Within the ruins of Heavenly Star Town, the anatomical model grew ever more complete.
One supernatural lock after another, resembling little worms, was marked out by Li Hao. However, they were not yet very flexible and had no divine characters nurtured within them.
The four limbs and five viscera—these were the most standard nine supernatural locks.
Next were light, dark, wind, and thunder; these four were common supernatural locks.
Following that was a supernatural lock radiating light in the skull. These fourteen were all fairly conventional.
Yet as the model was continuously refined, Li Hao discovered that there was far more than just one supernatural lock in the head.
And across the physical body, the supernatural locks were far more numerous than just these few.
"Dao meridians..."
Looking at the enlarged model before him, Black Armor murmured, "Are these supernatural locks, or Dao meridians?"
Originally, he had thought they were merely something akin to the Gates of the Triple Burner.
Now, however, he felt they were different.
The two were completely distinct, with virtually nothing in common—if there were any forced similarity, it was probably that both could store energy.
At this moment, Li Hao also observed from an onlooker's perspective.
This was his first time viewing supernatural locks from the vantage point of an outsider.
They were like a sky full of stars.
Reminded of the Bright Star Realm, Li Hao recalled that it, too, was filled with stars spanning the firmament.
After watching for a while, Li Hao frowned. "It's too cluttered and disorganized."
Beside him, Yuan Shuo also nodded. "It is indeed cluttered. That should be because a large number of supernatural locks haven't been filled in yet. Look at the five viscera and the four limbs—they actually possess a distinct aesthetic, like nine great dragons traversing the sky. Moreover, these supernatural locks fall into two types: one lacks force and appears dim, while the other possesses force and appears bright. Just like dark stars and blazing suns..."
Speaking of this, he glanced at those supernatural locks, pondered, and said, "Have you noticed? The supernatural locks without attributes or force are mostly concentrated in the tangible, physical parts of the body. Those with force and attributes are somewhat more ethereal, mostly concentrated within certain illusory spaces, such as the five viscera."
The five viscera had attributes, but their supernatural locks were not upon the fleshly organs themselves; rather, they resided in the internal space within the five viscera.
Meanwhile, the supernatural locks of the four limbs seemed attached directly to the physical body.
Li Hao nodded.
To the side, Sky Sword craned his neck to look as well. After observing for a bit, he spoke up: "The two sides of the human body: substance within emptiness, emptiness within substance..."
Yuan Shuo cut him off directly: "To put it simply, the two different kinds of supernatural locks can be separated. For now, we can classify these two types of supernatural locks into separate systems."
Li Hao nodded and adjusted the display, separating the different supernatural locks.
Meanwhile, others were constantly refining this model.
Supernatural locks were being discovered continuously.
Li Hao filled in all the known supernatural locks. Without lingering to admire it, he turned and walked outside. Out there, a large number of supernaturals were waiting for him, lining up for physical examinations.
Of course, Li Hao would not inspect them one by one himself.
A mirror hovered in the air: the Wind-Cloud Secondary Mirror.
As each person walked beneath the mirror, an image of a human body would hover on the mirror's surface, presenting different points of light according to the intensity of their vitality. Individually tailored to each person, the areas of energy weakness in different regions would also be mapped out.
In this way, it was possible to clearly detect where supernatural locks existed within their bodies.
Every supernatural had to take a turn walking beneath it.
Those present here were only a small fraction.
Li Hao intended to conduct an investigation across the entire city, or even throughout the entire dynasty. This was a colossal undertaking. Of course, with the City of Supernaturals present, simply examining the City of Supernaturals would largely suffice.
The more people there were, the more overlapping data points there would be.
The fewer missing spots there would be to fill.
...
Li Hao continued to refine his model.
Outside, time had arrived at the final day of the Year 1730.
Fireworks lit up the sky in brilliance.
Although this year had seen turbulence across all directions, with severe unrest rocking the Four Continents and some upheaval in the Central Region, many people were still in cheerful spirits on this New Year's Eve.
Those in the Central Region, for instance, were actually feeling quite good.
Previously, battles among supernaturals had raged incessantly. In the Central Region, supernaturals had fought for years, leaving many places reduced to mere ruins and rubble.
Yet over the past few days, the previously aloof supernaturals who constantly fought huge battles were doing far less fighting. Across the entire Central Region, many supernaturals remained, but... those who hadn't been captured were keeping a low profile, while many of those who were captured had been put to work as laborers.
Resistance and escape had not been entirely absent.
However, they were exceedingly rare.
If caught, the only outcome was death.
Yet working here, not only would they not be killed, they even received cultivation resources. Although it didn't look prestigious on the surface, for some weaker supernaturals, such days were actually quite decent.
They no longer had to live in constant fear!
