Battle Against the Red Shadow

A universe of starry sky. Immense stars spanned the firmament. A fiery tiger illuminated heaven and earth. In the void, giant dragons, phoenixes, brown bears, and all manner of creatures traversed the expanse like a realm of dreams. At this moment, Li Hao had transformed into a ferocious tiger. He no longer cared what was happening in the outside world. Drifting through the universe of the Great Dao, he did not dare wander recklessly, yet he gazed up at the sea of stars. Bathed in a rare moment of tranquility and beholding beings that belonged only to myth, he couldn't help a faint smile. In the distance, a longsword radiated light across heaven and earth. Li Hao looked toward it, bewildered. A sword? Was that his own sword intent? His sword momentum? Or did it belong to someone else? According to his teacher's deductions and his own, this universe was a universe of the Great Dao, where modern humanity's supernatural locks likely resided. Perhaps this sword belonged to another swordsman. A thought stirred in Li Hao's heart. Hong Yitang? He gave it no further thought; it was far too distant, and right now, he dared not move rashly. Then another realization struck him. His physical body had crossed into the secondary space—so could his physical flesh directly absorb the energy of this universe? The energy contained in this cosmic realm was extraordinary, a unique substance perfectly suited to remedy the innate frailty of the human body. Instantly, he circulated the Five Animals Secret Art. As for whether this might trigger some disturbance or unforeseen catastrophe... a reckless soul like Li Hao couldn't care less. *Hear the Dao in the morning, die content in the evening.* Discovering what lay at the end of the martial path was far more interesting than killing. Had his teacher not been waiting outside, he would have loved to wander freely. Without that lingering attachment to his teacher tethering him, heaven and earth could not have held him back. Pursuing absolute freedom might truly be exhilarating. He circulated the Five Animals Breathing Technique! Streams of special energy surged in rapid succession. The cosmic expanse shifted as colossal stars emerged, fading in and out of view. Li Hao's presence seemed to illuminate the entire starry sky. In this instant, he was the brightest star in the firmament. "The secondary space... has no name..." Li Hao's thoughts drifted. This universe was uninhabited. It belonged to this era. Perhaps it was a freshly opened universe of the Great Dao. Shouldn't such a universe have a name? *I do love naming things.* A smile crossed Li Hao's face. Since he had nothing better to do, why not give this universe a name? In the Neo-Martial era, it was said there had been an Origin Universe, from which the origin path was later pioneered. "Origin Universe" sounded terrible. "Ten thousand stars shining bright, ten thousand Daos traversing the void... Why not call it... the Bright Star Realm!" Li Hao felt quite pleased with himself. What was the fun in choosing a name that didn't include his own? His name was Li Hao, and here a bright moon presided over tens of thousands of glittering stars. Naming it the Bright Star Realm would surely keep him in good spirits. He continued circulating the Five Animals Breathing Technique. Around him, several other massive stars surfaced, carrying the powers of wind, lightning, fire... With a thought from Li Hao, several divine characters surfaced from his body and vanished in an instant. In the blink of an eye, they imprinted themselves upon the nearby stars. It was as if an incarnation of Li Hao appeared atop each celestial body. A sudden playfulness welled up in him—or rather, a yearning to explore the Dao. Five great stars—one resembling a willow tree, one a golden egg, one an ocean, one a fierce tiger, and one a mountain peak—snapped into a grand circle, suspended across the void. The two stars of wind and lightning were somewhat pushed to the outside. Seven Li Haos looked around with curiosity, observing the five great stars form their circle as five secret arts circulated within them: the Willow Catkin Sword, the Sky-Shaking Fist, the Nine-Fold Forging Force, the Earth-Overturning Sword, and the Golden Spear Technique. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Some of these arts came from the Plain King's collection, some were inherited from Silver Moon martial masters, and some had been taught to him by Yuan Shuo. The five secret arts circulated. At this moment, Li Hao stopped running the Five Animals Secret Art as a whole and instead used the five individual secret arts to drive the five great stars. The void trembled as waves of energy flooded into them. "Rotate!" Li Hao barked softly. The five great stars began to turn, yet their movement was jerky and unrefined. After a moment's thought, Li Hao called out again, "Five Animals Breathing!" *Boom!