The moment the Heavenly Star King died, panic rippled through the imperial family members in all directions.
The slaughter raged on.
Suspended high above the imperial palace, Li Hao watched as powerhouse after powerhouse was cut down on the spot. In the distance, several imperial princes roared in fury.
From within the palace grounds, vast numbers of the Black Armor Army charged out relentlessly.
"Slay Li Hao!"
A voice bellowed in rage. Wielding divine power, an expert uprooted an entire palace hall and hurled it toward Li Hao with a thunderous roar.
Li Hao swept his sword outward, causing the mountains to tremble.
A colossal mountain materialized, the sword mountain pressing down. The palace shattered into pieces amid crisscrossing sword energy, and in the distance, another prince was sliced clean in two by a sword strike.
An imperial royal shouted indignantly, "Li Hao! Our Heavenly Star imperial family has treated you with great kindness, conferring upon you the title of Heavenly Star Governor-General and Marquis of Heavenly Star, and aiding you in establishing the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office! Is this how you repay us?"
It was the Seventh Princess.
At this moment, the mysterious woman who normally ran the Nine Dragons Pavilion could no longer maintain her composure, screaming in rage.
Her heart was filled with desolation!
When Li Hao had first visited the Nine Dragons Pavilion, he had seemed like a complete country bumpkin. Who could have imagined that in just a few short months, he would lead an army into the imperial palace and strike down the Heavenly Star King with his sword?
The Jiang family had not fallen to the Nine Departments, but to Li Hao.
"Great kindness?"
Li Hao replied calmly, "The imperial family and I were merely using each other. What debt of gratitude could there possibly be? To speak truly, if I remember correctly, the White Shark Pirates of the North Sea were backed by your Jiang family. The Jiang family maintains influence across all four seas.
"Not only that, but the Jiang family has secretly funded many rebel factions today. Up north, the largest rebel force in the Northern Three Provinces right now is called the Heaven Restoration Army—a name chosen for the restoration of the old order. That, too, must be backed by your Jiang family.
"Over the past two hundred years, the Jiang family has had merits, but also faults! Yet your faults far outweigh your merits, making you far more abhorrent than the Nine Departments! At least the Nine Departments had periods of integrity, whereas the Jiang family, aside from the era when you united the world, has remained perpetually muddle-headed and incompetent... Seventh Princess, tell me, can the Jiang family be spared?"
Drenched in blood, the Seventh Princess shrieked, "Li Hao, this is nothing more than victors becoming kings and losers becoming bandits! Since ancient times, imperial power has known no mercy! The world is chaotic now, but before the Jiang dynasty, it was an even greater mess! The ninety-nine provinces were locked in constant strife, with countless deaths every year! After my Jiang family united the realm, the world enjoyed at least two hundred years of peace! How can you ignore such an accomplishment?
"Compared to a chaotic world, once the Heavenly Star Dynasty was founded, the common people could at least survive!"
The Seventh Princess refused to yield!
Two hundred years ago, the land was in turmoil, wars raged incessantly, and feudal lords vied for supremacy. That era was even more chaotic than the present.
The Jiang family had unified the realm, at least bringing an end to the age of warring warlords.
Why did Li Hao refuse to acknowledge that?
"And for that, your Jiang family enjoyed two hundred years of imperial privilege,"
Li Hao remained calm. "There is reward for effort. Two hundred years ago, the first Heavenly Star King truly possessed grand vision and forged a unified dynasty in the Central Plains. His contribution was undeniable. But you of the Jiang family have also enjoyed two hundred years of glory, wealth, and power, haven't you?
"And now, the chaos across the world began because of your Jiang family!"
Still defiant, the Seventh Princess yelled, "Were it not for the Nine Departments suppressing my grandfather, were it not for the Three Great Organizations throwing everything into disarray, and were it not for you churning up the Silver Moon martial arts world, this world would still be at peace! Li Hao, you are no better than our Jiang family! You are merely hiding behind a fig leaf! Even if my Jiang family is destroyed, the wheel of heaven turns, and you, Li Hao... will never escape the reckoning of a dynasty's end!"
Li Hao fell silent.
The wheel of heaven—who could say for sure?
The Jiang family was unwilling to accept defeat, believing this was a cycle every dynasty went through. Li Hao had no desire to argue, nor did he know where to begin.
History was simply like that.
Even though everything was recorded in the history books, successive generations of monarchs continually repeated the exact same mistakes. At times, it was truly a wondrous thing.
Except for the founding rulers of dynasties, which emperor had not read a few volumes of history?