Moreover, with the withdrawal of the Three Great Organizations' supernaturals, the Central Region had virtually become Li Hao's domain. The Nine Departments and the Royal Court still had some supernatural legions, boasting considerable numbers, but they were currently suppressed and undergoing reform as well.
With no leaders stepping forward in rebellion, and lacking top experts capable of rivaling the Silver Moon martial masters, any sporadic resistance was futile.
Thus, this New Year, many supernaturals spent their holiday on construction sites.
It was quite peculiar, yet many supernaturals found it acceptable enough.
...
The Central Region was doing alright, but other regions were somewhat unsettled.
Eastern Continent.
Although the Xu family had lost many members, they still survived. At the Marquess of Dingguo's Manor, one of Xu Qing's younger brothers had taken command of the manor, leading the Dingguo Army in war against several overlords of the Eastern Continent.
On the eastern front, besides the Xu family, there were three other factions: Dongji Province governed by the Marquess of Dongji, the Divine Sun Society—the largest supernatural organization in the eastern territory—and Huoming Province governed by Yu Qiao, Director of the Huoming Province Inspectorate.
Following the death of multiple Xu family experts at the hands of Li Hao and his allies, the Eastern Continent was now in a four-way struggle for hegemony.
In the once-affluent east, war had erupted after Li Hao and his company departed.
Li Hao, in fact, had been a catalyst for the outbreak of this war.
Li Hao was aware of this, but had no alternative; the Xu family had already torn away all pretense of cordiality with him, and he could hardly just let them be.
On this New Year's Eve, the eastern provinces were far more desolate and silent.
In Dingbian Province, where the Xu family was based, powerhouses from all directions were currently gathering. The three major factions had already laid siege to Dingbian. Across the eastern territory's twenty-one provinces, various forces had pledged allegiance to different camps. The Xu family's foundation was still fairly deep, but no top powerhouse had emerged from their ranks yet.
Meanwhile, among the three rival factions, top powerhouses were appearing one after another, leaving the Xu family in increasingly dire straits.
New Year's Eve.
The Xu Manor.
Following the deaths of Xu Qing and his cohort, the former Xu Manor had been nearly burned to the ground by Li Hao. Now, the estate had been rebuilt, but compared to its former glory, it appeared markedly diminished.
Currently, the head of the Xu family was Xu Qing's younger brother, Xu Huan.
This burly man, nearing forty and having just entered the prime of his life, now appeared somewhat aged. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his expression was grave.
In the grand hall, beside Xu Huan, several experts were present.
Among them were Generals Tian and Di, both of whom had already stepped into the divine ability tier. Among the eight great generals, Bright Sword had slain several, and Li Hao had killed one; at this juncture, only Generals Tian and Di had escaped catastrophe because they had previously chosen to oversee the army rather than participate in the ambush against Li Hao.
Xu Huan rubbed his temples. The festive clamor outside was nowhere near what it used to be.
At this moment, Dingbian was dead quiet.
After a period of silence, Xu Huan spoke: "News has arrived from the Central Region. The Nine Departments and the Royal Court are completely finished. Over at the City of Supernaturals, Lin Hongyu has surrendered as well. Out of the twelve ancient clans, eleven have been wiped out, and only a few divine abilities remain in the Lin family. To gain Li Hao's trust, Lin Hongyu even slaughtered her own kin! What a vicious, venomous woman!"
"Now, the east is unstable. Yu Qiao, the Marquess of Dongji, and those fellows have been constantly coercing us under Li Hao's banner..."
Xu Huan had taken charge of the Xu family in the hour of peril.
Yet after taking the helm, the family was already teetering on the brink of collapse. With the three factions pressing in on all sides and ceaseless turmoil, he was thoroughly exhausted.
Speaking up to this point, he looked toward everyone and said slowly, "The ruins held by our Xu family have never been deeply explored. The Xu family's ruins are of extraordinary significance. Zhenxing City is said to be a sacred land of the ancient civilization..."
Below, General Tian could not help but ask, "My Lord Marquess, it is said that the Silver Moon world is merely an attached world to the ancient civilization... Can there really be a sacred land here?"
Xu Huan replied slowly, "Even if it isn't the true one, for them to dare use that name means it is anything but ordinary, incomparable to other ruins. Therefore, I have decided to deeply explore Zhenxing City. As far as I know, the ruins have also been somewhat turbulent recently. From their depths, faint, formidable auras have been emanating. I intend to lead men into the depths to investigate. Perhaps... this is our Xu family's final opportunity!"
The onlookers exchanged glances.
Ruins could be exceedingly perilous at times.
All these years, the Xu family had only dared to operate on the outer perimeter of the ruins. Last time, Xu Qing had even wanted to invite Li Hao to enter together, only to be rejected.
