anyone who attempts to force their way through will be executed without mercy!"
That was not all. In the very next moment, another voice rang out: "The Inspectorate is assisting the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office in cooperating with the investigation to maintain law and order within the city. No one is permitted to cause unrest!"
The instant those words were spoken, the Heavenly Star King's expression darkened. A moment later, like a roaring lion, he bellowed in fury, "Bastards!"
The Inspectorate!
The Inspectorate had actually joined in! Speaking out at a time like this—didn't that mean the Inspectorate had already resolved to defect to Li Hao?
Damn it!
Fortunately, they hadn't let that old fellow from the Inspectorate enter the ruins this time; otherwise, who knew what catastrophic trouble might have arisen.
Curse them!
"Imperial Father..."
"Silence!"
The Heavenly Star King roared in fury, cutting off his children's words. Silently sensing the surroundings, his expression shifted again and again. In that very instant, at least seven or eight divine-capacity auras had surfaced near the imperial palace.
Silver Moon experts!
He strode swiftly out of the palace hall. Outside the palace walls, Southern Fist hovered in the air, flanked by two top-tier powerhouses—the Earth-Overturning Sword and the Heaven Sword—alongside a thousand Demon Hunt Army soldiers.
Southern Fist wore a somewhat complicated expression, but he still bellowed at the top of his lungs, "The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office is pursuing wicked supernaturals to safeguard the peace of the Heavenly Star Dynasty! The villains may have slipped into the imperial palace. We ask the Heavenly Star King's permission to allow the Demon Hunt Army to enter and verify all supernaturals, ensuring no scoundrels harm the Heavenly Star King!"
Southern Fist roared, "All that we do is for the dynasty, and for the imperial family! All share the duty of preserving the realm's peace! Today, He Yong causes offense, but tomorrow I shall bear thorns on my back to beg your forgiveness! We ask the Heavenly Star King to throw open the palace's main gates and order every supernatural within the palace to gather at the square outside Heavenly Star Hall for registration!"
Before the Heavenly Star King could speak, someone snapped furiously, "Southern Fist, are you attempting a rebellion?!"
A figure flew up, consumed by boundless fury.
For so many years, not even the Nine Departments had dared to barge into the imperial palace. Yet today, Southern Fist was leading men to storm the gates.
He deserved to die!
Southern Fist looked on coldly. "Such is the law, and all must obey it. Furthermore, everything we do is for the Heavenly Star Dynasty, for the imperial family, and for the entire realm. If even the Heavenly Star imperial family refuses to comply, how can we convince the public?"
With a wave of his hand, a light screen materialized behind him. He said flatly, "Prince Ming, the citizens of Heavenly Star City are watching us right now. If the imperial family does not comply, how can you expect any other house to follow suit? He Yong only acts in everyone's best interest. If scoundrels truly have snuck into the palace and harmed the Heavenly Star King, how will we answer to the world?"
Of the nine princes of the imperial family, two had died, leaving seven.
At this moment, Prince Ming looked utterly grim.
Southern Fist had actually set up a city-wide broadcast.
And since when were there so many light screens in Heavenly Star City?
They were everywhere!
At this moment, dense clusters of screens covered the city. In numerous districts, powerhouses were gathering.
...
Military Law Department.
Yuan Shuo had arrived in person, followed by a large detachment of the Demon Hunt Army and a contingent of the Night Patrol. Looking coldly at the middle-aged man inside the department, Yuan Shuo said, "Open up the Military Law Department and assist the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office in this investigation! Director Qi Dinghai, you're a soldier, so do what a soldier ought to do. As for pushing my disciple out front to block me... did you think that would make me back off? Provoke me, and you'll bear the consequences!"
Yuan Xingwu kept his head down, not daring to meet his master's gaze.
Qi Dinghai sighed and stepped into the air. "Why must you do this? Going this far..."
Yuan Shuo's aura flared violently as he barked, "Going this far, and what will the Military Law Department do? Rebel? Never mind that Qi Pingjiang isn't here—even if he were standing here today, tell him to try rebelling and see what happens!"
Qi Dinghai looked at him in silence for a long time, then smiled faintly. "Fine, carry out your search! The Military Law Department has nothing to hide... but this truly crosses the line."
"Hmph!"
Yuan Shuo ignored him. With a wave of his hand, he shouted, "Move into the Military Law Department! Gather all supernaturals in one place! Any supernatural who fails to report within fifteen minutes shall be executed!"
Qi Dinghai said nothing.
The gates of the Military Law Department swung open. Squad after squad of Night Patrolmen filed inside, their hearts a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
This day... had come too quickly.
Today, the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office was actually auditing the Nine Departments and the imperial family. It was... unbelievable.
Yet as members of this force, these Night Patrolmen were bursting with exhilaration.
When had they ever been able to march into the Military Law Department with such swagger to inspect their supernaturals?
It was simply surreal.
...
Department of Finance.
Director Zhou personally oversaw the operation, speaking in a mild tone: "Director Liu, I hope you will cooperate fully. This is merely a registration on the rosters, nothing more."
Liu Yunqing smiled and nodded. "Of course we will cooperate. Rest assured, Director Zhou, the Department of Finance has no objections."
"Good to hear."
Director Zhou smiled as well. The Liu family had made its name through commerce, and merchants... as long as you spoke reasonably, the Liu family wouldn't stick its neck out first. Although both the old and new directors of the Department of Finance were present, to him, this place was relatively easy to handle.
...
Over at the Department of Internal Affairs, both the old and new directors were also present.
Arriving here were Yao Si and Hou Xiaochen, leading a force to oversee the scene. Mu Hai maintained a calm demeanor, allowing their people to march in without offering resistance, though he seemed somewhat dazed.
