Rising with the Wind

In the City of Supernaturals, the Silver Moon Army swiftly completed its deployment and set up defensive positions. Inside the city, laughter and chatter still echoed as people waited for the generals to emerge so everyone could strike it rich together. …… Inside the City Lord's Estate. Li Hao counted them up—three hundred and sixteen people. The smaller contingents had rallied around a hundred men, while the largest commanded over a thousand. Every single one of these three hundred and sixteen was a talent. Li Hao genuinely believed that. Good or bad, anyone capable of standing here had real capability. Their personal combat strength might not be top-tier, but they undoubtedly possessed charisma in other ways. …… Just as Li Hao trapped them all, the difference in caliber immediately showed. In an instant, someone spoke up: "Governor-General Li, I surrender! I am willing to devote my life to the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office. Gathering over a thousand men this time was originally meant to set things right at the critical moment. I have always yearned to establish order in the supernatural realm so the common folk can live in peace and the world can prosper... I never expected City Lord Lin to beat me to the punch. The City Lord truly possesses eagle eyes..." A scholarly young man spoke with utter earnestness. Very few had managed to amass a following of over a thousand, and he was one of them. Before Li Hao could speak, the scholar hastily added, "Your Excellency, please hear me out. My ability is unusual—a special-type ability that can perceive human emotions. Joy, anger, sorrow, and delight can all be observed. Different colors represent different emotions, allowing me to deduce a person's desires based on their emotional state at any given second." Fighting desperately for a chance to live, he spoke quickly: "As long as their cultivation realm doesn't exceed mine by too much, I can see it clearly. That is precisely how I rallied over a thousand men. I know how their emotions shift, so I can control them at any time..." Li Hao's eyes flickered. The world was vast and full of wonders. There was an ability like this? Observing human emotions? "Guess what my mood is right now." "I wouldn't dare!" The scholar hurriedly said, "How could a nobody like me dare observe Your Excellency? You are protected by divine martial power..." "Speak the truth!" Li Hao said flatly. "If you feed me too many lies and I don't care to hear them, you die." To save his life, the scholar cast caution aside and hastily looked up at Li Hao. After a brief study, he said slowly, "Right now, Your Excellency feels pleased, yet a killing intent is bared... an aura of baleful darkness is showing..." Li Hao smiled. "Did you deduce that, or did you genuinely see it?" He hadn't felt much change in himself. "I truly saw it." Seeing Li Hao engage in conversation, the scholar showed off with all his might. His gaze swept over the crowd, and he promptly pointed at someone. "Governor-General, the killing aura on this man has turned pitch-black. He feels little fear, only chilling murderous intent! He is definitely defiant and inherently bloodthirsty. It is highly probable he is a covert operative from the Three Great Organizations..." Li Hao paused, looking toward the targeted man in the crowd. That man's face twisted abruptly, and he barked, "Bookbag Qian, how dare you frame me!" The scholar cried out, "My lord, right now he is seized by rage and resentment! His emotions are turbulent, yet his murderous intent remains chillingly sharp. I must have hit the mark!" Without another word, Li Hao reached out and grabbed him. The Rising Light expert struggled violently, roaring incessantly. Yet he was plucked up as effortlessly as a chicken or a duck, gripped in Li Hao's hand. The man roared, "He's framing me!" The scholar quickly shouted, "Governor-General, he is lying! When someone lies, their emotional fluctuation emits a green glow..." The man in Li Hao's grip instantly panicked. Li Hao was quite surprised and turned to the scholar. "What is your name?" "Qian Wuliang." Someone had called him Bookbag Qian earlier, so that was only a nickname. To think such an ability existed. Li Hao had never seen it before and found it fascinating. It could even detect lies? Such a skill... was remarkably potent! Perhaps it wasn't particularly useful in raw combat, but what Li Hao lacked least right now was martial combat power. He raised an eyebrow. "Have you committed evil?" A glimmer of delight flashed in the scholar's eyes as he replied, "Never, never! Please judge clearly, Governor-General! Though I am in the Rising Light Realm, I cultivated step-by-step. I was born in the Solar Flare Realm and come from a scholarly family..." Lin Hongyu remarked impassively, "He hasn't committed heinous atrocities, but rumors say he is a swindler who has tricked quite a few people. Every time people went to settle scores, he somehow talked them out of it and sent them away. The ability he previously advertised to the outside world was