Who among them had not seen the accounts of how dynasties met their doom?
Yet... things always played out the same way in the end.
In the fullness of time, he too would become part of history, recorded on those pages.
As he was lost in thought, Jade Rakshasa thrust a palm strike forward. With a sickening crunch, her blow sent the princess coughing up blood. Jade Rakshasa scoffed coldly, "Have you talked enough?"
Why did she have so much to say?
Coughing blood endlessly, a savage aura surfaced on the Seventh Princess's face as she glared at her coldly. "Slut! In the end, none of you will fare any better than the Jiang family! Just wait and see!"
With those words, her longsword pierced through the air, radiating a murderous aura.
Just as Jade Rakshasa was about to strike back, a battle formation formed by a group of the Demon Hunting Army moved below. Liu Long, who had been guarding Li Hao's flank the entire time, appeared out of nowhere. An axe cleaved down, and with a sharp crack, the princess's longsword shattered.
The Seventh Princess staggered back several steps, her expression shifting slightly.
With a grim expression, Liu Long kept his back to Jade Rakshasa as he stared at the princess. "Let me kill her!"
Jade Rakshasa was taken aback. Liu Long was usually low-profile, never one to fight over glory.
Why had he rushed in to snatch this kill today?
The Seventh Princess was by no means weak, while Liu Long's cultivation was considerably lower.
Liu Long, however, said nothing. Swinging his axe, he launched a relentless barrage of attacks. His Nine Refinements Force erupted like surging ocean waves, carrying terrifying killing intent. Below him, dozens of Demon Hunting Army soldiers operated as a unified formation, channeling their blood-qi to sustain Liu Long's strength without pause.
The Seventh Princess was equally ruthless. Though her sword was broken, her pair of jade-white hands radiated blinding radiance as she slammed a palm toward Liu Long.
If she could kill Li Hao's personal guard commander right now, it would still deal a painful blow to Li Hao.
The two clashed fiercely!
In the blink of an eye, dozens of exchanges took place.
Liu Long suddenly roared, towering waves of energy surging around him as his axe hacked downward. A loud crack echoed. What broke first was his own sternum, his armor caving inward slightly from her strike.
Yet his axe severed her arm.
The Seventh Princess groaned, a cold look surfacing in her eyes. "To think that even a nobody like you could kill me..."
Panting heavily, Liu Long wasted no breath on words and struck again, even more fierce and intrepid than before.
Within moments, he beat her back step by step. With a thunderous boom, the Seventh Princess was knocked to the ground by his axe, coughing blood continuously.
Right then, Liu Long brought his axe crashing down once more, slamming her straight into the crowd with a deafening impact.
The Seventh Princess spat blood. "If you want to kill me, do it quickly! Do you dare humiliate me?"
In the distance, even Li Hao was somewhat surprised. Liu Long was never one to vie for credit, so why had he gone after the Seventh Princess today?
He had even snatched Jade Rakshasa's quarry.
As the thought crossed his mind, Li Hao felt a sudden stirring.
Not far away, Liu Long barked, "Kill her!"
From within the Demon Hunting Army, an armored soldier stepped forward. Without a word, a water dragon coalesced into a sharp blade and pierced clean through the Seventh Princess's heart in an instant. Spitting blood, the princess looked at this armored soldier... Why?
The armor receded.
Yun Yao's face was revealed. She looked down at the Seventh Princess, and the princess stared back at her. After a long moment, a faint smile appeared on the princess's lips. "It's you... No wonder..."
Yun Yao's gaze was calm. "It is me! When my father was alive, you and I were close friends. I never imagined you would betray my Yun family and slaughter hundreds of teachers and students from our academy. Jiang Rong, I have returned!"
"Cough, cough... How laughable!"
The Seventh Princess let out a laugh, glanced at Li Hao in the distance, and laughed again. "Truly laughable..."
With those words, she collapsed heavily to the ground, drawing her last breath.
Spitting a mouthful of blood, Liu Long glanced at Yun Yao and grunted, "She's dead. We'll take them out one by one. The grudges of the Demon Hunting Squad—I will help all of you avenge every single one!"
The Demon Hunting Squad: Yun Yao, Liu Yan, Wu Chao, Chen Jian, plus Li Hao who joined later, and Liu Long himself—just six people in all.
Liu Yan's enemy was Red Moon; Wu Chao's enemy was Feitian; and Yun Yao's enemies were the major factions of Heavenly Star City.