...
Department of Merit Evaluation, Department of Commerce, Department of Foreign Affairs.
Among these three departments, only the Department of Commerce still had a living incumbent director. Qian Wanhao's son wore a frosty face; presiding over his department was Northern Fist.
Not far away at the Department of Merit Evaluation, Tyrant Saber stood watch.
Further away at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Bright Sword held the line.
At the latter two departments, the old directors had descended into the ruins, while the incumbent directors had previously been slain by Li Hao. The vice directors inside dared not resist in the slightest; with renowned Silver Moon martial masters overseeing them, they were even less inclined to step out of line.
...
In every corner, Silver Moon powerhouses stood guard.
Yet over at the Inspectorate, no one had come.
Just as the members of the Inspectorate were feeling perplexed, Chen Yao appeared and cleared his throat. "All supernaturals of the Inspectorate stationed at headquarters, gather here to assist in registration! Supernaturals outside headquarters, cooperate with the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office to carry out registration work across the city!"
This announcement left many people dumbfounded.
Earlier, one could claim it was merely the Inspectorate's duty to cooperate.
Yet now... while the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office had dispatched personnel everywhere else, not a single soul had been sent to the Inspectorate. Chen Yao was conducting a self-audit instead... What did this mean?
Some realized the implications and felt a spike of panic.
For a moment, they couldn't tell if this was a blessing or a curse.
Several vice directors swallowed hard.
Who would have guessed? Without a sound... their director had truly defected to Li Hao. Heavens, this was far too unexpected.
Chen Yao chuckled. "All right, stop letting your thoughts run wild. The Inspectorate and the Night Patrol were originally one family, and the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office stemmed from the Inspectorate as well. We are all kin. At this time, we must cooperate fully with the Governor-General's Office... No one cause any panic!"
No one dared utter a word. One by one, they obediently headed to the designated spots for registration.
Meanwhile, Chen Yao looked into the distance toward the territory of the Department of Administration.
The foremost of the Nine Departments!
Although Zhao Tianyang was absent, his son, the current director Zhao Huamin, was present and was by no means weak.
Suppressing the Department of Administration was the crux of the matter.
He continued to glance in that direction, wondering who would go there.
Would Li Hao go in person?
Without a powerhouse holding the line to deter them, succeeding would be difficult, and problems could easily arise.
As he was pondering this, a group of people swiftly arrived outside the Department of Administration.
In the next instant, Chen Yao's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
Not far away, Chen Zhongtian was beaming broadly as he called out, "Nephew Zhao, as the head of the Nine Departments, the Department of Administration holds the realm at heart. At this time, you should take the initiative to cooperate with the registration and inspection."
Chen Yao was truly stunned.
When had his father slipped out?
And he had gone to suppress the foremost department, no less!
This... this truly represented a complete break with the Nine Departments, severing ties with them. Chen Zhongtian's appearance signaled an immense shift.
While Chen Yao was still reeling, a figure arrived at the Inspectorate looking somewhat reluctant and disgruntled, as if he had run into bad luck.
From a distance, he cupped his fists. "Kong Jie of the Silver Moon Inspectorate greets the Director-General! Director-General, once the rosters are compiled, just hand me a copy..."
With that, he turned and walked off, clearly begrudging the task.
Everyone else had gone to suppress a major power, yet he had been sent to deal with his old employer—it was thoroughly annoying.
There was no need for him to act; Chen Yao was already conducting the audit himself. What was he supposed to do here?
He might as well go watch the commotion at the other departments!
...
Department of Administration.
Zhao Huamin was equally caught off guard, deeply shaken. After a long while, he murmured softly, "I didn't expect Uncle Chen to... Sigh... Does Uncle Chen also believe the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office holds a brighter future than the Nine Departments?"
A sigh carried an indescribable bitterness.
Though Chen Zhongtian had not equaled Zhao Tianyang or Qi Pingjiang back in the day, he had steadily held the third spot and stood as a core pillar of the Nine Departments. Now that Chen Zhongtian had stepped forward in person, it symbolized far too much.
The Nine Departments' confidence was about to shatter completely.
Of the nine veteran directors of the past, two had perished. Of the remaining seven, four had descended underground, one had stepped forward to suppress them in person, and the directors of the Department of Finance and the Department of Internal Affairs refused to show their faces at all.
Zhao Huamin felt an inexplicable sorrow.
The alliance of the Nine Departments... was thoroughly broken.
Not only him, but everyone observing fell silent.
Chen Zhongtian... the Chen family had defected completely.
The massive screens broadcast every location for all to see.
At this moment, even outside the imperial palace, a large screen was erected. The Heavenly Star King looked up at it, utterly silent. Chen Zhongtian... infighting among the Nine Departments was usually nothing, and in the past, he would have laughed at it.
Yet now... the Inspectorate, ranked among the top three, had defected to Li Hao without a peep.
This carried far too many implications.
Outside the palace, three Silver Moon experts—Heaven Sword, the Earth-Overturning Sword, and Southern Fist—held the line. The Heavenly Star King looked at the Earth-Overturning Sword; at this moment, the Earth-Overturning Sword's aura was immeasurably formidable, causing his heart to skip a beat.
Was this... six elements?
His progress was far too fast!
Heaven Sword was extraordinarily powerful as well.
Since when had the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office amassed the power to suppress every quarter?
Although there weren't many experts at the other departments—only one or two each—it was still a terrifying reality. Following Li Hao, the Silver Moon martial masters had grown frighteningly strong.
At the same time, powerhouses were stationed at various princely manors across the city.
Six senior Silver Moon martial masters, including Thunderous Hand, had dispersed to various locations to suppress the city. Waves of vigorous, unrivaled blood qi surged upward, and force after force rose high, leaving onlookers bewildered.