fiery vision. Who knew that was a lie as well." "City Lord, please understand, this humble one only did so to protect himself..." The scholar hastily defended himself. "I never cheated anyone. I merely... merely reasoned with everyone." Li Hao understood. A master swindler of the supernatural sphere, a silver-tongued con artist. By relying on this unique ability to read emotions, he tailored his words perfectly to what listeners wanted to hear. Once a person's emotions were read like an open book, it was indeed a terrifying thing. Their joy, anger, sorrow, and delight were all kept within his grasp. Without another word, Li Hao flicked his sleeve, separating the man from the crowd. A suit of armor dropped onto him, and Li Hao said coolly, "Outside, in the inner city, there are still fifty thousand supernaturals. My demand of you is simple: if you can persuade ten thousand of them to don the City Guard uniforms and cooperate with law enforcement, your death sentence will be spared! Naturally, you may also attempt to flee, or stir up a rebellion!" "I wouldn't dare!" The scholar hurriedly said, "Your Excellency has granted me a chance, and I will cherish it. However, I am only one man and my strength is limited. Might I ask Your Excellency to dispatch an expert to assist me..." "Qin Lian, go with him!" "Understood!" From the shadows, Qin Lian's silhouette emerged. The scholar's expression changed slightly—a Divine Power expert, and of the shadow element at that. He hadn't noticed her at all earlier. Qin Lian stared at him coldly. The scholar swallowed hard, glanced down at the pitch-black armor on his chest, gritted his teeth, and said, "Then I shall take my leave first. Your Excellency, await my triumphant return!" With that, he hurried out of the square. Lin Hongyu glanced at Li Hao. Li Hao smiled. "A fascinating ability. There are countless supernatural powers, but these days they all focus on offense, leaving special types neglected." Lin Hongyu nodded slightly. "In chaotic times, special types have weak combat strength. He swindled his way through life and has only reached Rising Light to this day. Even as a Heaven-Blessed Godly Master starting in the Solar Flare Realm, advancing in special types is simply too difficult." Li Hao nodded as well. He had special-type supernaturals on his side too—like Li Meng, whose three eyes could pierce through illusions, similar in some ways to his sword eye. Even now, she had barely stepped into the Three Suns Realm. And that was with Li Hao favoring her and providing abundant resources. Wang Ming, who had started at roughly the same level, was already on the verge of stepping into Rising Light. He was only holding back to avoid breaking his supernatural locks too hastily, lingering at the peak of Three Suns; otherwise, he would be in Rising Light already. In just a short time, she had fallen behind by nearly a full realm. One could imagine that Qian Wuliang had conned quite a few resources out of people to reach Rising Light. Lin Hongyu knew Li Hao probably took a liking to the man's talent, so she said no more. Reading emotions, plainly speaking, was just catering to people's whims. If it was useful, it was very useful; if not, an expert could slap you dead with a single palm, and what good would reading emotions do? If they refused to listen to you speak, all the observation in the world was futile. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been captured by Li Hao and the others in the first place. The limitations were severe. Seeing that the scholar had found a way to survive, several people in the crowd hurriedly spoke up, all at once. Li Hao chuckled. "No rush. One at a time. I'll listen. I have time to spare today anyway. Anyone with real skill, feel free to display it. Only by displaying it will you have a chance to live, and perhaps even secure a future. If you hide and conceal it... you will most likely become a ghost under my sword!" At these words, everyone grew intensely nervous. The man Li Hao had captured earlier was about to speak, but with a shift of Li Hao's sword intent, he was suppressed, tossed aside, and ignored. Terror filled the crowd, and they hastily began describing their skills one after another. There really was all sorts of talent among them. One person's ability was exceptionally unique, scarcely inferior to the scholar's. It was a woman whose ability was nothing short of astonishing—she could teleport instantaneously. True instantaneous movement. However... the range was limited, only within thirty meters. For today's powerhouses, that was somewhat constrained; otherwise, she would have fled long ago. Even so, Li Hao's gaze shifted. Teleportation, space! This might be the first spatial-type expert he had ever encountered. Chen Zhongtian had once guessed that Zhao Tianyang might possess a spatial ability, but Li Hao didn't know whether Zhao Tianyang had simply held back from using it in the end, or if breaking his supernatural locks too late had prevented spatial abilities from manifesting. Instant movement differed slightly from traditional