Yet by today, Xu Huan could no longer afford to worry about that.
Zhenxing City was said to be an ancient sacred land, home to a multitude of Sovereigns.
Of course, what the situation was with Zhenxing City in the Silver Moon world, no one knew for sure. Whether it was that true sacred land seemed unlikely to most, yet to dare build such a city here meant the city was definitely of tremendous stature.
The Xu family sat upon such a formidable ruin, yet had nearly suffered extermination; Xu Huan harbored immense unwillingness.
This time, he had resolved himself. No matter how dangerous it was, at a juncture like this, who still cared about risk?
Once they could reap massive gains within the ruins... that would be the Xu family's chance to turn the tables.
Otherwise, everything was finished!
Xu Huan spoke again: "I plan to take some experts of the Dingguo Army inside. If we succeed, the Xu family still has a chance. If we fail... and none of us make it out, then the Eastern Continent will simply have to change masters!"
He looked around at the crowd. "Generals, will you enter and advance with me, or...?"
"Naturally, we advance and retreat with Your Lordship!"
Everyone took a solemn breath without another word. They knew they had nowhere left to retreat.
Xu Huan cracked a smile. "Good! Then while Li Hao is still tied down by matters in the Central Region, the Three Great Organizations have moved into the north, and with today being New Year's Eve, the neighboring factions won't launch a swift offensive... We will enter the ruins today!"
"Understood!"
Sensing the gravity, everyone prepared to follow Xu Huan into the ruins.
Zhenxing City—that was an ancient sacred land.
Everyone harbored some anticipation. Perhaps... the Xu family truly had a chance to rise again.
...
On this day, with the arrival of New Year's Eve, neither the Four Continents nor the Central Region saw any further large-scale battles.
Within the ruins.
Looking at the massive anatomical model before him, Li Hao also showed a slight smile.
A week of hard work had finally yielded some results.
At this moment, this model, which was virtually identical to Li Hao, resembled an illusory starry sky, as if harboring a universe within, its stars shimmering.
By now, many people had entered the ruins.
Everyone was observing.
Including several female martial masters, who looked at the model and then glanced at Li Hao. Li Hao maintained a placid, composed expression, acting as though he hadn't noticed their looks, and said with a smile, "Senior Department Head, is this considered finished?"
"Not entirely, but it's barely usable."
Black Armor walked out. Looking at this immense model, he also smiled faintly. "Give it a try!"
Li Hao said nothing more. A divine character condensed and descended into the model's heart.
Within the heart, a supernatural lock emerged and merged with the divine character. Under the pull of the divine character, it actually drew out some life force from the void. Black Armor explained, "There's no way to channel the power of the Bright Star into this simulated Bright Star Realm, so I substituted life force. The effect might not be completely identical, but it works."
Li Hao nodded. At that moment, the entire model began to stir.
The heart acted like a black hole, gradually erupting with golden light as it began to draw the life energy of the simulated Bright Star Realm and absorb it into the heart.
The onlookers watched without blinking!
All of them felt it was rather incredible. A model actually seemed capable of self-cultivation—how had this been achieved?
Just then, countless supernatural locks surfaced.
Li Hao channeled one divine character after another into it and looked at the others. "Whichever force or divine character you excel at, you can choose the corresponding position to merge into, and circulate them together according to my commands!"
Instantly, divine characters manifested one after another, merging into the anatomical model.
If this were a living person, this would have been impossible.
Yet the model encompassed everything, fully compatible with all of them.
Martial masters and divine ability wielders alike watched with deep interest.
Li Hao also began to manipulate these divine characters.
One virtual supernatural lock after another was enveloped by divine characters. Li Hao gave a low shout: "Submerge the divine characters into the secondary space!"
Everyone manipulated their divine characters one after another, plunging into the virtual Bright Star Realm.
At that instant, many supernatural locks vanished from the model.
Those left behind were all supernatural locks without attributes, as well as a portion of attributed supernatural locks that were not being controlled by anyone. The previously cluttered locks were drastically reduced.
The formerly chaotic system now appeared significantly clearer.
Li Hao's eyes flickered as he looked at the model.
Not just him—Yuan Shuo and the others were also rapidly calculating and sketching something. A sheet of paper appeared in front of Yuan Shuo, upon which he wrote and drew swiftly, his expression turning increasingly peculiar.
Soon, Yuan Shuo said in a deep voice, "This is not enough. Senior, eliminate all attributed supernatural locks first!"
Black Armor said no more; he swiftly took control of the unguided attributed supernatural locks and hid them away.
At this time, Northern Fist couldn't help saying, "This... these remaining supernatural locks look like an object..."
At this moment, many dim supernatural locks remained in the model, all of them attribute-free supernatural locks.