If they were still martial masters, why were their auras so terrifyingly vast?
...
In the next moment, a figure appeared on the screens, speaking in a calm voice: "Effective immediately, the audit begins. Everyone must be registered on the roster, including your strength tier, supernatural affinity, faction, age, and identity... Anyone who falsifies their information will be thrown into prison first and dealt with later!"
"During the registration period, no supernatural may leave the grounds!"
"The four city gates are sealed. If any supernaturals flee, do not pursue them. Record their auras. Once Heavenly Star City has been audited, the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office will comb through the realm step by step. Those who flee will bear the consequences! Even if you flee to the City of Supernaturals, you will be apprehended sooner or later..."
Throughout the city, some supernaturals trembled in terror.
Yet Li Hao's words served as a reminder to them.
There weren't many experts stationed at the four city gates.
Supernaturals with questionable backgrounds immediately thought... Should they... flee to the City of Supernaturals?
It was said that the Council of Elders was still in session there, gathering nearly a hundred divine-capacity experts in overwhelming strength. Even Li Hao wouldn't dare provoke them right now.
Should they... run?
Spies from the Three Great Organizations and various factions trembled with fear, wanting only to escape as fast as possible.
Large numbers of Night Patrolmen were mobilizing, nearly every one of them equipped with a supernatural detector.
Staying behind might truly lead to capture or death.
Now that the imperial family and the Nine Departments showed no signs of resisting, resisting Li Hao at this moment was truly courting death.
Those factions refused to resist partly because some of their top powerhouses were absent.
On the other hand, they were unwilling to stir up further trouble at this critical juncture!
In their eyes, Li Hao was deliberately trying to disgust them, perhaps even itching for them to recall those powerhouses. Otherwise, what could an audit of supernaturals achieve?
Even if he learned everyone's strength, what of it?
The more Li Hao acted this way, the less they could afford to summon their experts back. At the very least, Li Hao lacked the boldness to wage an all-out war right now; this was merely an act of deterrence.
...
Inside the imperial palace.
The Heavenly Star King took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Cooperate with their investigation."
"Imperial Father!"
"Imperial Brother!"
Below, a crowd of experts was gripped by immense indignation and fury.
The Heavenly Star King looked at them and said coldly, "Whom heaven wishes to destroy, it first makes mad!"
Today, Li Hao was behaving far too arrogantly.
Did he think that destroying the Wind and Cloud Pavilion made him invincible beneath the heavens?
For now, the various factions simply weren't resisting. If they truly clashed... Li Hao wouldn't gain any advantage, nor would he hold any upper hand. Of course, the sheer strength of the Silver Moon martial masters had indeed exceeded their expectations.
At this moment, Li Hao was swiftly receiving updates from all sides.
The veteran directors of the Military Law Department, the Department of Administration, the Department of Merit Evaluation, and the Department of Foreign Affairs were all absent.
This meant those four factions had gone to the ruins, and their demon plants had very likely accompanied them.
As for the other factions, their demon plants were most likely still present.
"By this calculation, the only demon plants left behind are those of Internal Affairs, Finance, the Inspectorate, and Commerce..."
Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office.
Having gathered this intelligence, Li Hao transmitted another message through his armor: "Keep a close watch on everyone. Do not allow any supernatural near the entrance to the ruins! Even if it means tearing off all pretenses, do not hesitate. There is nothing to fear!"
Severing intelligence links between the surface and the underground was Li Hao's first step.
Today, shorthanded as he was, he had even roped in the Inspectorate to assist in suppressing the city.
With only four demon plants left behind, matters would be much simpler.
Director Wang would take on one, Black Armor would handle one, and the Redwood tree would deal with one. As for the rest, the little tree, teaming up with several weakened demon plants and assisted by the two puppets, could handle the last one.
As long as they smoothly eliminated these four and stationed the eight defected demon plants from the Wind and Cloud Pavilion to guard the posts two-to-one, whoever tried to descend from those four departments would die.
As for the Inspectorate, he could give them a heads-up in advance so they wouldn't send people down to throw their lives away.
Isolate all communication between inside and out!
As for the other departments, so long as the entrances were blocked, those above could not descend, and with no demon plants below, there would be no issue.
Looking at Jade Rakshasa beside him, Li Hao said, "Go to the ruins and relay my orders. Await my command at all times. Do not strike unless ready, but once you strike... it must be a fatal blow! Slay the four demon plants swiftly without causing too much disturbance. The eight demon plants from the Wind and Cloud Pavilion must prepare to immediately take over energy absorption so those inside sense nothing amiss!"
"Understood!"
General Manager Jade was thoroughly thrilled. Li Hao's actions today were simply too overbearing, directly locking down Heavenly Star City under the Governor-General's Office. It was utterly astounding.
Still, it had to be said that the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office now possessed countless powerhouses.
Without having prepared for a fight to the death, and having lost four top-tier directors, the other factions truly lacked the strength to battle Li Hao and could only choose compromise. At least for now, he was merely auditing their strength rather than wiping them out.
...
At the same time.
News spread rapidly across the realm.
Feitian.
Within a floating palace upon the sea, Flying Sword Immortal glanced at a communication jade and sighed with emotion: "Who would have thought? The Silver Moon faction has truly united so quickly. Since ancient times, hardly anyone has ever unified the Silver Moon martial arts world... This Li Hao truly possesses some ability. With the Inspectorate defecting to him as well... auditing their strength is merely the first step. Next, he may very well be judging whether he can launch an all-out assault to wipe them out!"
"Immortal Master, does this Li Hao truly dare to attack the imperial family and the Nine Departments?"