spatial power, but it still involved space. Li Hao kept her as well; once her background was investigated, she might prove useful. Another person claimed to possess clairaudience, capable of overhearing speech across a thousand li. Li Hao was skeptical. "If you can hear across a thousand li, how could you not know this place was a trap?" Who was he trying to fool? The scrawny, withered old man said cautiously, "Though this old man can listen across a thousand li... wherever strong energetic defenses exist, I dare not pry. This place gathered countless mighty experts; where would I get the courage to listen in?" Li Hao smiled. "Then let's test it. A thousand li, was it?" Even he couldn't cover a thousand li. In this era, no one could achieve that yet. After pondering briefly, Li Hao said, "From what you're saying, while listening, you can also perceive the strength of energy signatures. Then seek out the strongest, most energy-dense powerhouse within this thousand-li range and listen to them..." The withered old man went pale. "Governor-General, my supernatural power is limited. If someone detects me and strikes back, catastrophe will follow..." Li Hao smiled. "Catastrophe? Bigger than me?" The old man's face shifted again, and he quickly plastered on a smile. "No, no, no, Your Excellency possesses boundless vision and grand strategy... You are the strongest here. Then I... I will search outside the City of Supernaturals for the strongest presence to gather intelligence. Please wait a moment, Your Excellency." With that, his ears twitched slightly. Li Hao perceived quietly and seemed to sense a subtle ripple spreading outward. Quite interesting. He opened his eyes, a reddish glow appearing within them. The sight turned the old man's face ghastly pale, though he dared not flinch. Li Hao seemed to see through something. His eyes flickered—the man's ability appeared exceptionally peculiar, even giving a subtle sensation of tapping into a secondary space. Bizarre! Without witnessing it firsthand, one would never know how narrow one's horizons were. The old man continued twitching his ears. A moment later, he seemed to hear something, and his expression warped drastically. An instant later, a violent surge of energy rebounded along the ripple, threatening to detonate beside his ear with a roar! Li Hao reached out, and in the void, the trailing surge of energy was crushed instantly in his grasp! A bloody scratch appeared on Li Hao's finger. His expression shifted slightly. Looking into the distance, he turned toward the old man. "What did you hear?" The old man stammered in terror, "I... I heard someone say that the Nine Departments might collapse, that something might have happened at Heavenly Star Town, and... ordered people to assemble to slay someone. I don't know who they want to kill... They spoke vaguely and quickly detected me." Li Hao was slightly stirred. The Nine Departments collapsing... None of the people present knew of this news yet. Clearly, the old man had genuinely overheard it. Moreover, the other party had retaliated along the old man's sensory ripple. Such strength was not to be underestimated. In the world today, the space could at most accommodate weaker Peak Realm experts and seven-element cultivators. Li Hao knew this. That person might have reached that very threshold. Who was it? Ying Hongyue? Apart from Ying Hongyue, Li Hao couldn't imagine who else was so formidable—or perhaps the Red Shadow standing behind him? "Roughly how far?" "Over three hundred li..." Li Hao said nothing. The earth-drilling shuttle appeared in an instant. He pointed in a direction. "That way?" "Yes!" "City Lord Lin, keep watch here. I'll be back shortly!" "Understood!" Lin Hongyu was also surprised. A mere test of ability had actually uncovered a secret. Truly... surprises lay everywhere. "Be careful, Governor-General!" she cautioned. The other party had managed to strike back from such a distance, proving their power was extraordinary. Could Li Hao handle it? She didn't know, but it wasn't her place to question further. …… Meanwhile. Within a mountain range, a figure turned his head in a certain direction, then sighed softly after a moment. "Truly... reckless! From the direction of the City of Supernaturals... it seems a supernatural with a special ability was spying on us. Evacuate this place!" In the surrounding void, someone chuckled. "Interesting. The City of Supernaturals isn't close to here, yet someone managed to pry into our conversation. Shall we go track them down?" "No need. The other party shattered my counterattack. Although it was from such a great distance and I merely sent a shockwave back along their sensory ripple, it was crushed instantly. There is a powerhouse by their side... Let us go. Beware of needless complications!" "What's there to fear? Right now, the world..." Before that person could finish, the first speaker's face changed sharply. "Quickly, move! The newcomer has deployed a divine weapon and is closing in on us at incredible speed..." Too fast! At those words, several silhouettes in