Everyone observed closely. With the attributed supernatural locks eliminated, these non-attributed ones gradually outlined a shape.
Li Hao also examined it intently, his eyes flashing. "Is this a sword?"
"No, it's a staff!"
"Nonsense, it's clearly a hammer..."
Everyone voiced differing opinions. Li Hao rolled his eyes and couldn't help saying, "This is clearly a sword! Look, this protruding part is where the hilt is, it's just not quite complete..."
Yuan Shuo suddenly said in a heavy voice, "It is incomplete. A portion is missing. This missing part... might be supernatural locks we haven't discovered yet, but they likely exist in reality! If these vacant areas were filled in, it would indeed resemble a sword!"
The crowd exchanged looks.
Such things could not be filled in randomly.
If they were there, they were there; if not, they were not. One could not fabricate locks just to make it look more like a sword.
Yuan Shuo couldn't care less about such reservations. Looking at Li Hao, he swiftly condensed energy chains in the vacant spots. "Li Hao, follow these positions and absorb the Spring of Life. Lock onto these coordinates in your own body and see if supernatural locks can be revealed."
The human body was like a vast sea of stars. Randomly absorbing energy could hardly reach every place, and if he absorbed too much, Li Hao wouldn't even be able to endure it.
Now, Yuan Shuo had pinpointed specific locations—all of which were originally blank areas.
If supernatural locks could emerge there... it would mean they could discover more unknown supernatural locks through comparative methods.
Without hesitation, Li Hao swiftly drew upon the Spring of Life and channeled it into his body.
At the positions Yuan Shuo had locked onto, he absorbed the Spring of Life.
After a while, Li Hao frowned slightly.
Nothing appeared.
He did not give up, continuing to absorb the Spring of Life. Copious amounts of the Spring of Life poured into his body as if it cost nothing. An ordinary person might never discover them in a lifetime.
After a long time, an obscure energy fluctuation suddenly surfaced within his body.
The next moment, an extremely fragile supernatural lock faintly emerged.
Li Hao's expression shifted, turning into pure delight: "There is one!"
The moment these words left his mouth, the entire room erupted in cheers!
Even Black Armor couldn't help glancing at Li Hao, then at Yuan Shuo. He swiftly formed a formidable virtual supernatural lock at one of the spots Yuan Shuo had marked, saying in astonishment, "There's one here!"
Yuan Shuo's eyes shone brightly. He instantly stepped close to the model and dotted red marks at various locations: "Li Hao, here, and here... Quick, try these..."
Li Hao gave a low shout: "Senior monster plants, provide me with the Spring of Life!"
The surrounding monster plants said nothing, immediately surging their Spring of Life into Li Hao's body. Following the positions his master had pinpointed, Li Hao swiftly absorbed the Spring of Life.
Gradually, more and more supernatural locks began to take distinct shape at the designated locations.
They appeared!
Li Hao was overjoyed. The others were also sweating with tension; while an error wouldn't be catastrophic, failing to manifest supernatural locks would mean their preliminary efforts were in vain.
It would also squander vast amounts of time and resources.
Yet now, they were appearing... proving that the construction of this anatomical model was an immense success.
Yuan Shuo was ecstatic. "It is a sword! Using the shape of a sword as a template, creating symmetry and filling in the gaps—finding one might lead to finding two... Li Hao, the non-attributed supernatural locks follow a set pattern!"
Li Hao was also overjoyed. "Am I an exceptional case, or is everyone like this—a sword shape? This..."
To the side, Black Armor said in a deep voice, "Perhaps... this is completely normal! This world originally belonged to Sword Venerable. The humans of the new era and the Heavenly Will of the new era were both heavily influenced by Sword Venerable. In particular, the Heavenly Will felt Sword Venerable's sword intent before it was even born... If you say these are Dao meridians, an innate Dao body, then the Heavenly Will would certainly construct the physical bodies of the new era's humans according to the strongest existence in its mind..."
Hearing this, Li Hao's expression shifted. That was truly a possibility.
The humans of the new era had been subtly shaped by the subconscious influence of Heavenly Will to better align with the Silver Moon's Heavenly Will. An innate Dao body would naturally mirror the strongest entity, and the strongest existence in Heavenly Will's mind was Sword Venerable. Thus... the non-attributed supernatural locks formed a sword!
Li Hao's expression shifted continuously before he quickly said, "Fascinating... In that case, what would happen if we link through these swords and completely unlock all the supernatural locks that compose this sword?"
"We'll know once we try!"
At this moment, Black Armor's mask suddenly vanished, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. Wave upon wave of formidable energy surged into those supernatural locks. Seeing this, Yuan Shuo hurriedly shouted, "Don't connect them haphazardly! They must be linked in order..."
"I know!"
Black Armor nodded. "I'm only infusing energy first; I won't manipulate them rashly!"