The Nine Dragons Pavilion governed by the Seventh Princess had once struck against Heavenly Star Academy, slaughtering many teachers and students, capturing others, and coercing the rest into serving the pavilion.
As the imperial family's public representative, the Seventh Princess had become close with Yun Yao back then because both were women and the imperial family had feigned support for Yun Haoran. Yet shortly afterward, the Yun family was eradicated.
The Seventh Princess had played a significant role in that massacre.
Yun Yao nodded without saying much.
The members of the Demon Hunting Squad had no need for spoken gratitude toward Liu Long; it was all understood in their hearts. Ever since Silver City, Liu Long had always protected and supported them, continuing to do so right up to this day.
Li Hao might have forgotten or felt less deeply about some of these things, but Liu Long kept every single one etched in his heart.
...
In the distance, Li Hao finally understood. At this moment, his feelings were somewhat complicated.
What Liu Long had always wanted to do was actually very simple: protect Silver City, protect the members of the Demon Hunting Squad, and keep them safe. That had always been Liu Long's wish. Although Li Hao had brought Liu Long out of Silver City and provided everyone with ample resources, they had never regained the harmony of those days in Silver City, nor the lighthearted camaraderie of family.
Yun Yao's enemies were the imperial family and the Nine Departments. Li Hao had known that.
However, Li Hao had never considered letting Yun Yao take revenge with her own hands. He had always assumed that wiping these people out himself would be enough.
Liu Long, on the other hand, had kept it close to his heart all along.
From the day he walked out of Silver City until now, a few people had profoundly influenced Li Hao: his teacher was one, Hong Yitang was another, and Liu Long was certainly one as well.
During those days in Silver City, Liu Long had spared no effort in helping him.
Li Hao exhaled softly. Because there had been far too much to do, he had set the Demon Hunting Squad's matters aside. He had promised Liu Long back then that they would eventually return to Silver City.
In the near future, however, that might still be out of reach.
The slaughter continued.
Just then, a figure broke through the air—Southern Fist.
Southern Fist was carrying someone drenched in blood. Looking at Li Hao with none of his usual casual flippancy, he spoke in a low voice, "He Yong wishes to ask Commander Li for a favor!"
At a single glance, Li Hao recognized the blood-soaked youth.
The Ninth Prince.
He was twenty years old this year. Twenty years ago, when Southern Fist entered the imperial family, he had begun tutoring this prince and passing down the martial path. Southern Fist had contributed immensely to the Ninth Prince achieving his current martial prowess.
Naturally, the Ninth Prince had also provided much in return later on, enabling Southern Fist to reach the point where his martial arts could unseal within the imperial family.
The moment Southern Fist arrived, Li Hao knew what he had come for.
By this time, others had also returned.
Northern Fist, having beaten an imperial prince to death, stepped through the air. Seeing Southern Fist holding someone, he barked, "He Yong, what nonsense are you spouting!"
The imperial family had fallen, and the Jiang family was being purged.
The Ninth Prince possessed remarkable talent and formidable combat strength. Rising late, some within the imperial family had even advocated for him to succeed the throne once the current Heavenly Star King passed away.
This was no marginal figure.
If it were merely a distant imperial relative, Southern Fist asking for a favor would be a trivial matter to everyone. Silver Moon martial masters always repaid kindness and took revenge for grudges.
Yet this was a prospective crown prince of the imperial family.
Leaving such a person alive would invite catastrophic trouble.
Southern Fist... was overstepping his bounds!
With a heavy expression, Southern Fist lowered his head. "Commander, I left my home in Silver Moon and came to the imperial family seeking a sliver of opportunity for a breakthrough. I care nothing for the imperial family, but many years ago, he and I came to depend on each other for survival... This time, He Yong asks for no merits. I beg the commander... to spare his life!"
He begged!
He knew that sparing the Ninth Prince might cause immense trouble.
Yet he could not cross the hurdle in his own heart.
He looked at Li Hao, a pleading look in his eyes.
Held in his grip, the Ninth Prince coughed blood continuously. Seeming to regain some lucidity, he struggled weakly and wheezed, "Master He, there is no need..."
"Shut up!"
Southern Fist snapped, delivering a punch that knocked him unconscious instantly.
He said nothing more, merely looking at Li Hao.
Gradually, more and more experts gathered around Li Hao. Some frowned, while others glared.
Within the imperial family, aside from the Heavenly Star King, these princes posed the greatest threat.
The Heavenly Star imperial family had ruled the realm for two hundred years; there were still powerful figures loyal to them.