the void altered their expressions. Without another word, they vanished from the spot in an instant. The first speaker had intended to leave as well, but after a slight frown, he chose to remain. He... had a faint inkling of who had arrived. …… In less than ten seconds, Li Hao drilled out from the earth. Looking not far away, he smiled. "Ying Hongyue, it really is you. We meet again!" Ying Hongyue's expression was calm. "The City of Supernaturals... You're actually over there? Li Hao, it seems you have secretly taken the City of Supernaturals as well. Quite unexpected." "Ying Hongyue... you killed my parents and murdered my close friend. Why don't we... play a little today?" In an instant, Li Hao vanished from where he stood. A longsword silently struck out from the void! A folding fan materialized in Ying Hongyue's hand. As it snapped open, a landscape painting seemed to unfurl across heaven and earth. A colossal mountain bore down to suppress the Starry Sky Sword, while torrents of water pierced heaven and earth, rushing straight toward Li Hao! Ying Hongyue frowned slightly. Li Hao's... sword intent had grown even stronger! In terms of divine power, there was nothing overwhelmingly special. Yet in terms of sword intent, it was far more than a cut above before. Boom! The void shattered. Li Hao transformed into a ferocious tiger and vanished, only to reappear as a tiger leaping from its cage, tearing through the void. Ying Hongyue let out a low shout. Surges of blood flowed forth, turning clear springs into a sea of blood! At the same time, surges of bloodline power surfaced on his body. What began as seven streams of blood turned in an instant into six, then five, then four... Li Hao's blood boiled as well! The Starry Sky Sword erupted with dazzling radiance, unleashing a lethal strike. Ying Hongyue gave a low roar, his bloodline shaking heaven and earth. Abruptly, he hurled his fan outward, turning it into a miniature world that enveloped Li Hao, and chuckled softly. "I'll play with you next time. I'm leaving..." With that, his figure dissolved and vanished from the spot. Yet the fan was left behind. It was a formidable fan—if not a Heavenly King weapon, it was at least a sacred weapon. Li Hao emerged from the void. Watching the direction in which Ying Hongyue had vanished, his gaze turned frigid. In the next moment, the Starry Sky Sword settled in his hand, and the illusory shadow of a hammer suddenly surfaced. Li Hao let out a low growl, spitting out a mouthful of blood that congealed into a blood sword. It stabbed straight into the hammer's phantom, which shattered with a sharp crack. In the distant void, a muffled grunt sounded. A blast of vitality erupted from Ying Hongyue's body, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Turning back to look at Li Hao, he said, "The shadow of the divine hammer... Li Hao, you truly have some tricks up your sleeve!" With that, he vanished once more. Li Hao said nothing. At this moment, his divine characters had not yet reconverged. Having encountered Ying Hongyue by chance, his options were somewhat limited, making it difficult to keep him here. Ying Hongyue's strength was even greater than imagined. Unifying the seven bloodlines—this man had already accomplished it. Even encountering Li Hao hadn't caused his bloodline to destabilize too severely. Yet if he simply let the man walk away, wouldn't that make him look weak? In that split second, two more objects materialized above the Starry Sky Sword: a pair of boots and a stone saber, though both were merely faint phantoms. Li Hao hammered his own chest over his heart. A drop of golden blood slowly welled forth and swiftly gathered, radiating a strand of sword intent. Li Hao barked, "Break!" Boom! A detonating roar sounded! The two phantoms shattered instantly, shaking the void. In the distance, Ying Hongyue spat blood once more, his bloodline violently convulsing. Shocked, he turned his head back toward Li Hao, whose eyes gleamed with divine light. Looking into the distance, Li Hao said coldly, "Merging the seven bloodlines... I truly underestimated you! However... Ying Hongyue, you can escape once, but you won't escape a second time. If you don't kill me today, I will come kill you tomorrow. I will only grow stronger, while you... what can you rely on?" Without looking back, Ying Hongyue fled through the void in grim solemnity. Li Hao struck with his sword again and again for dozens of seconds before finally battering the fan down. The fan still tried to struggle, but Li Hao pierced right through it with his sword! Only then did the area fall silent. Li Hao frowned and glanced in other directions. Just now, Ying Hongyue hadn't been alone. Yet they had gathered here instead of sending messages or meeting at the Red Moon headquarters... Who had Ying Hongyue met with? The Red Shadow wasn't there. Had he deliberately avoided it? The withered old man said Ying Hongyue mentioned trouble with the Nine Departments, prompting them to slay someone... Slay me? No! If it was to kill me, there was no need to travel so far. Did