"Why wouldn't he?"
Flying Sword Immortal chuckled, then added, "Still... for now, this doesn't concern us too much. But Li Hao is steadily realizing his grand ambitions. This person... is becoming increasingly difficult to deal with."
...
Yama Headquarters.
Deep within a mountain range.
The domineering Yama looked down at the Kings of the Ten Courts below. After a long while, he let out a low grunt: "This Li Hao... certainly has guts! What surprises this seat even more is that those useless cowards in the Nine Departments and the imperial family actually took it lying down. Could it be... their powerhouses aren't around?"
Pondering this, he frowned slightly.
The Nine Departments and the imperial family still possessed top-tier experts.
Men like Jiang Chen, Qi Pingjiang, Zhao Tianyang—which of them wasn't a pinnacle powerhouse?
Did such top-tier powerhouses truly swallow this insult without making a sound?
Bizarre!
At that moment, the burly, heavily built man seemed to realize something and suddenly sneered, "Could it be... they really aren't there?"
Li Hao might know something.
This move seemed somewhat like venting anger and seizing the chance to pick a quarrel. Could it be that those fellows had entered the Heavenly Star Town ruins?
That was very possible!
Pushed to such a corner by Li Hao, those fellows might truly have set their sights on the Heavenly Star giant mine.
"If that's the case... once they succeed, Li Hao will be in immense trouble. I wonder if this move of his can force them to return. Just doing this won't be enough; only an actual battle might compel them to come back. Otherwise... they might not pay him any heed."
Yama had already deduced the situation.
At this moment, he suddenly understood Li Hao. Perhaps Li Hao was anxious as well and hoped to flush those experts out through these means. As for whether they would try again after being flushed out, that remained to be seen.
"Order Yama's people to pull out! Don't cause trouble for the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office..."
Yama suddenly chuckled. "If Li Hao wants to fight them, let them fight! Our people will stay out of it."
"Understood!"
Someone quickly took the order and departed.
...
At this moment, over on Red Moon's side, Ying Hongyue had also guessed the reason right away. However, his brow was slightly furrowed.
Looking at the red cloak before him, he said in a low voice, "Even if Li Hao forces them out right now, it's merely drinking poison to quench a thirst. I don't believe his goal is so simple. If it were solely to show off his might and force them to abandon their mining plan... that would be too naive."
Indeed, naive.
Revealing the Inspectorate's defection meant that what had previously been mere suspicion was now confirmed.
This time, Li Hao had exposed nearly all the strength at his disposal.
For Li Hao, that was hardly a good thing.
The red cloak fluttered slightly. After a long while, a soft voice spoke: "Then what does Leader Hongyue believe... Li Hao's other objective is?"
Ying Hongyue pondered, then nodded slightly. "Locking down Heavenly Star City with such fanfare to pressure the Nine Departments and the imperial family... do you think he might be aiming for the underground? I don't believe Li Hao has no interest in the Heavenly Star giant mine... Drawing all the attention of the Nine Departments and the imperial family to the surface—could he be planning a move underground?"
No one lacked interest in the Heavenly Star giant mine.
It was the largest mine in the Silver Moon world.
It was also the best-preserved mine.
If this mine erupted, it would directly trigger the second resurgence.
This mine was sufficient to support the awakening of many powerhouses.
It was only because the current external space could not support the appearance of vast numbers of powerhouses that it hadn't already been swept clean, even with multiple demon plants present.
The red cloak said softly, "I know a bit about Heavenly Star Town. Currently, ten demon plants remain there. Thorny Rose is close to the Saint Realm, while the other nine are all at the Immortal Realm, and their degree of recovery is stronger than that of demon plants elsewhere."
"Even if Li Hao harbors designs... do you think he can deal with these demon plants? What's more, the reason these demon plants haven't been able to seize the Heavenly Star giant mine is that the guardian there was Heavenly Star Town's deputy commander, who was also close to the Saint Realm back then and may have even stepped into the Saint Realm by now."
"For Li Hao to deal with them... he would need at least two Saints!"
The red cloak chuckled. "Two Saints... and they would have to enter from the outside world; otherwise, there is zero hope... Of course, we cannot rule out Li Hao joining forces with one side against the other; that is a possibility. But the gap between both sides' strength isn't large; otherwise, a victor would have emerged long ago. I don't see what Li Hao could possibly accomplish..."
Battle Heaven City had Saints, as did all eight main cities.
The critical issue was... whether they had revived or not, they could not leave.
On that point alone, no matter how many schemes or ideas Li Hao had, any designs on the giant mine would be futile.
The red cloak continued, "At this stage, what we should consider most... is whether this will trigger an early second resurgence. Thorny Rose may truly have set out to deal with that deputy commander. If both sides fight until their eyes turn red, destroying the giant mine and causing it to detonate, energy will surge, and the second resurgence will begin... That is what we should be considering: how to seize the initiative."
Li Hao's actions merely confirmed this.
As for whether Li Hao could reap any advantage... the red cloak believed it impossible.
Where would he find two Saints?
Even if they existed, they couldn't reach Heavenly Star Town; the stronger one was, the harder it was to leave.
Ying Hongyue frowned slightly. "Is there truly no way to move a Saint into Heavenly Star Town?"
He still felt uneasy.
For no other reason than the fact that Li Hao was becoming increasingly difficult to predict.
Ever since Li Hao shattered the Hong family's divine hammer, he had known that Li Hao was completely out of control, no longer the pawn he could manipulate at will.
"None!"
The red cloak shook its head outright. "Moreover, the stronger one is, the harder it gets! Unless someone in the current era achieves sainthood, the present Silver Moon... may possess its own will of heaven now. It will target experts of the Neo-Martial era even more harshly—the stronger you are, the more severely targeted you become!"