* All five great stars simultaneously executed the Five Animals Breathing Technique. In that instant, they began to revolve smoothly, the previous sluggishness replaced by a dramatic increase in speed. Li Hao's gaze flickered. His teacher's Five Animals Breathing Technique was truly impressive. Even in the Bright Star Realm, it could run without a hitch. This was a cycle, wasn't it? A complete cycle! His wind and lightning elements, unable to merge into the Five Animals arts, were left on the periphery, doomed to watch from afar. "What a pity..." Li Hao felt a twinge of regret, but an idea quickly occurred to him. He channeled the Wind-Thunder Sword, and the two distant stars began to revolve on their own. Next, he meditated briefly. Suddenly, a pitch-black star materialized, devoid of any phantom of Li Hao. That was a dark-attribute star. As he channeled the Shadowless Sword secret art, the dark star also began to rotate. Then Li Hao channeled his light secret art. In the blink of an eye, a star of radiant light emerged. Likewise, no projection of Li Hao presided over it. Nine supernatural abilities, nine stars. Among them, the five elements formed one entity, wind and lightning formed another, while light and darkness stood independently, not yet merged. "Nine supernatural abilities. If I could blend all nine and fuse them into one, perhaps... I could become a nine-element supernatural master." Yet how could they be combined? He recalled the *Records of Yuanping*, specifically the microscopic deconstruction and reassembly described within. That was the essence of combat techniques! Yet arts like the Five Animals were different; they were breathing techniques, combinations of unique vibrations. For his teacher to create the Five Animals arts, he must have observed specific resonance points. Only then could five distinct secret arts be fused into the Five Animals Breathing Technique. *Outside, it wasn't obvious. But here, it will be unmistakable...* With that thought, Li Hao dispersed the five stars and once more ran the five secret arts. The five techniques his teacher had used back then might not have been identical to these, but all paths led to the same destination. There had to be specific points of connection between them. If he observed them from a microscopic perspective, he might discover something that allowed him to link all nine stars, forging a Nine-Element Secret Art. That way, he would no longer need to cultivate nine separate arts, but rather a single unified technique. Not only would it save immense time, but it would also unite all nine elements into one, strengthening his five viscera, his bones, and his flesh. By this point, Li Hao had nearly forgotten about the world outside. Viewing the universe's Great Dao with a macro perspective and dissecting it with micro methods, the Bright Star Realm was nothing short of a martial paradise. One could enlarge a supernatural ability infinitely, or shrink a secret art to the finest grain. It was simply incredible! As for the special energy of the universe strengthening the physical body, Li Hao now considered that secondary. The body could be strengthened sooner or later. Enlightenment in the Dao was an opportunity not to be missed. He became thoroughly engrossed in the art of deconstruction, continuously rearranging the massive stars. The more he did, the more he felt the myriad ways of creation were ever-changing and endlessly fascinating. It turned out the Dao also followed rules and fundamental logic. Water and fire could coexist, but only when broken down to their primal foundations could they blend. Their earlier fusion had not been baseless. In the void, two great stars collided. One water star, with towering waves. One fire star, with a roaring tiger. The tiger's jaws swallowed the waves. Gradually, the tiger stepped atop the surging waters, and water and fire began to blend into one. "So that's how it is..." *** At the same time, in the outside world. Heaven and earth roiled. Rain suddenly poured from the sky, followed closely by the rise of an evening glow like leaping flames, crowned by a brilliant rainbow. At this moment, powerhouse after powerhouse raised their heads to look at the sky. The Earth-Overturning Sword, the Sky Sword... These top martial masters all looked up, sensing a shift across heaven and earth. The energies of water and fire were becoming active. In the void, the very generation of natural energy was accelerating. Fire energy surged with vitality, and water energy did the same. Outside Heavenly Star City, the Heavenly Star Sea churned with colossal waves. Within the imperial palace. Hong Yitang stared at the sky. Not far off, several members of the imperial family looked up in utter bewilderment, finding the sky somewhat dazzling as fiery power manifested. "What's going on?" "No idea." "The energy seems to have thickened a bit." "A secondary recovery?" "Hardly. A recovery wouldn't be this slow. It's just a tiny bit more energy..." The crowd buzzed with speculation. Hong Yitang kept his eyes on the sky before closing them. In that instant, an empty universe seemed to appear before his inner vision, accompanied by the blending of water and fire and the image of a tiger treading upon the waves. *** In the underground ruins. Yuan Shuo and the others were stealthily excavating their tunnel when Yuan Shuo suddenly halted. Firelight flickered in his eyes. He swiftly shut them and sat cross-legged. Black Armor tilted his head in mild confusion, glancing at him. Yuan Shuo said nothing, keeping his eyes shut as he sensed something. After a moment, he opened his eyes, rose, and sent a voice transmission: "Continue." Director Wang asked curiously through voice transmission, "What happened just now?" "Nothing. A new era... is coming!" Yuan