With that, those dim supernatural locks lit up one by one as energy poured into them, like stars being ignited.
The instant they were lit—boom!
An overwhelmingly surging aura abruptly erupted.
Black Armor's face changed in surprise. "Merely infusing energy can trigger such a reaction..."
Boom!
The next moment, a tremendous explosion rang out. The sturdy anatomical model suddenly burst apart. Everyone was struck with shock, but Black Armor murmured, "It couldn't bear the load... The erupting aura was so powerful that it shattered the model..."
Then, he suddenly smiled. "No rush, it's fine. The modeling was successful; it can be replicated at any time!"
With a wave of his hand, boundless energy converged to reconstruct the model once more. He injected energy again, lighting up those supernatural locks.
Yuan Shuo, however, said urgently, "Wait a moment! Some vital supernatural locks among them haven't surfaced, so the energy hasn't formed a basic circulation. That's the reason for the explosion. Even if we can't lock onto all of them completely, we must first establish a rough energy circuit... Senior, start by lighting up the energy along the sword's outer contour..."
"Alright!"
Black Armor readily complied. Yuan Shuo quickly stepped forward to observe, filling in the blanks in various spots with virtual supernatural locks.
At this time, several other martial masters stepped forward as well. Someone murmured in a low voice, "This spot isn't right. It should shift slightly. I can sense energy tending to gather here..."
Li Hao hurriedly said, "Let's all step up and search together. Pinpoint all the areas where you usually feel energy being absorbed the most. Master might not be able to find them all alone."
Without another word, everyone stepped forward to search, lock on, position, and model.
In this manner, several hours elapsed.
Outside was already a scene of lively celebration, yet here, a group of martial masters remained dedicated to perfecting this new system.
Finally, the contour of a sword was lit up.
As this outline illuminated, a formidable aura erupted from the anatomical model. A strange look appeared on Black Armor's face. In the next moment, he gave a low shout: "Clear the way, let me test its power!"
At his words, everyone stepped back.
With the sword's contour ignited, the model threw a punch in the next moment, striking toward Director Wang.
Director Wang hadn't paid it much mind at first. When the giant fist came pressing in, he struck back with a fist of his own. With a booming crash, Director Wang was suddenly sent flying backward, letting out a cry of pain.
Black Armor's expression changed. "How could this be... I only infused power around the pinnacle of the Peak Realm, yet it managed to repel an Immortal..."
Director Wang leaped up instantly, exclaiming in disbelief, "Even if my physical body isn't as strong as it was back then, and even if I didn't go all out, no Peak Realm combatant should be able to push me back..."
Black Armor quickly said, "No, that's not the reason. Once these supernatural locks are lit, their power converges and even draws out some strength from the Bright Star Realm, causing an explosive surge similar to the amplification of an origin path... But... it's different. This power bursts forth from within the body itself!"
Director Wang's expression shifted. "The power of the Great Dao! The power of a new Dao!"
Indeed, the power of a Dao.
Black Armor also nodded, somewhat excited. "It is the power of a new Dao. A path can only be called a Dao if it can facilitate your metamorphosis and make you stronger! Merely linking 360 supernatural locks actually brought forth the power of a new Dao!"
Everyone was going half mad with excitement.
Li Hao was also thrilled beyond measure. "Senior, do you mean... if 360 supernatural locks are opened, a metamorphosis in power will occur?"
"Yes!"
Everyone was overjoyed at first, but in the next instant, they all frowned.
Li Hao's smile vanished in an instant, his brow furrowing deeply. "360 locks?"
Was that a joke?
That was far too many!
Who could possibly develop 360 supernatural locks?
Yet at this moment, Yuan Shuo broke into a grin. "What are you all sulking about, you bunch of idiots? How much power did Senior actually infuse? It was only comparable to a seven-element combatant at most—where would the power of 360 elements come from? He merely lit up the supernatural locks; he didn't tell you to develop them fully to the point of breaking them. It was only superficial development. The degree of development for each lock was probably less than one-tenth. Converted down, that's fewer than 36 locks. In truth, the actual difficulty of this development is less than opening ten locks... Because real development means complete development, whereas Senior's was only lighting them to a tenth of their potential... The difficulty isn't the same at all!"
Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up again!
Indeed!
Each supernatural lock was only being slightly developed.
Yuan Shuo quickly continued, "If we divide each supernatural lock into dozens of increments, unlocking just a fraction is enough to complete a circulation... Even if they aren't fully developed, completing the circulation will bring about an earth-shattering transformation... Senior, try infusing even less power!"
Black Armor said nothing, withdrawing another portion of his power before speaking: "I will now develop each supernatural lock to one-hundredth. In total, that's equivalent to the power of a three-element divine ability. Who wants to test it?"