To say nothing of others, the King of Zhennan was still stationed at the South Sea, commanding six hundred thousand elite troops and locked in confrontation with the Duke of Wuguo in the south.
If the Ninth Prince survived and fled south, he would become a tremendous problem.
Li Hao glanced at Southern Fist. After a moment, he smiled. "It's a trivial matter."
"Commander!"
"Li Hao!"
Many turned their eyes toward Li Hao.
Li Hao said softly, "I know a bit about this Ninth Prince. He shares a close bond with Martial Uncle Southern Fist and bears something of the Silver Moon martial master's demeanor. Silver Moon martial masters repay kindness. Since he showed kindness to Martial Uncle Southern Fist... then let him live."
He chuckled and looked around at the crowd. "One more or one less makes no difference. Plenty of people want to kill me anyway. Two successive Heavenly Star Kings have died by my hand. The Ninth Prince committed no atrocities, nor was he the one steering the imperial family. He suffered bullying since childhood, and it was only with Martial Uncle Southern Fist's help that he reached where he is today..."
With that, he smiled. "Martial Uncle Southern Fist may take him away!"
Southern Fist's gaze turned complicated, and he said in a low voice, "I will cripple his martial arts. A crippled man can stir up no storms!"
"No need,"
Li Hao waved his hand. "He inherited the path of the Heaven-Shaking Fist, making him your successor in a sense. Crippling his martial arts would only waste years of your painstaking effort, wouldn't it?"
The crowd looked at Li Hao, momentarily at a loss for words.
Leaving this man alive... could very well bring endless troubles!
To go from being bullied by everyone in the palace to eventually having people advocate for his nomination as crown prince demonstrated that this person's capabilities were extraordinary.
Enduring humiliation while bearing heavy burdens, wielding sharp schemes—all of that was a given.
And now, they were not going to kill him...
The group looked at Southern Fist. Some glared angrily, while others felt resigned.
Southern Fist, stubborn blockhead that he was, was simply like this at times.
He knew full well what sparing the Ninth Prince entailed, but he was even more unwilling to live with lifelong regret.
Li Hao said nothing more, turning his gaze to his surroundings. The great battle was gradually winding down.
Expert after expert was slain.
Of the imperial family's nine kings, two had perished before this. Today, three more were killed within the palace, leaving four kings still alive. These included the King of Zhennan in the south, two remaining in Heavenly Star City, and one at the edge of the West Sea in the central region, whose primary role was to suppress the west and confront the Duke of Anguo's family.
At this point, vast numbers of palace maids, eunuchs, and concubines were herded in from all quarters.
Before long, over ten thousand people gathered on the vast square.
Some trembled violently, while others had long been scared out of their wits.
Even the Nine Departments had never stormed the imperial palace back then; they had only clashed covertly with the Old Heavenly Star King and suppressed him before establishing the Nine Departments, achieving a peaceful transition with the imperial family.
Yet today... the imperial palace had been breached!
Wailing and weeping echoed throughout the grounds.
In this sprawling palace, these servants alone numbered over ten thousand. There were also large numbers of the Black Armor Army who had been suppressed, totaling nearly twenty thousand people altogether.
And that was merely the present count.
Eighty years ago, the palace had housed even more.
Looking at the people before him, Li Hao's voice carried across the square: "Members of the Black Armor Army, remove your armor and lay down your weapons to surrender, and you shall be spared! Palace maids and servants, carry on as usual. Those who wish to leave may register and wait in due course; I will gradually downsize the staff. For now, no one is permitted to leave the palace grounds!"
"Surviving members of the imperial family shall be detained first to await trial!"
"Anyone offering stubborn resistance shall be executed without mercy!"
The weeping subsided slightly. Many felt uneasy, but seeing that the surrounding experts did not pounce upon them to slaughter them, their hearts settled somewhat.
Whether heaven and earth were overturned or a dynasty changed hands, to many people, it truly... did not matter.
As long as they could stay alive, it was enough.
There was little true loyalty to speak of.
...
Meanwhile, Li Hao strode toward the main palace hall, the core hall of the dynasty—the Heavenly Star Great Hall.
A dragon throne, gleaming with radiance, stood upright in the center of the hall.
Li Hao walked straight up and sat down upon it. At this moment, those who had followed him inside felt a strange sensation, watching him without uttering a sound.
Seated upon the dragon throne, Li Hao looked up toward the ceiling. After a moment, he chuckled. "This dragon throne isn't comfortable to sit on—it's too hard! Authority and status aren't things demonstrated by a trinket like this. It looks like it's cast from solid gold... Might as well melt it down... On second thought, leave it. Let those who want to experience the thrill sit on it in the future!"