Shuo suddenly chuckled with a hint of wild arrogance, transmitting, "Neo-Martial is Neo-Martial, and Silver Moon is Silver Moon. Perhaps Silver Moon inherited from Neo-Martial, but Neo-Martial departed a hundred thousand years ago. In a hundred thousand years, seas turn into mulberry fields. Silver Moon is our homeland. The people of Silver Moon are not the people of Neo-Martial! The path of Silver Moon is not the path of Neo-Martial!" Black Armor responded with absolute calm: "As long as you are pleased. In the boundless universe, worlds are without number. Neo-Martial is merely one among them, not the entirety of the cosmos. Forging a new path instead of chasing Neo-Martial may very well be the start of a new civilization." "Senior has grand magnanimity!" "No, it is merely that... the eras are severed, and there is no closeness left to speak of." Black Armor spoke the honest truth. Neo-Martial was Neo-Martial. Silver Moon a hundred thousand years later was entirely different; severed by an era, there was no affection remaining. Whether the people of Silver Moon wanted to walk a new path or claim the Neo-Martial legacy... it was entirely up to them. Even if the Human King were here, he wouldn't care much. So long as you didn't contemplate invading Neo-Martial, do as you pleased. The Human King looked out only for the people of Neo-Martial—those who had fought alongside him for an era. Toward the younger generations that followed in Neo-Martial, the Human King merely sheltered their peace without granting special favors. As the Human King had once put it: *After I die, and after my friends die, whatever happens to the world is none of my concern.* *If a new sovereign arises, let the new sovereign protect his people. As long as you don't provoke me, why should I care about you?* Yuan Shuo chuckled, not minding in the least. The group continued deeper. A moment later, Black Armor halted. The others stopped in their tracks as well. Right at that moment, a voice echoed out, cold and distant: "I wonder which friend has arrived. It is quite unexpected that anyone could slip in here!" Black Armor's aura turned solemn, and his figure materialized instantly. In that split second, Yuan Shuo felt the world spin. They appeared in an open expanse. No one could have imagined that the core of the mineral vein contained such a vast hollow. The first thing Yuan Shuo noticed was not the red shadow, but a massive lake. Black Armor saw it as well, remaining silent. Director Wang drew in a sharp breath. He looked at the red shadow, then at the physical body suspended in the lake, and gritted his teeth. "What audacity, what sheer ambition! Using the treasures of the Heavenly Star mineral vein to forge the body of a Heavenly King! Who are you?" At these words, the three demon plants shuddered. Forging the body of a Heavenly King! This... What was a Heavenly King? A being above a Saint! During Silver Moon's peak, aside from passing powerhouses, the Sword Venerable who guarded it perpetually, and the principal of Yuanping Martial Arts University, even the lords of the eight major main cities had only been at the peak of the Saint Realm. Whether any had later stepped into the Heavenly King tier was unknown. Yet here someone was, using the Heavenly Star Great Mine to forge a Heavenly King's body. Was he trying to achieve the Dao of a Heavenly King? If a Heavenly King were to appear in this declining era... it would be utterly monstrous. Sweeping through the world would be effortless; not even multiple Saints joining forces could resist him. Black Armor observed for a moment before speaking calmly: "He did not forge a Heavenly King's body by choice; he was wounded by someone and forced into it! This person was likely one of the experts who attacked Heavenly Star Town back then, only to be wounded by Jiang Yu of Heavenly Star Town. He had no choice but to stay behind to nurse his injuries. When heaven and earth were later severed and the origin power was extinguished, it was convenient for him instead." The red shadow condensed into a humanoid form and looked at Black Armor. Only after a long pause did he speak: "Good eye! Jiang Yu did indeed wound my origin, leaving an indelible scar. The rich energy of the Heavenly Star Great Mine was sufficient for my recovery." With that, he looked at Black Armor. "As for you... I am not particularly familiar with you, though I do recognize Wang Ye. Do you... hail from Yuanping Martial Arts University?" Black Armor gave a faint smile. "Unfamiliar with me? How interesting. The top figures of the eight main cities should all know me. It seems you held no particularly high standing in the eight main cities back then." The red shadow smiled as well. "You are not wrong. Compared to you all, I was merely an insignificant nobody. However... times have changed. What about now?" "Now is no different." Black Armor looked at him and said softly, "Altering your appearance, your origin extinguished, yet even now you remain so secretive. It seems someone still recognizes you! Furthermore, Deputy Commander Sun Xin outside has likely committed true treason. What a pity. I thought someone from the Heavenly Star Army had truly survived to remain on guard, protecting the great mine!" At this point, he added, "You must have belonged to the same cohort back then. I am curious about one