"If those at the Peak Realm can barely manifest by relying on formidable divine weapons to protect themselves, unable to unleash their full power... then the moment a Saint appears, it will inevitably trigger spatial collapse and even the descent of heaven's will to execute them directly!"
"Heaven's will?"
Ying Hongyue murmured thoughtfully, "Do you think Li Hao is favored by the will of heaven?"
The red cloak was silent for a moment. "Hard to say. Actually... your hopes were far greater. But... can you truly still not unite your seven bloodlines?"
The red cloak spoke with gravity: "Things have reached this point. Li Hao is growing stronger by the day. If your failure to unite the seven bloodlines cannot be resolved, trouble awaits."
Ying Hongyue shook his head. "It won't work. Before, you were obstructing me, but now... I've realized it's no longer a matter of your obstruction. As Li Hao grows stronger, the seven bloodlines have become restless and unruly."
"Leader Hongyue misunderstands. We have never obstructed you..."
Ying Hongyue smiled without replying.
Whether you obstructed me before, you know full well in your heart.
At this moment, thoughts swirled in his mind. He even tried putting himself in Li Hao's shoes. If this was done purely to obstruct the various factions from exploring Heavenly Star Town, the move was laughably naive.
If not today, then tomorrow; if not tomorrow, then the day after.
Unless Li Hao decided to go to war right now.
Otherwise, all these petty maneuvers were a farce.
Therefore, Li Hao was definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, eyeing the giant mine. Yet just as the red cloak said, if he was targeting the Heavenly Star giant mine, his own strength was insufficient, meaning he had no choice but to cooperate with one side.
Cooperating with Thorny Rose was impossible, which left only the deputy commander of Heavenly Star Town.
At this thought, he suddenly asked, "Could Li Hao have reached a cooperation with the deputy commander of Heavenly Star Town, using this move merely to distract Thorny Rose's faction and coordinate inside and out to eliminate these demon plants?"
That was the most likely scenario!
The red cloak chuckled, then smiled faintly. "He won't have. Rest assured, even if Li Hao truly possessed a silver tongue, truly met the other party, and truly managed to swindle them... the ultimate beneficiary would not be Li Hao."
Ying Hongyue's eyes flickered. "Why?"
He vaguely grasped something.
That deputy commander... and this red cloak... might share some connection.
The red cloak smiled. "You will know in due time. There is no need to worry about such matters now. For the moment, we hope you can swiftly reach an agreement with one of the departments to allow Red Moon's personnel to take up residence, securing one of the ten entrances. Otherwise, Heavenly Star Town will be completely cut off from the outside world."
"Is it necessary to contact the powerhouses inside?"
Ying Hongyue raised an eyebrow. "That shouldn't be difficult, right?"
"There are still some difficulties."
The red cloak chuckled. Ying Hongyue quickly deduced the truth: contacting the demon plants wasn't difficult, as they were all stationed at the entrances. But contacting the deputy commander where the giant mine was... that was indeed difficult, because one had to cross the territories guarded by the demon plants.
In other words... the one the red cloak wished to contact was that deputy commander?
Coupled with the earlier remarks, Ying Hongyue was nearly certain that the two were in league.
The largest mineral vein in the Silver Moon realm had remained intact and preserved to this day, and that too was connected to this group, wasn't it?
Then the first resurgence, the second resurgence... the timing of it all was controlled by these fellows. The resurgence... they had planned it long ago, hadn't they?
It was by no means random!
Then why hadn't they secured an entrance? Had an unexpected turn occurred inside, or was there another reason?
Thoughts surfaced one after another in his mind.
Perhaps there had been their people among the demon plants as well, only... had they rebelled later, or had other changes occurred?
Was one of the Nine Departments even backed by them?
With these thoughts, he asked no further.
Yet an unease lingered within him.
Was Li Hao... truly someone who would so easily pave the way for others?
...
Heavenly Star Town.
In the mining region, a halo of light surfaced, enveloping the surroundings. Its formidable defensive strength could withstand even top-tier Immortals; even for a Saint to breach it would take time.
Beyond the halo, a ring of black mist had originally lingered, marking the presence of the source of chaos.
Now, the black mist in several areas had dissipated.
In a few places, however, it remained.
Outside one patch of black mist, Black Armor appeared, gazing inward. Inside the mist, a demon plant was respiring energy. The mist trembled, as though the plant wished to break through it, yet without Thorny Rose's help from the outside, doing so remained perilous.
A golden gleam flared in Black Armor's eyes as if he heard something. The demon plant within was cursing.
"Damn Thorny Rose, that scoundrel, trying to hog the giant mine for itself... And those other bastards, foolish cretins! If the nine of us don't cooperate, we'll only end up paving the way for that creature and letting it reap the benefits! Is that rose someone you can afford to cross?"
"Fools!"
This was one of the demon plants that had been excluded, and it was utterly enraged. The nine demon plants had previously reached an agreement to join hands against Thorny Rose, yet today, several had betrayed the pact.
It was thoroughly infuriating!
After cursing Thorny Rose for a while, it turned its vitriol elsewhere: "Detestable Chen Zhongtian, useless piece of trash! Why did Thorny Rose strike a deal with the others instead of you? You useless fool, you must have fallen out with the other heads of the Nine Departments... Bastard!"
Lately, Chen Zhongtian hadn't visited this place, nor had he provided it with divine energy stones. Aside from discussing price negotiations earlier—which it had rejected—the scoundrel hadn't shown his face again.
Damn him!
Without my backing, could you have reached where you are today?
And you still had the nerve to bargain!