Kicking the dragon throne aside with a foot, Li Hao waved his hand, and another chair flew over, proving considerably softer.
"Leave the matters outside to the Demon Hunting Army. Everyone, come in first and let's have a brief meeting!"
One powerhouse after another filed in quickly.
"Take a seat, everyone!"
Li Hao said with a chuckle, "You are all my seniors, so there's no need to be overly formal. The court is just another jianghu, and the jianghu is everywhere. Seniors, please make yourselves comfortable!"
Yuan Shuo acted brazenly, dropping into a seat without ceremony.
Seeing this, the others took their seats one after another.
Though Li Hao had quite a few people on his side, their numbers still appeared sparse compared to a proper imperial court inside the colossal hall.
Looking at everyone, Li Hao felt a touch of wistfulness.
"I didn't expect us to complete the encirclement and suppression of Heavenly Star City so quickly... I won't waste words; let's get straight to the point! Conquering the realm is difficult, but governing it is harder still. I don't want the destruction of the Nine Departments and the imperial family to plunge the world into turmoil..."
"Therefore, I still need everyone's assistance to achieve a smooth transition for the dynasty."
"Going forward, Heavenly Star City will remain sealed. Director Zhou will oversee the Department of Administration, Chen Yao will continue managing the Inspectorate, and for the Military Law Department... I will arrange for Marshal Huang Yu to take over as soon as possible."
Li Hao spoke swiftly: "The Department of Merit Assessment and the Department of Foreign Affairs are temporarily unnecessary. The Department of Internal Affairs can be put on hold for now. As for the Department of Finance, the father and son of the Liu family will manage it temporarily, but... time is limited, and someone needs to formally take over. This is a critical post. Who is up to the task?"
The group exchanged looks, none speaking up.
At this moment, everyone understood that this was the division of spoils and merits.
Having conquered the capital, even though full unification was not yet achieved, acting as directors of the Nine Departments now meant they might very well retain those seats permanently.
However, they were all jianghu folk.
Those truly capable of handling such duties were few and far between. Frowning slightly, Li Hao spoke again: "Is no one suited for it?
"Then let's set it aside for now. Regarding the Night Patrollers, having both Director Yao and Director Hou stationed there is a waste. Director Yao will continue presiding over the Night Patrollers. Director Hou, you will take charge of the Department of Commerce next. Commerce is still necessary; without commerce, society cannot progress..."
Hou Xiaochen wanted to say: Are you joking?!
How did I get assigned to manage something called the Department of Commerce?
What in the world do I know about business?
Isn't Li Hao just assigning things blindly?
Li Hao, however, said with a smile, "I trust Director Hou. Director Hou is skilled at making deals, and besides, you'll have people assisting you. The main task is managing personnel, not asking you to start a company. Director Hou has spent decades in officialdom, and we have too few officials on our side—it has to be you!"
"..."
Hou Xiaochen felt deeply weary. Li Hao added, "Moreover, Director Hou possesses formidable mental power, making him best suited for calculations and statistical work. It's quite fitting."
With no alternative, Hou Xiaochen could only nod in silence.
Li Hao looked at the crowd again. "Of course, this is merely temporary management for now. Professional matters should be handled by professional people; we are all laymen, and this is hardly the time for enjoyment. The Three Great Organizations still exist, the ancient civilization ruins remain, vast numbers of demon plants are still out there... and the three ducal estates have yet to be eradicated.
"We merely eliminated a group of leaders from the orthodox government, which amounts to a special operation. But... this alone cannot bring peace to the realm..."
Li Hao rubbed his temples. "I'm not good at these matters either, and I feel... quite at a loss! Those who are capable should take on more work. Whoever has the skill, speak up, and give it a try first."
Still, no one spoke.
Everyone looked back and forth. Asking them to pick up blades and kill people was fine, but managing the realm... forget about it.
"Ahem!"
At that moment, someone coughed. "Director Zhao of Silver Moon is quite capable! He governed Silver Moon for decades, and Silver Moon was never particularly chaotic..."
Director Zhou was also good, but he was only one person, and even if he could split himself in two, he couldn't handle everything.
They would have to bring over the entire administrative apparatus from Silver Moon.
Of the Four Guardians of Silver Moon, three were now here, with only Director Zhao remaining back in Silver Moon.