thing: what gave you the courage to rebel against Neo-Martial?" The red shadow chuckled. "You can ask that in hell!" In an instant, the world spun! The environment transformed, reverting to primordial antiquity. "A practitioner of the Primordial Martial path?" Black Armor murmured, momentarily taken aback. "A spiritual domain?" In this moment, the surroundings felt as if they had returned to the chaotic universe of bygone days. Opposite him, the red shadow chuckled. "Believe what you will. I am only curious about one thing: with external space unstable, how did you enter this place? Tell me, and perhaps you can suffer a little less!" "Suffer?" Black Armor laughed. "My heart was dead, but seeing a rat like you clinging to life makes me think... if someone like you can live on, why shouldn't I?" In an instant, the sky split open. A single long saber manifested between heaven and earth. A slash descended! The others didn't even see the strike before the chaos was cleaved apart. At that moment, everyone's vision blurred; Black Armor seemed to vanish, replaced by an exquisite youth of peerless elegance! It was as if time had flowed backward. The youth gripped the long saber, radiating high spirits. With crimson lips and white teeth, his appearance possessed a delicate, almost feminine beauty, yet his wielded saber formed a striking contrast. He looked at the red shadow with a faint smile. "When the tiger leaves the mountain, the monkey crowns himself king! I once saw the Human King sweep through heaven and earth, yet never was he so arrogant. I once saw my grandfather preach to the entire world, yet never was he so haughty!" "A mere rat dares put on airs!" The saber fell! The firmament cracked, and chaos shattered. Yuan Shuo and the others felt their throats go dry. Yuan Shuo suddenly wished he could pull Li Hao out just to let him see what a true clash of peerless powerhouses looked like! *Boom!* In the void, the red shadow instantly magnified ten-million-fold, like a primordial giant cleaving open the heavens. Wielding a colossal axe, he chuckled softly. "Perhaps... I know who you are now. But... that was back then. Today, you are nothing more than a broken Saint. Whatever tricks you have left, bring them on!" The giant axe cleaved down, plunging heaven and earth back into chaos. "You certainly talk big!" Black Armor laughed, severing heaven and earth with a single slash. In an instant, a Book of the Great Dao appeared in his hand. As its pages flipped open, the world spun, the sun and moon traversed the void, and myriad stars blazed. At this moment, Director Wang and the demon plants all swallowed hard. The Book of the Great Dao! *Boom!* Chaos turned into a world, and darkness gave way to light. The red shadow grunted in pain. The youth reached out, condensing countless streams of chaotic qi into a blood-red bow. Drawing the string, he released an arrow! The firmament tore asunder! A second later, a spear materialized in the youth's hands, tearing through heaven and earth. The expanse cracked open once more, and cracks fractured across the towering giant's body, crimson blood dripping incessantly. "Hmph!" With a cold snort, the crimson giant threw a punch, sneering, "As expected of the descendant of a supreme powerhouse, to know so many techniques of the Sovereigns! But... you learned too many disparate arts! No wonder you were less renowned than your younger sister back then. At least she stepped into the peak of the Heavenly King tier, while you never reached it. Biting off more than you can chew! The technique of a single Sovereign would have lasted you a lifetime, yet you actually studied the arts of so many!" He had learned far too much! All of them were the techniques of supreme Sovereigns: the blood-red bow belonged to the Blood Sovereign, the sky-splitting spear belonged to the God-Splitting Sovereign, the Book of the Great Dao belonged to Supreme Zhang, and the saber art was likely the Human King's... Too many, far too many! They were terrifyingly powerful, each technique ranking supreme among peers of the same tier. But having studied so many, how could he have had the focus to advance his cultivation? The delicate youth gave a soft laugh. "True enough. My father scolded me for it, my grandfather told me I shouldn't, and the principal warned me... not to emulate her. She studied widely too, but she could ask the Cang Emperor to refine everything for her; I could not..." With a quiet chuckle, he added, "So I went to the academy and settled down as a teacher. It's just a shame... you bastards wouldn't give me the time. Detestable!" As his words fell, a saber slash cleaved down, splitting the red shadow open once more. Another stifled groan sounded! Just then, light flooded the world as a colossal golden giant suddenly materialized. Wang Ye's expression changed drastically. The red shadow was no match for Black Armor. However, having nurtured a terrifying physical body over countless years—absorbing nearly the entire essence of the mineral vein—the red shadow realized he was no match for this youth of illustrious pedigree and summoned forth his incomplete physical vessel. The moment the physical vessel appeared, golden light engulfed the world! The red shadow's furious voice rang out: "Heaven and earth have ceased their recovery; you should not have come here! Only when my body