After cursing for a while, it seemed to sense something. Bewildered, it looked across the black mist. Just then... a palpitation of dread had gripped its heart. What had happened?
...
In another location.
Director Wang's figure appeared, gazing at the black mist with a sigh: "I hope it hasn't recovered too much. Otherwise... it won't be easy to kill!"
If it had fully recovered, it would be an Immortal, making it considerably harder to slay.
Of course, "not easy" did not mean impossible.
As a human powerhouse of a main city, he harbored no fear of these wild demons.
Though it had been a guardian demon plant of Heavenly Star Town in the past, its heritage was fragmented and disordered. Taking on three Immortals of this caliber would pose no difficulty for him.
...
Meanwhile.
The Redwood tree warned the little jujube tree beside it, "Behave yourself and cooperate properly, understand? You saw it yourself—even that lord has come to join Governor-General Li. If we succeed this time, both of us will benefit. If we fail... you know the consequences!"
The little jujube tree wasn't afraid of it, sending out mental ripples in a cold sneer: "I don't need your warnings. Besides, you've been targeting me all along. If you have the guts, go target that Imperial Guard."
Target you?
The Redwood tree cursed inwardly. Do you think I don't know what your clone did back then?
Before I even refused to work, you were already badmouthing me, practically begging Li Hao to bring your true body out to slaughter demon plants just to make me look rebellious. You tried to throw dirt on me—is it wrong for me to target you?
As for the Imperial Guard... to hell with that!
Setting aside that it was the leader of the demon plants fostered personally by Li Hao, the key was that it wielded a projection of the Imperial Palace—a fact the Redwood knew well. Moreover, the Imperial Guard's status was immensely exalted; who wouldn't show it some deference?
Didn't you see Director Wang giving them the cold shoulder while treating that Imperial Guard with far more courtesy?
Even though the Neo-Martial era was gone, they were all remnants of it, and rank and status still mattered.
The Imperial Guard held a higher status than it, and as a communications tower guard, it held a higher status than this little jujube tree. That was entirely natural.
Of course, the Wind and Cloud Pavilion used to hold high status as well, but not anymore. Now they were captives, their standing even lower than that of the little jujube tree. Such was reality.
Pondering this, the Redwood tree found the little jujube tree increasingly unpleasant to look at.
This time, the two of them had to join forces to resolve one demon plant.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Guard was leading two puppets and eight weakened demon plants to deal with the last one. For now, its own side was the weakest; it truly couldn't guarantee success.
If they failed... that would mean immense trouble.
Just as it was worrying, a figure materialized. The Redwood tree jumped in fright—Li Hao had arrived in person.
Indeed, Li Hao had come in person.
He felt uneasy about this side. The little tree's group at least had a corner of the Imperial Palace to suppress their target, alongside multiple demon plants fighting desperately, so they had a good chance of dealing with one. But here, the Redwood tree was slick and cowardly, while the little jujube tree was not particularly powerful and remained somewhat weak.
Whether this pair could take down a target was truly hard to say.
If anything went awry, their strength and objective would be exposed.
By now, the outside had been temporarily settled.
Li Hao had come here in person, bringing Black Panther along, precisely to ensure the plan went smoothly.
Black Panther had condensed bloodline power and was by no means weak.
"This place is... the territory controlled by the Department of Internal Affairs."
Based on intelligence provided by Chen Zhongtian, Li Hao quickly confirmed their destination. In the past, this location had been the Energy Management Department of Heavenly Star Town, a core institution.
The guardian demon plant stationed here was a sunflower, which had seemingly possessed early-stage Immortal strength back in the day.
The Department of Internal Affairs had supplied it with divine energy stones, so it was hard to determine how much it had recovered, nor could they be sure whether Internal Affairs had stationed a large number of experts in the ruins.
At the Department of Internal Affairs, both father and son of the Mu family were on the surface, but whether there were powerhouses down below was impossible to judge.
Thoughts flashed through his mind.
Li Hao took a deep breath, looking toward the black mist, then at Black Panther. "In a moment, devour this black mist... Swallow it down, and then we strike together. End the battle quickly, leave no survivors!"
The two demon plants shivered, responding in haste.
Li Hao waited a moment. Somewhat battered armor surfaced as he swiftly transmitted messages. Director Wang and Black Armor were both in position. As for the little tree, Li Hao had given it a piece of black armor to serve as a communication jade, so it should receive the signal as well.
In the next moment, a message transmitted from Li Hao's armor: "Strike!"
*Boom!*
The moment the message went out, a thunderous roar echoed in the distance as a barrier shattered outright. That was Black Armor's sector.
Here, Li Hao and his group struck instantly.
Black Panther transformed in a flash into a massive golden hound, snapping its jaws toward the black mist.
"Who is it?"
Across the black mist, a sunflower swaying in the breeze stiffened with vigilance. Who was disrupting the source of chaos?
In the next instant, the source of chaos collapsed with a roar.
Several figures emerged.
"Who... are you?"
The sunflower was horrified!
It wasn't Thorny Rose, nor was it any demon plant it recognized. Instead, it was two unfamiliar demon plants, a hound, and a human. Where had these beings come from?
Near the sunflower, several human figures materialized, all looking stunned. A second later, their shock turned to sheer horror: "Li Hao..."
*Boom!*
A ray of sword light illuminated heaven and earth. With a thunderous boom, several figures were pulverized on the spot.
Li Hao showed no mercy whatsoever.
If these people ruined his plan, the loss would be catastrophic.
"Kill!"
With a ferocious bellow, the Redwood tree put its life on the line. Boundless branches erupted, piercing heaven and earth and sealing off the four quarters. The little jujube tree fired thousands of jujubes that shot forth, blasting straight through the void!