Li Hao shook his head, however. "No, Silver Moon cannot fall into chaos. That place... has major events ahead. Heavenly Star can descend into chaos, but Silver Moon cannot! Furthermore, Silver Moon borders the Dali Dynasty. Although there has been no news from Dali, that does not mean Dali is gone. Senior Northern Fist has stayed in Dali and knows the situation; their army is formidable, and their martial arts are exceptionally powerful..."
Not everyone could leave Silver Moon. If all of them left, their core base in Silver Moon might collapse entirely.
Li Hao sighed.
A bunch of martial brutes trying to manage a realm... it truly was... exasperating.
As for Hong Yitang, Li Hao had actually wanted to assign him some tasks.
Yet he understood some of Hong Yitang's inclinations, so it was better to let him establish the Heavenly Star Martial Arts Academy first.
Right then, Sky Sword suddenly remarked, "The commander has forgotten someone..."
"Who?"
"Lin Hongyu!"
Sky Sword spoke bluntly: "That woman managed the chaotic City of Supernaturals, with its million supernaturals, over a dozen noble families, and all sorts of scheming and intrigue. That wasn't just because of her strength; she also possesses the potential of an administrator... If she could keep a million supernaturals completely docile, then to say nothing of other places, even though Heavenly Star City has more people, I believe she could manage it well!"
At those words, the eyes of the crowd shifted.
Lin Hongyu!
No one had actually considered this candidate.
Someone spoke up: "Is that appropriate? That woman isn't from Silver Moon..."
"That's narrow-minded. Do you know how to govern the realm? Not from Silver Moon... The place we are sitting in right now is Heavenly Star City, the core of the realm! Can we govern the world by relying solely on Silver Moon natives?"
"Fair point!"
"..."
The crowd buzzed with discussion. Some felt it was inappropriate, while others thought it was great.
Li Hao pondered it for a moment and realized it made sense.
Lin Hongyu had managed the City of Supernaturals effectively... regardless of the methods, the capability was certainly there.
Everyone present was a lone wolf. Sky Sword was indeed the master of a faction, but to put it bluntly, his Sky Sword Villa was merely a gathering den for swordsmen. When there was nothing to do, they would return to practice martial arts or sleep, but when something came up, who stayed in Sky Sword Villa?
At this moment, Yuan Shuo suddenly chimed in, "Then what name do we use now? The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office, or something else?"
Without a proper title, words lacked authority.
Although keeping news under wraps was best for the current stage, they would eventually have to fly a new banner.
They couldn't go on using the name of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office forever, could they?
At this, many looked toward Li Hao.
Northern Fist said bluntly, "Li Hao might as well just declare himself emperor, and each of us can take a title like general or governor... It makes doing anything so much easier!"
Someone rolled their eyes; it sounded just like a bandit gang.
Chen Zhongtian coughed softly. Having remained quiet for most of the time, he smiled and said, "Commander, I believe we should continue using the name of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office for now. As for other matters, they can be deferred. Once the various troubles have been resolved... it won't be too late to discuss them."
Li Hao nodded. "There's no need for that right now. Our strength is still insufficient, and it is winter, freezing cold. Let us pass this bitter winter first. When spring comes and flowers bloom, we will dispatch troops where needed and eliminate whom we must!
"We have stretched our operations too thin, while our personnel remains limited. At this stage, we should slow our pace.
"Setting other places aside, let us first pacify the central region..."
Li Hao continued, "There are many provinces in the central region, but they have always maintained close ties with Heavenly Star City. The greatest force among them was the City of Supernaturals, which has now been taken. As long as we force the Three Great Organizations to leave or crush them directly, securing the central region won't be difficult. Once spring arrives, we will swiftly resolve the central region."
The crowd nodded again.
In any case, they didn't care all that much, nor did they particularly understand what to do next.
Li Hao didn't understand either, letting out a sigh.
When others conquered the realm, they commanded a host of brilliant talents.
On my side... it's just a bunch of martial artists.
Fighting was fine, and killing was fine, but when it came to moments like this... his own head felt ready to explode.
Killing people felt exhilarating in the moment.
Once the killing was done and he looked around... with these people dead, who was going to govern the realm?
"Let's not dwell on that for now. There are many supernaturals in Heavenly Star City currently being registered, and the Nine Departments and the imperial family still have supernatural legions. We must swiftly complete the takeover to prevent those places from descending into chaos!"
Li Hao quickly issued assignments. When it came to taking over supernaturals, killing, and arson, these people were all experts, and anyone dispatched would do fine.
...
Amid the bustling commotion, after holding the brief meeting in the palace, Li Hao departed without lingering.