achieved completion, when the remnant mine detonated and my vessel emerged, was the secondary recovery supposed to begin... I am truly curious, how on earth did you get in?" His voice was laced with fury and bitter frustration! It shouldn't have been like this! According to his plan, once his body was successfully forged into a true Heavenly King vessel, the broken mine would detonate. He would emerge with the body of a Heavenly King, sweep across all directions, crush the remnants of the major main cities in an instant, and bring his plan to swift fruition. But now... a Saint had arrived prematurely, and an exceptionally powerful Saint at that. Even if both figures outside attacked together, he wouldn't have been wary enough to force his physical vessel out early. Yet now... he had no choice. He might scoff that his opponent had learned too many scattered arts, but one had to consider *whose* arts they were. Every single combat technique was at the Sovereign level. Learning more simply meant greater combat power. "A mere pseudo-Heavenly King vessel, and you truly consider yourself a Heavenly King?" The youth sneered coldly. A book manifested in his hands once more—the Book of the Great Dao. In the void, a figure suddenly materialized, and everyone's expressions shifted: "The Blood Sovereign..." *Boom!* The figure drew a curved bow, unleashing an arrow that shattered heaven and earth. The arrow pierced the golden vessel, leaving a bloody hole. The red shadow grunted and quickly burrowed into the golden body. In an instant, an overwhelmingly powerful aura surged outward, and the bloody hole closed in the blink of an eye. Laced with cold fury, his voice rang out: "You think this can kill me? You underestimate me!" The youth frowned slightly and flipped open the Book of the Great Dao again. In an instant, another figure emerged, thrusting a long spear that shattered the void. The red shadow chopped down with an axe, but the axe shattered. The golden vessel was forced backward once more. The pages flipped relentlessly. Figure after figure emerged. Wang Ye and the others were left dumbfounded. These were the projections of Sovereigns—not the true Sovereigns themselves, of course, but the youth's mastered Sovereign techniques manifest as projections, erupting with terrifying might through the Book of the Great Dao. Yuan Shuo felt as if he were dreaming! He felt a boundless aura, the grandeur of a newly born world, and the stark truth of Li Hao's claim: *they could blow you away with a single breath.* Damn it all! Were these people still so terrifying even in this era? Too frightening! And too... thrilling! He watched with wide eyes, completely forgetting Li Hao's presence. He was utterly enthralled, especially by the youth that Black Armor had become. The youth possessed an extraordinary variety of techniques, which suited Yuan Shuo's taste perfectly. Yuan Shuo had studied widely as well; otherwise, he wouldn't have created the Five Animals techniques. Now, this youth was the same. The single Book of the Great Dao acted like a projecting canvas, summoning countless Sovereign phantoms. One wielded a massive hammer, striking down with enough force to crack heaven and earth, treating that golden body like metal on an anvil. Another was domineering beyond measure, unleashing a punch that detonated the chaos. Yet another stepped forward with a sword, severing the opponent's arm with a single slash. Yuan Shuo watched with sheer delight. Yet the youth that was Black Armor sighed softly in his heart. Opposite him, the enemy was already covered in blood and battered, but... the enemy's energy was abundant, whereas his own... the amount Li Hao had provided was truly insufficient. Lacking a physical body and sustained only by a finite reserve of energy, he had been dragged into this chaotic space—a spiritual domain—from the very beginning, precisely to prevent him from absorbing energy and continuously recovering. Clearly, the enemy had recognized his weakness. Currently, Black Armor held an absolute advantage. Formidable though the enemy's vessel was, in his peak state, Black Armor could have slain not just a pseudo-Heavenly King, but a true Heavenly King! Yet now... he could not. He was uninjured, and the enemy had barely managed to get close to him. To onlookers, it appeared effortless, beating the red shadow to pieces. But he knew this was entirely dependent on the energy remaining in his body. Once his energy ran dry, relying purely on spiritual power would spell disaster. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Yuan Shuo, then at Wang Ye. Seeing them watching in rapt fascination, utterly lost in the spectacle... he desperately wanted to say: *Have you forgotten I am merely a broken vessel?* *Have you watched enough by now?* *Has that fool Wang Ye forgotten he is an Immortal? Coming forward to assist would still be of some help! Or did my effortless display make him think I needed no help at all?