killing Li Hao require secrecy? Did it require hiding? Not at all! A single call to arms against Li Hao would rally plenty of willing participants. "It wasn't to kill me... Then who?" To require such secrecy and deliberately avoid the Red Shadow... Li Hao's thoughts stirred. Could it be... to kill the Red Shadow? That wasn't entirely impossible. Running into each other in the wilderness had been an accident—neither had anticipated it. Li Hao was also curious: who had Ying Hongyue come to meet? "Yama? Feitian? Or someone else?" Thoughts flashed through his mind. The Three Great Organizations had run rampant across the realm ever since he first stepped into martial arts, and even now, they roamed free. These three organizations... were no ordinary forces. Flying Sword Immortal, Yama, Ying Hongyue, and even the Haotian Mountain Master of the Seven Sacred Mountains—these four might share an understanding. No... more than that, there was also Director Zhao. Li Hao's mind shifted. Director Zhao was among the very first batch to discover the ruins and participate in the first revival. Ying Hongyue and the others hadn't dared act too rampantly in Silver Moon either. Previously, Li Hao thought it was because of the ancient eccentrics, but those eccentrics couldn't leave... Was it truly because of them, or because of Director Zhao's presence? These people definitely shared some tacit understanding. Without a doubt! Thoughts raced through Li Hao's mind, and he sneered. With three divine weapon phantoms shattered in such close proximity, and given that these weapons were linked to each family's bloodline power, Ying Hongyue had taken a heavy blow that would give him plenty of grief. Against others, this trick was useless; against him, it was lethally targeted. "This fellow can merge the seven bloodlines..." Pondering this, Li Hao cast a cold glance into the distance and vanished on the spot. …… Far away. The void trembled, and Ying Hongyue's silhouette emerged. His face was deathly pale, the bloodline power within him thrashing violently. He frowned deeply. Suddenly, several divine weapon phantoms surfaced on his body, suppressing the turmoil in his bloodline. After a moment, his bloodline settled, but Ying Hongyue's brow remained furrowed. After a long silence, he muttered darkly, "The Starry Sky Sword... is far too targeted!" To others, the Starry Sky Sword in Li Hao's hands was merely a lethal weapon. To him, it was a specialized anti-weapon. One designed specifically to strike him! In terms of pure strength, having merged seven bloodlines, he had no fear of Li Hao at all. What was more, Li Hao was currently not at his peak—merely slightly above six elements and not quite at seven elements—yet Ying Hongyue had still been forced to flee at the first sight of him. This had everything to do with the Starry Sky Sword! With three divine weapons destroyed and their spirits devoured, the Starry Sky Sword had captured those spirits. Whenever Li Hao wished, he could coalesce and shatter them anew to shake Ying Hongyue's bloodline. Though the impact was not as devastating as the very first destruction, every encounter with Li Hao would inevitably bring the same ordeal. "Continuing like this... won't do." Ying Hongyue took a deep breath and fled through the void once more. The City of Supernaturals had fallen to Li Hao; the Three Great Organizations had to withdraw from the Central Region, or Li Hao would encircle and annihilate them sooner or later. He sped forward until he reached a massive mountain range before finally slowing his pace, the pallor on his face receding slightly. A short while later, he returned to the Red Moon headquarters. The Red Cloak suddenly materialized, laughing faintly. "Leader Hongyue went out?" Ying Hongyue looked composed. "I went out to scout the situation. Things look grim. Li Hao has likely taken the City of Supernaturals. I ran into him near the city and nearly stumbled." The Red Cloak had sensed his turbulent vitality long ago and was somewhat shaken. "Now, he can even defeat you?" "With the Starry Sky Sword present, he counters me too heavily!" Ying Hongyue shook his head with a sigh. "Who would have thought that after countless years, the Starry Sky Sword would recognize a master once more? Aside from the Sword Venerable, has anyone in the Li family ever made that sword submit? How strange!" The Red Cloak also hesitated. "It is indeed strange. Among the eight divine weapons, the other seven are understandable, but by all rights, the Starry Sky Sword shouldn't be openable. Even with Li family blood, it should have remained sealed forever." He was puzzled as well. Ying Hongyue said solemnly, "When the Starry Sky Sword was left behind back then, were there other intentions? Otherwise, why didn't Sword City take it away?" The Red Cloak shook his head. "Why the eight divine weapons circulated into the world is something even we are not entirely clear about. Setting that aside, leaving the Starry Sky Sword with Li Hao is indeed inappropriate. We must find a way to seize it." That would be harder than just