What was more, the two demon plants did not hesitate in the slightest to manifest their origin paths to suppress the surroundings.
Previously, Li Hao had berated the Redwood tree for hoarding and not daring to expend its origin; this time, it had learned its lesson. From the very first blow, it went all out, its origin path manifesting instantly to suppress the void!
Black Panther drew upon its blood, transforming into the phantom of a golden horned beast. Lightning gathered atop its single horn and erupted with a roar, slamming straight toward the sunflower!
"Demon Suppressing Emissary..."
The sunflower was terrified out of its wits. It had never imagined that its foes would fight to the death from the very outset. Unleashing an origin path in this era served little purpose under normal circumstances, but once brought out, it meant one thing: they intended to sever its path and destroy even its origin. This was the mark of a fight to the death.
In its utter horror, it fought desperately in an instant.
Shocked and bewildered though it was, to survive, nothing else mattered anymore.
"Wind, arise!"
With a low roar, a hurricane swept through the world, and lightning erupted.
A five-elements cage materialized, instantly trapping the sunflower within.
The sunflower shot out countless seeds that pelted the five-elements domain. Yet though the domain rippled, it did not shatter. In an instant, the sunflower felt itself severed from heaven and earth.
*Boom!*
Li Hao's Starry Sky Sword appeared, cleaving downward. At the same time, a mirror flashed into view. The sunflower fell into a momentary daze, seeing sword shadows in every direction.
In a clash between powerhouses, a momentary daze was enough to end a life.
The Redwood tree was anxious beyond measure. Countless branches pierced the surroundings, and its true body even took on humanoid form to smash a fist toward the foe—it could not let Li Hao look down on it in the least.
Previously, it had thought Li Hao needed it, but once Director Wang appeared, it felt its status diminish.
Once Black Armor appeared, it felt entirely dispensable. Now, it had to cling tightly to this thigh; otherwise, it would be discarded.
*Boom!*
Under the concerted assault of the powerhouses, Black Panther's lightning struck first. With a crack, the golden leaves shattered and charred. The sunflower screamed in agony as a sword struck its stem. A sword scar appeared, a bloody fissure tearing through the main stalk as blood dripped down.
The Redwood tree threw a punch, its branches locking onto the target. With a crunch, something resembling a heart surfaced upon the stalk.
The Redwood tree was overjoyed!
The greatest merit is mine this time!
That was the heart of life. It had taken a gamble, and sure enough, there it was.
Just as it was about to smash it, a jujube tree suddenly materialized. Origin energy surged wildly, unyielding substance detonated, and a burst of sword intent erupted from the jujube tree!
*Crack!*
With a crisp snap, the heart of life shattered.
The Redwood tree was furious!
Bastard!
This little thing actually stole the credit!
Yet it had no time to dwell on that. Origin paths fluctuated wildly. In the void, the sunflower's origin path surfaced in despair and unwillingness as it roared in fury, "Why are you killing me..."
The moment they clashed, its true body had been smashed and its heart of life destroyed. It was consumed by boundless fury and despair.
It had assumed Thorny Rose had come for it.
It wanted to roar at the top of its lungs to alert the nearby demon plants, hoping someone would come to its rescue.
Yet in the next moment, it froze.
In the distance, an afterimage flashed. An origin path shook violently, and a fist smashed down silently without a sound. With a dull thud, that path shattered instantly.
Dead!
It had died even faster than the sunflower! The sunflower was stunned.
In the distance, Black Armor, having smashed the foe's origin path with a single punch, glanced toward Li Hao's side. Despite the distance, he seemed to perceive the situation clearly. Seeing that only an illusory origin path remained of the sunflower, he didn't bother to intervene further and vanished from the spot in an instant.
He had another mission. As the strongest being here, after slaying the demon plant, he had to immediately eliminate all humans in the territories of the departed demon plants.
Factions like the Military Law Department and the Department of Administration might have people operating underground.
Although Li Hao had sealed off the surface, making it difficult for them to leave, Li Hao had still resolved to execute them.
Li Hao, meanwhile, paid no mind to what was happening over there.
Black Armor was terrifyingly strong; slaying his opponent instantly was only natural.
Li Hao let out another low roar as a formidable surge of sword intent rose, cleaving toward the origin in the void. The enemy's origin path trembled violently, but by then, the two demon plants were putting everything on the line, erupting with origin energy to pin the sunflower's origin path in the void.
The Starry Sky Sword was far more powerful than before. With a downward cleave, a sharp crack echoed, and the path snapped!
The sunflower fell into complete despair, its phantom collapsing as it cried out with bitter resentment, "You... will meet no good end! Our survival back then was deliberately orchestrated by that person! The powerhouses of an entire city may have fully awakened long ago... Do you truly think you can win?"
Li Hao's heart stirred.
Just as he was about to question it, the creature laughed bitterly, and with a snap... its phantom disintegrated entirely.
Li Hao frowned slightly, putting the matter out of his mind.
Dead was dead!
As for which city that was, and why these demon plants had been intentionally left behind, he would find out sooner or later.
"Go help the others!"
Li Hao said briskly, "Go aid the Imperial Guard and the rest!"
Without a word, the two demon plants flew toward the Imperial Guard's direction.
In the distance, the remnant silhouette of the Imperial Palace rose, suppressing a multiflora rose. That was the little tree's origin path. However, suppressing an Immortal still proved somewhat difficult for them, mainly because the eight demon plants were rather useless, having recovered far too little.
Further away, Director Wang hurled punch after punch into the void, roaring repeatedly in irritation.
Black Armor killing his opponent instantly wasn't worth comparing, but for Li Hao's group to finish faster than him... was an immense blow to his pride!