Everyone looked at one another. Li Hao quickly turned his gaze toward someone: "Senior Bright Sword, why don't you try!"
Me?
Bright Sword was somewhat surprised. Why pick me?
There are so many people here.
However... it was fine.
The power of a three-element divine ability—currently, her strength had already reached six elements. Three elements were nothing to her.
Black Armor did not hold back. Without another word, he unleashed a punch!
Boom!
When the anatomical model threw this punch, it almost gave onlookers the sensation of tearing through the void. Of course, that was an exaggeration; the void was not shattered, but Bright Sword felt the immense pressure.
With a low cry, she slashed out with her sword!
As the Bright Sword struck, the sky turned dazzlingly bright.
Boom!
With a tremendous roar, Bright Sword took a step back, her sword light dissipating, while the model's fist was severed.
Yet Bright Sword was filled with surprise and shock: "It's at least close to the power of five elements!"
Everyone was ecstatically overjoyed!
It only possessed the power of three elements, yet could unleash the might of five elements—this was simply incredible.
And this was merely a test on non-attributed supernatural locks.
Li Hao's expression shifted. "Developing each non-attributed supernatural lock just a tiny bit, to one-hundredth... there is difficulty, but not too great. It might not even match the difficulty of reaching a three-element divine ability, yet it unleashes the power of five elements... This is... unbelievable!"
The crowd was thrilled to the extreme!
Yuan Shuo stared at those points of light, murmuring, "The Great Dao is distant, and this path is exceedingly long! If one-hundredth yields this, what about one-tenth? What about complete development? And this is only the contour; there's still the core region, undiscovered regions, and others... Just the non-attributed supernatural locks alone will be enough to keep us striving for a lifetime..."
At these words, everyone froze.
Then, a sense of daze washed over them.
Indeed!
These were merely the non-attributed supernatural locks, and the contour alone accounted for 360 locks—just the outline of a sword.
Yuan Shuo murmured, "How many supernatural locks does this sword possess in total? One thousand, two thousand? This requires no force, only simple development. It doesn't require too much intellect or profound comprehension, just pure explosive power, as long as the circulation doesn't go wrong... Through countless deductions, we can reform cultivation methods. For instance, with the sword's contour, as long as energy links through the 360 points without error, it becomes a foolproof method of cultivation... Once completed, everyone will rival five elements... In the process, one could even bypass certain supernatural locks to achieve minor circulations... Heavens above..."
At this moment, everyone was shaken to their core.
Black Armor also said in a deep voice, "To completely finish developing 360 supernatural locks, according to my judgment, one's strength... could perhaps rival a Heavenly King!"
Everyone paused. How could that be?
Black Armor said calmly, "I am referring to a Heavenly King of this era, without the amplification of an origin path! In other words, a Saint of the Neo-Martial era..."
Li Hao, however, frowned. "360 locks, only to rival a Saint?"
He actually found that rather inconceivable!
Up to now, he could barely be counted as nine elements.
Yet seven elements already marked the Peak Realm, did they not?
"The disparity between each realm is immense."
Black Armor remained calm. "Judging by the current stage, from what you call seven elements up to around thirty-six elements, all count as the Peak Realm! According to my deductions, thirty-six to around one hundred and twenty elements is the Immortal Realm. One hundred and twenty to three hundred and sixty elements is the Saint Realm. Completing the development of three hundred and sixty elements should make one a Heavenly King... These are all standards of this era, not Neo-Martial. If pitted against a true Neo-Martial expert of the origin path, reduce the estimate by one realm."
The stronger one became, the greater the gap between realms.
Li Hao frowned slightly. "Developing 360 locks... the difficulty is probably immense!"
Black Armor remarked indifferently, "Yet the path... has become clear! Is the difficulty really that great? At your pace, developing ten locks a year, you would finish in thirty-six years and possess the strength of a contemporary Heavenly King... Are thirty-six years really that long?"
Human greed was truly insatiable!
Even in the Neo-Martial era, except at the very beginning, humans in later stages couldn't progress so rapidly. Just over thirty years could grant one the power of a Heavenly King... Zhang An felt like banging his head against a wall.
He had been considered a prodigy himself, yet back then, he had ultimately failed to step into the Heavenly King Realm.
That realm was truly not something anyone could achieve at will.
A Heavenly King was an existence second only to a Sovereign.
Yuan Shuo murmured, "Then... then what if one completely develops all the non-attributed supernatural locks?"
Black Armor said calmly, "Perhaps a Sovereign."
Everyone swallowed hard.
Even Director Wang found it inconceivable, saying in disbelief, "A Sovereign? Developing them all makes one a Sovereign? Can a path lead straight to Sovereignhood so simply...?"
Black Armor remained silent.
Simple?