* A soft sigh echoed in his heart. Alas, it was no longer the old days. No matter how varied his techniques, brute force could overwhelm all finesse. The enemy had nurtured that vessel for countless ages, drawing on vast amounts of mineral essence; it was incomparably sturdy, completely unlike a cripple like himself who had slumbered for untold millennia. Soon, Black Armor rallied his spirits. There was still hope! The enemy's body and spirit had not fully merged or harmonized. So long as he battered the physical vessel severely enough to jar the spiritual power loose and weaken it, Li Hao would have a chance to sever it upon appearing! Hiding Li Hao earlier had merely been an added precaution; he had been confident that in a direct clash of spiritual power, he would fear this person not in the least. Yet now... Li Hao might genuinely prove pivotal. With that in mind, the Book of the Great Dao in his hands continued its kaleidoscopic transformations. Every technique was the culmination of his life's study. From the towering saber of the Human King down to the paths of Peak Realm experts, all were laid bare. In the blink of an eye, all the phantoms merged into one like a soaring dragon, coalescing into a single long saber. The youth swung the blade and cleaved downward! *Boom!* The opponent countered with an axe, but the giant axe instantly shattered, and fresh fissures splintered across his body. Yet the red shadow's voice drifted out with a chuckle: "Impressive!" It was genuine praise, free of mockery. However... he could already sense that the other party's aura was waning. Had he encountered this person in his prime, even if he had truly become a Heavenly King, he might not have escaped death. The youth was worthy indeed of being the direct descendant of a supreme powerhouse. Yet now... how long could you sustain this? A hundred thousand years of decline, a hundred thousand years of slumber; the energy of heaven and earth had vanished completely, and Yuanping Martial Arts University's energy supply had long been severed. Wherever you managed to scrape together a bit of energy, how long could it possibly last? The youth swung his saber without a word. Slash followed slash! By this point, Wang Ye had also sensed something amiss. His expression shifted slightly. The saber intent was growing increasingly fierce, but... he could feel his martial uncle's energy draining drastically! If this continued, disaster would strike. Anxiety gripped Wang Ye. His combat prowess was formidable, but facing an incomparably sturdy pseudo-Heavenly King body, stepping in might not accomplish much. Still... he had to act! In an instant, he gripped the City Lord's Seal, wrapped himself in the phantom of a tortoise shield, and transformed the seal into a gauntlet. Director Wang threw a punch with a thunderous roar, unleashing power that shook heaven and earth! "Attack!" The little tree and the other demon plants changed countenance as well. In the next moment, the phantom of the Imperial Palace manifested, pressing down to suppress heaven and earth! Yet the usually invincible Imperial Palace phantom had barely appeared when the golden vessel roared violently. Blood vitality surged to the heavens, and with a deafening crash, the Imperial Palace phantom shattered on the spot! "The Imperial Palace? Laughable! It is merely a temporary lodge, scarcely bearing any aura of an Emperor! It might suffice against ordinary foes, but you think to use it on me? A mere Peak Realm demon plant, overestimating its own strength!" The red shadow sneered. This was truly overreaching. The gap between a pseudo-Heavenly King and a Peak Realm expert was immense. Even with origin power extinguished, the disparity remained vast. With just that, you hoped to harm me? In the next instant, the Redwood and the little jujube tree struck as well. Branches pierced through heaven and earth, only to be cleaved by an axe. With crisp snaps, the branches splintered and broke. Both demon plants shuddered in their true forms, gripped by terror. This person... was too strong! Yuan Shuo had retreated far away long ago. At this moment, a single stray shockwave here would be enough to obliterate him. Yuan Shuo had only one task: evade the shockwaves and, at the critical juncture, heed Black Armor's command to pull Li Hao out. Frankly, he felt it was rather futile. Even if Li Hao was stronger than him, at best he was on par with the little tree. If the little tree's Imperial Palace could be torn apart instantly, what good would Li Hao do? It wasn't that he looked down on Li Hao; a clash at this level was simply too far beyond them! Yuan Shuo groaned inwardly. They might truly stumble this time. Stumbling wasn't what he feared; what terrified him was everyone perishing here, which would spell disaster for the world outside. The youth that was Black Armor sighed softly, speaking in a measured voice: "It seems today is the day of my death. I hold no particular regrets; I only wish to know who you colluded with beyond our realm. Was it a Neo-Martial powerhouse, or an expert from an outside world? Without outside collusion, how could you have severed Silver Moon...?" "'Let not even the dead find peace'—wasn't that what the Human King said?" The red shadow chuckled. "The dead can speak too, so... it is best you never know!" "You dare mention the Human King?" The youth glared coldly at him. It was clear the enemy had no intention of revealing anything. Gripping the Book of the Great Dao, he let out a cold snort. A figure manifested across the pages—this time different from before, slender and graceful, clearly that of a woman. The Book of the Great Dao suddenly burst into flames! Watching the figure coalesce, the youth felt a pang of sorrow. He