This place was bleak and deserted, and right now, it was strewn with corpses—hardly a comfortable place to stay.
The auxiliary mirror of the Wind and Cloud Precious Mirror continued to shroud the palace, its seal remaining active.
This prevented outsiders from peering into the situation of the imperial family.
...
Following that, Silver Moon martial masters mobilized in all directions.
One noble manor after another was swiftly secured.
On this night, Heavenly Star City was in great turmoil.
The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office announced publicly that supernaturals from the Three Great Organizations were sowing chaos across the city, and the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office was capturing and slaying the enemy, advising the common folk to remain indoors.
Meanwhile, the blockades on the remaining eight departments and the imperial family gradually eased.
Those unaware of the truth assumed Li Hao had abandoned his pressure on these factions.
...
At the Red Moon headquarters.
Ying Hongyue had been frowning this entire time. After a long silence, he spoke slowly: "Has any more intelligence arrived from Heavenly Star City?"
"Reporting to the Leader, the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office has temporarily lifted its blockade on the eight departments and the imperial family. Some Silver Moon martial masters have withdrawn, but the entire city remains sealed."
Someone reported quickly.
Ying Hongyue lifted his teacup; the tea had gone completely cold. After a long pause, he said, "Summon all Red Moon members. Evacuate the central region as quickly as possible!"
Below, the subordinates were taken aback.
Evacuate?
Why?
Ying Hongyue said nothing, merely looking into the distance. Raising his eyes toward the sky, he could faintly discern strands of thread, but several of these crimson threads had grown extremely faint.
Li Hao had used the Starry Sky Sword to devour more divine weapons.
Perhaps the Wind-Chasing Boots and the Zhang family's stone saber were both gone.
Of the eight divine weapons, three had already vanished.
Under what circumstances would Li Hao do such a thing?
Previously, it was to deal with the Wind and Cloud Pavilion. This time, it was likely to deal with the Nine Departments and the imperial family—not likely, but certain.
And Li Hao was still alive!
This meant... Li Hao had probably won?
He could not be sure.
Because he knew something of the situation in the Heavenly Star Town ruins; there were many powerhouses there. If Li Hao could win even under those circumstances, it was terrifying.
"All of you, withdraw and carry out my orders!"
"Understood!"
The subordinates withdrew one after another.
Once they were gone, the Red Cloak materialized. "What happened? Why evacuate?"
Ying Hongyue said indifferently, "The central region is chaotic right now. The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office is right here, constantly sweeping the surroundings. It's no longer safe. Let's change locations!"
The Red Cloak hesitated slightly before asking, "Where do you want to go?"
"The north!"
The north?
The Red Cloak paused. "Silver Moon?"
"No, the Northern Three Provinces!"
Ying Hongyue said calmly, "Furthermore, it's best to have Yama and Feitian rendezvous with me! Uniting our three factions is necessary, or greater trouble may lie ahead."
"Feitian and Yama... this..."
The Red Cloak began to speak, but Ying Hongyue interrupted indifferently: "Suit yourself! I understand your thinking—you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket. But I know even better that you are the ones backing Feitian and Yama. At this stage, fighting alone and checking each other will only invite disaster."
The Red Cloak fell silent for a moment. "Do you think... Li Hao might have seized the upper hand?"
"Perhaps."
The Red Cloak pondered once more. "I need to report this upward before making a decision."
"Make it quick!"
"Fine!"
The Red Cloak vanished instantly. Ying Hongyue watched the spot where he had disappeared with a cold, detached gaze. After a long moment, he stood up. Continuing like this would not do; whether Li Hao had won or not, the young man was likely to enter a period of explosive growth.
And if he himself kept going on like this, he might truly fall.
Those people did not trust him.
He needed to do something; otherwise, he could only wait for death.
...
At the same time.
Silver Moon.
Battle Heaven City.
General Sophora suddenly startled awake. Not only him, but the Old Turtle's figure also manifested instantly.
Before long, the Ninth Division Commander appeared as well.
General Sophora assumed human form and looked toward the firmament. Only after a long while did he ask, "Did you two... sense anything?"
The Old Turtle said in a deep voice, "Is there an anomaly near the Stargate? Or something else? Just now, I suddenly felt a faint shift in the world."
It felt like an anomaly at the Stargate.
General Sophora nodded slightly. "I wonder if something went wrong. Near the Stargate, according to what Li Hao said before, an Eight Trigrams formation appeared—likely the Qiankun Eight Trigrams Seal, which probably sealed something away. What did Li Hao do again? Why does it feel like... the seal might have loosened?"