Far from simple!
It was easy to talk, but a complete sword of supernatural locks might contain several thousand of them.
Was it really simple?
Try it and see!
The further one went, the harder it would inevitably become.
Yet at this moment, no one cared about that. For the first time, they felt that a Sovereign was actually within their sights...
Right then, Sky Sword suddenly said in a muffled voice, "We have practiced martial arts for so many years, most of us for over thirty years. Now we only have the strength of around six elements. Adding the four locks of our limbs, that's ten supernatural locks developed—one lock every three years. That means developing 360 locks would take a thousand years!"
At these words, everyone froze.
Right, Li Hao might do ten a year, but we certainly can't!
Leaving aside how difficult subsequent development would be and whether it would succeed, just considering a thousand years... could we even survive that long?
Li Hao, however, chuckled. "That was in the past. Now is different; energy is rich. At this stage, developing three to five locks a year won't be difficult for anyone. Calculated that way, in a hundred years you can battle a Heavenly King... Out in the world, you could even fight a Neo-Martial Saint... That's already incredible!"
A mere hundred years!
Compared to Neo-Martial experts, that was nothing.
Those people had lived tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of years.
Director Wang let out a sigh of relief, murmuring, "In the Neo-Martial era, for a genius, stepping into the Saint Realm in a hundred years wasn't considered anything out of the ordinary... Looking at it this way, the gap isn't large. You all are geniuses of this era as well."
With this comparison... he found it acceptable again.
One could only say the timeframe was comparable.
In his original life, he had been under a hundred years old... Of course, he was alive now too, but for all those intervening years, they had been in a state of deep slumber, which he didn't count.
Now he felt a huge sense of relief; he had almost been scared to death just moments ago, thinking these people could become Saints and Heavenly Kings in the blink of an eye!
That would have been terrifying... But thinking about it now, it was fine. Even Li Hao, developing ten locks a year, would take over thirty years to finish 360 locks, reaching the level of a Neo-Martial Saint or a contemporary Heavenly King in his fifties.
Even then, he would only have Saint-level combat power.
For the chosen of heaven and leader of the new era, having that level of strength in his fifties was... quite ordinary!
Director Wang thought to himself: Don't compare him to me, compare him to those monstrous freaks.
Take the Human King back then: within a few years, he became a top Sovereign. You, Li Hao, taking decades just to scrape into the Saint level, would be swatted to death with a single slap... Now, he felt much more balanced inside.
Li Hao, however, didn't care about any of this. Instead, he said with delight, "Actually, the crucial point isn't this, but what the prospects of the path are, whether it can be sustained, whether this path can be popularized so that everyone can forge ahead by following it... As for time, that depends on talent, resources, and fortune... That is not the essential issue!"
As long as one could advance step by step, with a path laid out ahead, that was enough!
As for the difficulty and time involved, or whether one might not see the end in a lifetime... that was an individual's issue, not a flaw of the martial path itself.
At these words, everyone nodded in agreement.
Sky Sword said with immense joy, "That makes sense! Knowing there is a path ahead is what truly matters! Just like before, when there was no path beyond the Thousand-Battler realm, everyone felt miserable... But if an open road lies ahead, no matter how hard it is, there is hope!"
Everyone nodded one after another.
Meanwhile, Yuan Shuo was still studying something. After examining it for a while, he suddenly said, "We can scale it down. I tried arranging them, and perhaps we can narrow it down to thirty-six supernatural locks, or an even smaller scope. Developing them slightly would already grant combat capability... We shouldn't leak all the information at once. While some would find motivation, others would fall into despair! There are too many; to them, it would seem unattainable..."
"I think we should publicly disclose around thirty-six locks at most, with varying degrees of development. Once one develops thirty-six locks to perfection, then according to Senior, they will possess the strength of this era's Peak Realm perfection!"
Everyone considered this and found it reasonable.
They were the geniuses of this era, yet gathered here, even they felt despair upon hearing about 360 locks—and that was merely the contour.
No one yet knew how many locks there were in total.
If thirty-six locks could be fully developed, that would already represent top-tier combat power in this era, though the difficulty remained substantial.
Yuan Shuo added, "Furthermore, these non-attributed supernatural locks are quite straightforward. Even brute-force development works; there's no need to comprehend anything. This is meant for people who cultivate purely without needing much thought. The difficulty is much lower, and developing them won't be as hard. Moreover, with energy beginning to recover in this era, perhaps soon... a batch of modern martial artists with Peak Realm combat power will be born!"
At these words, someone glanced at him sideways. Who are you taking a jab at?
We won't develop those!
We want to develop the attributed ones!