killing Li Hao! Ying Hongyue couldn't be bothered to argue. The Red Cloak added, "The higher-ups have agreed that the Three Great Organizations may converge, withdraw from this region, and choose another stronghold to station ourselves..." "Understood." Ying Hongyue turned to leave. The Red Cloak couldn't resist calling out, "Leader Hongyue, the higher-ups hope you can return. Complete the fusion of the seven bloodlines as soon as possible. Furthermore, the loss and destruction of the Hong family's divine hammer is a colossal loss..." "It was merely an accident. What could I do?" "..." The Red Cloak said no more, merely watching him depart with a slightly grim gaze. This man... was another wolf that could never be truly tamed! …… Back in the City of Supernaturals. Li Hao returned. Lin Hongyu glanced at him and felt relieved to see him unharmed. Without dwelling on it, Li Hao turned to the still-pale withered old man. "Keeping you around is useful. Do your job well going forward, and you won't lack for rewards!" "Thank you, Governor-General!" The old man was overjoyed. Li Hao added, "How many people did you sense over there?" "Four!" Li Hao raised his brow. Ying Hongyue was one. The other three... Yama, Flying Sword Immortal, the Haotian Mountain Master... If it was those three, the set was complete. Fascinating! Those figures were utterly mysterious, top-tier titans of their era, each having some connection to Silver Moon. To build the Three Great Organizations, each of them possessed extraordinary traits. Now it seemed they might all be tied to that group of traitors. Moreover, Ying Hongyue and the others might harbor separate ambitions. Who did they intend to slay? If it was those four, their combined strength was formidable. Working together, they might even be able to slay a damaged Immortal Realm expert. He said nothing more. By now, the screening of the captured crowd was nearly complete. Lin Hongyu had dossiers on most of them. Some were steeped in heinous crimes that couldn't be hidden. Others had kept a low profile, leaving Lin Hongyu with little information on them. A moment later, Qian Wuliang came jogging back, looking anxious. "Governor-General, I have persuaded some of them, but..." Beside him, Qin Lian sent a voice transmission detailing what had happened. The fellow's methods were straightforward: he bluffed to the outside that Lin Hongyu had appointed him Vice Commander of the new army, with Lin Hongyu serving as Commander, and that he was tasked with incorporating all scattered forces to break up and restructure them. Under this bluff, playing directly to their emotions and desires, he swallowed up several small supernatural bands. At this moment, the supernaturals outside were changing uniforms. Qian Wuliang whispered, "Governor-General, I told them to march to the military camp outside the city to station themselves first, while the rest must undergo assessments. But I need some people to cooperate with me; otherwise... it won't seem authentic. What do you think...?" Li Hao nodded, glancing at the sixty or seventy people picked from the crowd. He said coolly, "Cooperate with Qian Wuliang. It would be best if you can lead everyone out of the city!" Then he turned to Hu Qingfeng and his group nearby. "Don your armor, blend into their ranks, and help them escort these supernaturals out to station them in the barracks. Swiftly unify the City of Supernaturals!" "We obey your command!" The group dared not object and felt a surge of excitement. Qian Wuliang breathed an inward sigh of relief, only to hear Li Hao add, "Once outside the city, if any of you wish to flee, you are welcome to try!" "We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare..." Everyone shook their heads frantically, trembling with fear. Suddenly, Qian Wuliang pointed at two or three men. "My lord, they say one thing but mean another! They will definitely flee once outside!" Those few men went pale with horror. In their hearts, they cursed furiously! What a beast! This bastard played the lapdog with such zeal, turning traitor in the blink of an eye! "Governor-General, this is slander..." "Take them down!" Li Hao barked. The others around them didn't care about anything else—better those men died than themselves. They certainly weren't going to let themselves get dragged down. In an instant, the accused were restrained! Qian Wuliang looked cautiously at Li Hao. "My lord, I fear some people harbor deep schemes that cannot be probed easily. Perhaps we should test them a few more times..." "No need!" Li Hao chuckled. "Do your job well. I have high hopes for you!" With that, he patted the man on the shoulder. Qian Wuliang felt an alien power burrow straight into his mind. He swallowed hard and beamed with an obsequious smile. Instead of feeling terrified, he felt vastly relieved. This was good, very good! He had genuinely feared Li Hao would slaughter all of them troublemakers together! Now, that seemed unlikely. "Elder Lin the Third will accompany them. In addition, arrange for City Guards to follow along and keep watch for