smiled at her, then looked at the red shadow's golden vessel and chuckled: "Principal... he says that heaven no longer bears the surname Fang!" In an instant, the phantom's power exploded! The youth transformed back into Black Armor, instantly fusing with the phantom. Wielding his long saber, he slashed down! "Life Severing!" A low shout echoed through the chaos! With a resounding crack, the colossal vessel was cleaved clean in two. Yet with unimaginable speed, it began to recover and knit back together. Within the body, a red phantom surfaced, momentarily weakened by the slash, yet it let out a laugh: "A desperate strike with some genuine skill. What a pity..." Right at that instant, Black Armor's voice rang in Yuan Shuo's ears. "Now!" Yuan Shuo dared not hesitate. The mouthful of blood he had been holding in his chest sprayed forth. Five forces manifested instantly! This time, they appeared right beside the red shadow. A stone saber was held in the jaws of the five combined forces, and a blood-red path stretched out between heaven and earth! The red shadow vaguely sensed something amiss. Yet he had no time to ponder it. He threw a punch that sent the desperate Director Wang flying, condensed his red form, and struck out again to blast the Redwood away, battering the true forms of both Immortals to the verge of collapse. Next, he threw a punch straight toward the severely weakened Black Armor. A rare opportunity—he would execute this man here and now! The red shadow felt a rush of excitement. Even in the Neo-Martial era, a figure of this caliber was nearly impossible to kill. His status was exalted beyond measure; slaying him might finally dispel the lingering terror left behind by Neo-Martial. To break the fear in his heart! Indeed, among the powerhouses who had survived that era, none did not fear Neo-Martial. Right at that moment, nine colossal stars seemed to emerge in the void! Li Hao's figure materialized, the nine great stars revolving around him. Gripping the Starry Sky Sword, Li Hao was momentarily dazed. It was only when he saw the red shadow punching toward Black Armor, who appeared powerless to resist and on the brink of death, that Li Hao snapped fully to his senses. In the next instant, casting all else aside, the nine great stars fused together, vanished from the spot, and settled onto the Starry Sky Sword. Li Hao let out a furious roar and slashed down! Nine supernatural abilities—seven strong, two weak—were forcibly fused into one. As the sword cleaved downward, an extraordinary power surged forth. The red shadow's expression shifted, and he retreated rapidly, only to feel the surrounding void lock tight around him! Startled, he barked, "Break!" *Boom!* The sealed void shattered. The sword Li Hao swung was torn apart by the immense spiritual power erupting from the red shadow. At the same time, portions of that spiritual power were also shredded. Amidst his surprise, the red shadow smiled. So... this was their trump card? Dangerous, certainly! Yet even if my spiritual power is past its peak, killing me with this is wishful thinking! Now, he was even more curious about where the boy had been hiding. How had those nine elemental powers appeared? Intrigued, he even contemplated capturing the boy alive; this youth might well be the key to how Black Armor had gained entry. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Right then, Li Hao broke into a smile. Before the red shadow's startled gaze, Li Hao lightly tapped the Starry Sky Sword against the stone saber that had just guided him here. The stone saber instantly shattered, and along with it, the Wind-Chasing Boots beneath his feet disintegrated as well! Of the eight divine weapons, two were shattered in this single moment. Adding the Hong family's divine hammer that had been destroyed earlier, three divine weapons were now gone for good. The Starry Sky Sword devoured them instantly, its aura skyrocketing. Li Hao's expression turned frigid. Countless supernatural abilities surfaced on the blade once more, as if boundless forces were converging upon it. Li Hao slashed down a second time! *Boom!* Countless massive stars hung suspended in the air, locking down a corner of the world. Not stopping there, Li Hao let out a low roar as the star-studded sky coalesced into a single longsword that merged directly into his blade! "Sever!" With a furious shout, the sword struck down. Only now did the red shadow's expression change completely! What kind of technique was this? He had never seen it before! The Starry Sky Sword, a descendant of the Li family... but what on earth was this method? This star-filled sky bore similarities to the origin path, yet was entirely different. He couldn't even make contact with it, as though an entire world separated them. His split physical vessel rapidly knitted together. He wanted to seal his red shadow within it! So long as his spiritual power was protected inside the physical body, that sturdy vessel should have no trouble blocking this strike. Yet just as the flesh was about to envelop the spirit, a bolt of lightning emerged from nowhere, silent and abrupt, striking directly upon the vessel. The body stiffened for a fraction of a second. In that split second, it failed to finish healing. At the edge of the chaos, a dog was already collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, tongue lolling out, looking ready to die. Its task had been simple: act at its own discretion and choose the right moment. And it had judged that this moment was the best possible opportunity. It possessed only enough strength for a single strike, but a very powerful one. Even a pseudo-Heavenly King body of terrifying resilience was stunned into stillness. The damage wasn't particularly severe—the dog was far weaker than the red shadow. Yet in that instant, it caused the vessel to freeze for a mere heartbeat. In that single blink of an eye, Li Hao's all-out strike—a strike forged from the destruction of two divine weapons—plummeted from the heavens! *Buzz—* *Crack!