At this moment, the phantom of a great shield manifested on his body, a tortoise faintly visible, completely ignoring all incoming attacks. Unleashing his full power, he smashed a massive willow to pieces in the blink of an eye!
As the foe's path surfaced, Director Wang hurled out the City Lord's Seal. Although it lacked the power to slay a Great Saint, the seal's appearance instantly battered the path into ragged ruins.
Director Wang roared once more, throwing hundreds of punches in succession. The void convulsed, and in an instant, with a thunderous boom, the path shattered and snapped, accompanied by a blood-curdling shriek!
In the blink of an eye, three of the four battles had concluded.
Meanwhile, Black Armor flickered through various sectors, casually slapping to death human powerhouses before they could even react. His speed was beyond imagination; they couldn't even catch a glimpse of his figure.
The people left behind by the various departments were merely messengers used to communicate with the outside world, their strength entirely negligible. Had they been true powerhouses, they would have been taken along long ago.
In an instant, Black Armor wiped them out completely.
On the Imperial Guard's side, several surrendered demon plants grew frantic, erupting even at the cost of their origins crumbling, determined to slay their foe before the Redwood tree and the others arrived!
Otherwise... they would truly be in dire straits.
With multiple demon plants fighting for their lives, aided by two puppets, the little tree refused to concede defeat or accept rescue. In the next moment, the Imperial Palace trembled, and with a rumble, a faint silhouette resembling a cat materialized atop the palace.
With a crisp snap, the path of the demon plant resisting it was suppressed on the spot, then began to snap continuously!
In the blink of an eye, the foe was slain where it stood.
The little tree swiftly withdrew the Imperial Palace phantom. Looking somewhat weakened, its branches swayed as it glanced back at the newly arrived Redwood tree and little jujube tree. It felt a wave of relief that it had killed the foe before they arrived.
Otherwise... it would have been far too humiliating for a tree.
After all, Li Hao had appointed it as the captain of the demon plants.
...
At the same time.
In the outside world.
At the Department of Finance, an old man suddenly frowned—the veteran director of Finance. He glanced toward the back courtyard; just now... a ripple seemed to have leaked out from the ruins.
However, someone was guarding the entrance right now. Worried that someone might sneak inside, Director Zhou was personally stationed there.
It was much the same across the other locations.
Claiming to prevent hidden experts and infiltration by the Three Great Organizations, the powerhouses holding the line were stationed near the entrances to the ruins. The various factions hadn't been overly concerned; if those people wished to court death, they could venture in themselves.
Yet now... Old Director Liu was somewhat perplexed. Staring toward the back for a moment, he wondered: had that ripple... come from the demon plant?
He strode briskly toward the rear. Before long, he spotted Director Zhou and smiled. "Director Zhou, the Department of Finance will cooperate fully. Why not join me in the main hall for some tea...?"
"No need!"
Director Zhou smiled warmly. "Eating the monarch's grain means serving the monarch's cause. This time, the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office intends to conduct a thorough investigation, and I cannot neglect my duties. Old Director, don't lead me astray. I'll just keep watch here for a bit."
With that, he chuckled, "Rest assured, Old Director, I won't barge into your ruins uninvited. Wouldn't that be courting death?"
"That wasn't what I meant."
The old director smiled faintly and said no more, though a sense of unease gnawed at his heart.
Nothing... had gone wrong, had it?
...
A similar scene played out at the Inspectorate, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Internal Affairs.
At the Inspectorate, Chen Yao glanced toward the ruins in the rear and couldn't be bothered to care, guessing inwardly... Perhaps that fellow had kicked the bucket. Who cared? The creature had been a treacherous parasite anyway.
At the Department of Commerce, the old director was dead, and the current director sensed nothing at all. He merely found Northern Fist, that wretched old man in the backyard, thoroughly obnoxious as he endlessly rattled off his own rules.
Infuriating!
...
Department of Internal Affairs.
Yao Si and Hou Xiaochen held the line. The veteran director of Internal Affairs glanced toward the backyard, frowning slightly. Yao Si was back there, while Hou Xiaochen was in the main hall drinking tea with them.
Seeing his father glance toward the backyard, current director Mu Hai smiled. "Director Hou, if I may be so bold as to ask: my daughter's offense was hardly a capital crime. When will the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office release her?"
With that, he added meaningfully, "I had a daughter late in life, and my father dotes on his granddaughter. If Governor-General Li is willing to release her, the Department of Internal Affairs... will be very amenable to discussion."
Hou Xiaochen laughed heartily. "No rush, no rush! Soon, soon!"
Father and son exchanged a glance, both feeling a knot of unease.
Was today... truly just an audit of supernatural numbers across the factions?
Why had there been ripples from the backyard?
...
The factions whose demon plants had died experienced considerable commotion.
Those whose demon plants had not died also had powerhouses stationed at the entrances to the ruins. At the imperial palace, Heaven Sword and the Earth-Overturning Sword stood guard together, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving. This infuriated the nearby princes and princesses to the point of madness, itching to strike them down.
When had anyone ever dared treat the imperial family like this?
"Heaven Sword, just how long do you intend to search?!" someone roared repeatedly.
Heaven Sword replied with utter bluntness: "Until Governor-General Li tells us to withdraw, then we'll stop searching!"
"..."
Everyone nearly choked on their fury!
What kind of response was that?
If Li Hao told them to search for a lifetime, would they stay for a lifetime?
Just then, Southern Fist's hearty laughter drifted out from the great hall. He was chatting animatedly with the Heavenly Star King, though no one knew what they were discussing.
Yet no one knew that down in Heavenly Star Town, earth-shaking changes had already unfolded.
Four great demon plants had been slaughtered on the spot in the blink of an eye.
Chapter 287