"What did he do?"
The three exchanged glances. What else could he have done?
If he hadn't killed Ying Hongyue, then... he had shattered another divine weapon.
Who knew.
It was nine times out of ten that he had shattered a divine weapon.
After a moment, the Ninth Division Commander said calmly, "It doesn't matter, as long as the Starry Sky Sword remains. My only fear... is that this lawless fellow might shatter the Starry Sky Sword itself one day. That would be true trouble."
The others exchanged glances and shook their heads.
That shouldn't be possible.
The Starry Sky Sword had been forged by the Human King.
For Li Hao to shatter the Starry Sky Sword at his current level was virtually impossible.
At this moment, the Ninth Division Commander added, "That is of little consequence, but did the two of you sense any change in the world? A shift in the Origin..."
A shift in the Origin?
The two elders looked at each other. "We didn't sense anything. What kind of change did you feel?"
There was truly no major change in the Origin; it remained sealed.
The Ninth Division Commander said in a deep voice, "Between heaven and earth, another strand of Origin seems to have emerged... When Li Hao came last time, he used that method of divine characters. Could that method have given rise to a Great Dao Universe?"
"Surely not, right?"
The two felt it was improbable, yet... if the Ninth Division Commander had sensed it, there might truly be some special variation. That he could sense it was perhaps related to his status as a member of the Li family.
The Ninth Division Commander said no more, merely reminding them: "According to what we have perceived recently, in a few more days, Peak Realm experts may be able to walk in the outside world. The entire world seems to be accelerating its recovery. Even though the Heavenly Star Great Mine remains, the world has begun to recover on its own."
This time, both elders nodded. They, too, had sensed such changes.
"In the coming period, the weaker Immortals in the major main cities or other places might... be able to walk outside."
The Ninth Division Commander spoke swiftly: "General Sophora must still accelerate the absorption of energy to revive the Battle Heaven City barracks as soon as possible, including the other legions deep within..."
General Sophora nodded.
This was indeed Battle Heaven City's most pressing priority.
...
On this day, anomalies occurred not only in Battle Heaven City.
Across Silver Moon, disturbances stirred in many places.
The same was true for the Zhao family's main city.
Director Zhao stepped out of the main city ruins, frowning slightly. Soon, would this world be able to accommodate Peak Realm experts?
Recovering this quickly?
He felt a headache coming on.
He had no idea what Li Hao and the others were up to in Heavenly Star City. If no one attended to Silver Moon or sent reinforcements soon, the region might plunge into total chaos before long; there were simply too many ruins here.
There were main cities, smaller cities, martial arts universities, and all manner of ancient sites.
There were also the legacy grounds of various families, as well as rogue cultivator sects from the past...
Yet right now, Silver Moon's forces were exceedingly depleted.
"That wretched boy even took Huang Yu away. The people here in the main city are growing restless as well, wanting to walk outside..."
Thoughts flashed through his mind, giving Director Zhao a massive headache.
Previously, powerhouses from the main cities could not emerge.
Now, however, the world was beginning to recover.
Some of the weaker surviving Immortals might be able to venture out in a few days, and when that happened... it would be true trouble.
"Sane ones are fine, but what I fear most... is that they've gone mad."
He thought to himself that anyone who had been dormant for so many years, effectively imprisoned for a hundred thousand years, would find it agonizing. Some had likely lost their minds long ago, hadn't they?
As he walked toward the Administrative Headquarters, a figure materialized in a flash, reporting urgently, "Director, we've received intelligence from Silver City. The energy in Silver City has suddenly surged, showing signs of spreading outward!"
"What?"
Director Zhao was taken aback. How could that be?!
In a place like Silver Moon, any bit of energy was usually depleted immediately; how could it spread outward?
This was nothing to rejoice over; rather, it was something terrifying.
When things were abnormal, demons were at work!
Frowning, he ordered, "Dispatch people to investigate, inform Li Hao, and... make all combat preparations recently."
"Understood!"
The figure vanished swiftly. Director Zhao rubbed his temples, cursing under his breath at how exhausting it all was.
Right now, he had to handle every single matter himself.
He was only one person, unable to split himself in two.
Li Hao and the others had run off to Heavenly Star City to stir up trouble—what damn use was that? In the end, wouldn't they still have to return to Silver Moon?
At this stage, Silver Moon might hold countless opportunities. If seized, one might step into the seven-element level. Those rascals... let them run around as they pleased; sooner or later, they would regret it to death!
Chapter 294