* As if something had shattered, the sword sliced clean through the red shadow. The physical body instantly snapped shut, sealing the battered remnants of the red shadow's power inside. Everyone's faces drained of color! Did it fail? This had been every single card they could muster. If even this had failed... everyone present was finished. Even Black Armor's expression grew solemn. Potent as Li Hao's strike was, it might not have wiped out the enemy entirely. If any spiritual power remained, with the physical body now fully healed... the exhausted survivors here would almost certainly be slaughtered. He did not fear death, but he felt a pang of regret. Right at that moment, Li Hao bared his teeth in a grin and suddenly roared, "Detonate!" *Boom!* From within the healed body, a series of violent detonations erupted. Divine characters seemed to pierce through reality, detonating in an instant—*rumble!* A bloodcurdling scream tore from inside the physical vessel! Li Hao's face instantly went paper-white. Yuan Shuo's expression shifted dramatically: "This..." He had detonated his divine characters! That was Li Hao's force, Li Hao's Dao. Even in such dire straits... Li Hao smiled brightly, speaking softly: "The Great Dao resides in my heart; whenever I wish to fuse them, I can do so again. Do not worry, Teacher. Though as for this fellow... is he still alive?" He swayed on his feet. In the next moment, the world began to collapse. Black Armor let out a breath of relief. "He is dead!" The massive chaotic world instantly began to crumble. The gigantic vessel rapidly shrank, still radiating peerless golden light! Yet at that exact instant, a flash of red light burst from the physical body, shooting straight toward Li Hao! Li Hao was suddenly overjoyed! A mirror materialized before him, shining with intense brilliance as if it had been waiting all along. A fissure opened instantly, revealing the world within the mirror, and the red light plunged straight inside. Li Hao snapped the mirror shut and bellowed, "Hurry, suppress it!" Everyone was stunned, and even Black Armor zoned out for a second. Not dead? Dammit! He had misjudged! How could Li Hao have known? The mirror violently thrashed as if on the verge of exploding. Powerhouses rushed over, unleashing their formidable might to suppress the mirror. Li Hao laughed boisterously: "Ha! Caught a big fish! I was wondering why he didn't even let out a dying grievance complaining about how unfair the world was!" "..." Everyone stared blankly. *That... was your basis for judgment?* Li Hao laughed wildly, utterly thrilled. He had truly landed a massive fish! As for why he had deduced the man might still be alive, that was genuinely his reasoning. When beings of ancient civilizations were slain by a weakling like him, even upon dying and dispersing into a phantom, they would always ramble a few parting words. Yet this fellow had made no sound at all aside from a single shriek. Did he take Li Hao for a fool? How could you not express some bitter resentment? Within the mirror, the red shadow slammed violently against the boundaries, roaring with boundless fury. Hearing Li Hao's words, he was driven nearly mad. So... that had been the basis of his judgment? Curse him! Who on earth would think to deliver a dying speech at a moment like that? He had indeed been battered to the brink of ruin, unable to support the Heavenly King vessel, which was why he had sought to destroy Li Hao and seize the Starry Sky Sword in a bid for survival... Who could have guessed he would charge headfirst into the Fengyun Sub-Mirror! This was a divine artifact personally crafted by a Sovereign. In his current broken state, how could he possibly break out? "Release me, or else—" *Boom!* Boundless energy erupted within the mirror. In the next instant, a miniature sword drilled inside, slashing about in a frenzy! The Starry Sky Sword seemed to come alive, rampaging wildly within the mirror. Whether it was to slay the red shadow or to avenge its previous grievance of being sealed within the mirror was anyone's guess. In the blink of an eye, the already battered red shadow was torn into even more pitiful shreds by the Starry Sky Sword. After a long time, the mirror fell silent. Li Hao and the others panted heavily. Was he dead? Not yet. A few faint traces of the red shadow remained, visible upon the mirror's surface. Li Hao gasped for breath: "He won't get away now. This bastard... has quite the vitality!" Yet in his heart, he was ecstatic. He had reeled in a massive catch. The enemy had merely been beaten into a dormant state, not completely destroyed. On that merit alone, he was a catch of the highest order.