now!" Not far away, the Third Elder was already thoroughly subdued, full of reverence. He bowed hurriedly. "Understood!" "Go!" The large group marched out in grand fashion. Over two hundred people remained, all noticeably tense. Li Hao smiled. "Rest assured. Aside from a handful who must die, most of you will be fine. Minor misdeeds don't warrant death sentences; it's not that complicated. But if you incite a riot... you will all be held accountable!" "We wouldn't dare!" Everyone chorused in agreement, utterly obedient. They were all sharp individuals; who would dare cause trouble now? They had just heard that the Nine Departments were gone, the imperial family was finished, and the City of Supernaturals now belonged to Li Hao. In the Central Region, Li Hao reigned supreme. Stepping out of line now was pure suicide. …… Soon, the rabble in the inner city was led toward the outskirts by their commanders. Some were reluctant, but they heard that the commanders who remained behind each had separate assignments, and that they were temporarily going to organize a new army. Seeing dozens of commanders emerge to lead them, none dared raise objections. They quickly followed Qian Wuliang and the others toward the barracks outside the city. The barracks had previously been abandoned, but now came in handy. …… With the departure of this group, the threat hanging over the City of Supernaturals vanished in an instant. At this moment, Li Hao ceased keeping a low profile. Ying Hongyue already knew he was here, so maintaining secrecy was pointless. As the scattered troops marched out of the City of Supernaturals, Lin Hongyu's voice resonated through the city: "The City of Supernaturals has always aspired to be a sacred land for supernaturals, forging a haven of peace. Yet today, that original vision has been compromised; certain supernaturals defy orders and flout the law... For the long-term prosperity of the Heavenly Star supernatural domain, the City of Supernaturals hereby places itself under the banner of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office, answering to the commands of Governor-General Li. Together, we shall strive for an era of supernatural greatness—an era surpassing ancient civilization! Only Governor-General Li possesses the capability to forge such a future!" The announcement brought a brief, dead silence over the city. In the next instant, uproar erupted. Countless people were seized with panic! What was going on? Right then, Li Hao's figure manifested in the sky, his aura radiating outward, his resonant voice booming across the entire city: "Calm yourselves, everyone! I am Li Hao! City Lord Lin has chosen to lead the city into the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office, and I welcome her wholeheartedly. From this moment forth, all city residents are to wait calmly in their homes for instructions. Do not run about recklessly; do not commit crimes. In due course, each person in the City of Supernaturals will be assigned their role! Those who flee or stir up chaos shall be executed without mercy!" Uproar instantly surged through the streets. In the blink of an eye, figures darted toward the exits, their guts nearly bursting with terror! Some had only just fled here from Heavenly Star City, never imagining that Li Hao would follow like a persistent specter and seize the City of Supernaturals directly. If they didn't run now, were they supposed to wait for death? Yet as soon as they neared the city walls, blades, spears, and sword shadows flashed. Screams shook heaven and earth. Over ten thousand armored soldiers appeared along the perimeter walls. Though not densely packed, their presence chilled onlookers to the bone. Holding a long spear, Huang Yu barked coldly, "No one is permitted to leave! Return to your residences and await orders! The Demon Hunt Army takes command here!" "You have fifteen minutes. The Demon Hunt Army will sweep the city! Anyone found outside their home shall be executed without mercy!" Refusing to accept this, someone bellowed furiously, "Brothers, we are supernaturals! How can we submit to control? Charge together! There are only a few thousand of them..." Before the words finished, the surrounding crowd scattered clean away. The speaker's face warped in horror. He had forgotten: the troublemakers in the city had already been dealt with, and the tens of thousands of supernaturals bold enough to revolt had been led away. Those remaining were merely muddling through life; who among them dared rebel? One after another, they sprinted back into their houses and slammed their doors, frightened out of their wits. Far from rebelling, they wished they could hide inside forever. Of course, some knew that being captured meant certain death, so they broke through in all directions, trying to escape. Yet under Huang Yu's swift coordination, while the individual strength of the soldiers was not overwhelming, they banded together and quickly extinguished unrest across the city, slaying defiant supernaturals on the spot. The vast City of Supernaturals quieted down drastically, with only a few pockets of chaos remaining. The remaining City Guards dared not speak out, rushing to assist the soldiers in maintaining order. The bustling City of Supernaturals resembled a ghost town in the blink of an eye. Many attempted to transmit messages outside, only to find the light on their communication jades extinguished. Unable to send any word, despair settled in their hearts. Half of the ten thousand soldiers entered the city. They purged unrest everywhere. Aside from sporadic battle cries, this metropolis, reputed to house the greatest number of supernaturals and the strongest among them, fell as silent as a graveyard. Li Hao remained hovering in the air the entire time. He made few moves, but whenever a strong powerhouse caused trouble, a beam of sword light swept across, instantly blasting them to smithereens. Lin Hongyu also led several members of the Lin family across the city to reassure the populace. As for the captured instigators, Li Hao locked them all within the earth-drilling shuttle to await their fate. Three hours later, the city was dead silent. Every rebelling supernatural had been slain—nearly a thousand in total—yet it failed to cause any widespread ripple. They had acted in isolated pockets and were cut down one by one, preventing any large-scale riot from materializing. …… Inside Heavenly Star City. The busy crowds soon received word from Li Hao. Hong Yitang, in particular, received a concise message: "Come quickly to take custody of the supernaturals and bring them back to farm. The City of Supernaturals has been taken!" When the news broke, everyone's expressions turned exceedingly complex. A city housing a million supernaturals... Li Hao had taken only a handful of weaker troops to pacify it. Even though its top powerhouses had been slain earlier, taking the entire City of Supernaturals intact should have been monumentally difficult. Yet Li Hao had left only a day ago, and the City of Supernaturals... had already fallen! Inconceivable! Inside the Inspectorate. Chen Zhongtian sighed with deep emotion. "Though I knew it was only a matter of time, for the City of Supernaturals to be suppressed so easily without causing a ripple is still unbelievable. With so many experts dead, I assumed taking over would prove a massive headache... It seems that supposed headache never even materialized." Chen Yao's expression was conflicted. "Lin Hongyu must have lost her mind..." "Are you talking about your father, or yourself?" Chen Yao looked sheepish. True enough! Their family had lost their minds even earlier than she had. "If we hadn't, you would have died long ago!" Chen Zhongtian snorted, then smiled. "Trust your father's choice. Look at it now: with the City of Supernaturals taken, the only forces left in the realm with the power to resist are the Three Great Organizations, the Haotian Divine Mountain, and a rare few others! Sooner or later, they will all be pacified!" Chen Yao marveled inwardly. It was simply too fast! With thunderous momentum, Li Hao had dismantled the Nine Departments and the imperial family in the blink of an eye, and now he had seized the City of Supernaturals. His overarching dominance was fully established. Now, the greatest remaining threat was the second revival. As long as the second revival remained dormant, Li Hao's faction feared virtually nothing in the realm! …… At the same time. Far away in Silver Moon, Director Zhao received a message from Hou Xiaochen: "Be prepared. The turmoil in Silver Moon may erupt soon. Beware of the Three Great Organizations migrating into Silver Moon..." Director Zhao stared at it, utterly bewildered! The second revival hadn't even begun; what turmoil could erupt? Could it truly be starting? Just as he was pondering, a message from Huang Yu arrived: "Take bigger strides; stop hiding and holding back. The world is about to change, and our generation must rise with the wind! Old Zhao, don't fall behind!" Before he could process that, Kong Jie's message came through: "Zhao, just wait until I return in triumph! Twenty drops of the Spring of Life—who are you trying to insult? I'll beat you senseless when I get back!" "..." At that moment, Director Zhao's expression shifted. All three of them had sent messages. The world had changed! He looked toward Heavenly Star City, his eyes flickering. The heavens had shifted. Could it be... Li Hao had taken down the Nine Departments? How could it be so fast! In disbelief, he said in a low voice, "Men! Send word: maximum combat readiness! Mobilize every expert in Silver Moon! Pull out all troops stationed in the ruins to begin military drills! Swiftly eliminate the North Sea pirates, push the front lines toward Linjiang, crush the Linjiang Governor-General's Office, and advance toward the Three Provinces!" Outside, the attendants were utterly shaken. War... was coming! So soon? Despite their racing thoughts, the orders spread swiftly. A storm was gathering over Silver Moon. Director Zhao took a deep breath and looked toward a certain direction. Perhaps it was time he had a proper talk with them!