Li Hao, however, frowned slightly. "Selecting thirty-six locks that can circulate perfectly will also present difficulties. That is the first challenge. Secondly, these non-attributed locks cannot coalesce into divine characters. How to seal off the majority while opening a small portion is also a tough problem... This will require extremely reliable techniques to resolve..."
Yuan Shuo nodded. "The Five Animals Secret Art might be able to achieve it."
Li Hao glanced at him, and Yuan Shuo grinned. "What are you looking at? If it really works, in the future, our Five Animals Secret Art will become the Ten Thousand Animals Secret Art! A mere Five Animals Secret Art has long become outdated!"
"..."
Li Hao was rendered speechless; when he had suggested this previously, his master had been unhappy about it.
Yuan Shuo continued, "So at the current stage, difficulties remain. First, locate all the supernatural locks. Second, study the coordination and circulation between different supernatural locks, and research different secret arts; a single secret art might not suffice. Third, develop secret arts of varying tiers, ideally creating one that encompasses all supernatural locks. Fourth, this is only for the non-attributed ones; the attributed ones must be studied separately..."
As he laid this out, everyone was stunned, taking in sharp breaths before turning their eyes to Li Hao. You do it.
We can't manage this!
Li Hao also felt a headache coming on. Such difficulty... should he spend his entire life researching cultivation methods?
Indeed, up to now, it was merely an outline.
The idea was grand, but bringing it to full fruition would likely take a very long time.
Yuan Shuo added, "Additionally, if this comes to pass, the entire martial arts system will have to be overturned and rebuilt from scratch. The current system no longer applies to this."
Everyone was taken aback again, followed by a surge of excitement.
Rebuilding a new system!
For anyone, this was a monumental feat that would leave one's name in history, remembered by countless generations to come!
Could it really be done?
Li Hao also drifted into thought for a moment.
Completely overturning the system and rebuilding it?
"Whether non-attributed or attributed supernatural locks, the disparity in development difficulty isn't actually that vast... Of course, attributed ones are definitely harder, but in terms of combat power, the difference might not be too substantial... In that case, rebuilding a single system will suffice."
Yuan Shuo continued, "Systems, realms, techniques, secret arts, the exact locations of every supernatural lock... these are all difficult hurdles. We are only taking the first steps now. To fully construct this system will likely... require countless years!"
Li Hao nodded and murmured, "If you lock me in a dark room for a few decades, perhaps... it will be just about done?"
"..."
Everyone looked at him. Do you really want to try that?
Beside them, Black Armor said nothing. He merely gazed silently at those points of light, looking at the sword-shaped supernatural locks, and suddenly thought... Should I... switch to a new human body?
Since there was no going back anyway, why not... just go all-in here?
He glanced at Director Wang. Director Wang was currently scratching at his own body, as if trying to dig out a supernatural lock. Unfortunately, he had none; his restored physical body had been reconstructed according to the Neo-Martial era's standards.
Not far away, Black Panther was also pawing at itself, wanting to give it a try.
The monster plants were also getting restless with anticipation... Do we monster plants have supernatural locks?
It didn't matter if they didn't; could they create them?
It felt as though, in an era devoid of the origin path, walking a new Dao seemed... quite appealing.
Moreover, with the pioneering of a new Dao, the very first cohort to walk it would undoubtedly encounter tremendous fortune.
Everyone understood this clearly.
Li Hao, however, paid none of this any heed and pushed those thoughts aside, suddenly saying, "Let's put that aside for now and examine the attributed supernatural locks first. Senior, conceal all the non-attributed ones, and let everyone manifest the attributed ones to see... if there are differences, and whether they still form a sword!"
A jolt went through everyone, their hearts surging with anticipation.
Attributed locks were bound to be stronger, with even greater prospects.
In the next moment, everyone embarked on a new round of trials.
On this day, these martial masters saw hope, saw light, and saw the promise of catching up to Neo-Martial—or even surpassing Neo-Martial... Even if that hope was pitifully faint, having a path forward in this era was intensely thrilling and exciting.
No longer were they blindly developing supernatural locks in chaos; no longer was the way ahead blocked.
No matter how arduous the road ahead, at least they could envision an infinite future!
Everyone was immersed in excitement, fervor, and enthusiasm. No one cared whether it was New Year's Eve outside. For a fleeting moment, they all thought: Why bother with what's happening outside?
Sitting upon a massive energy mine and having discovered the path ahead, why not just stay here in seclusion to cultivate? Emerging ten years later, they might all be top powerhouses.
Managing the realm was nowhere near as thrilling as cultivation!
...
The next day, when Lin Hongyu arrived in Heavenly Star City as promised to report for duty, she was utterly bewildered.
Where was everyone?
She suspected that Li Hao and the Silver Moon martial masters had fled.
Indeed, hardly a single Silver Moon martial master could be seen across the entire city.
Wasn't I supposed to become the City Lord?
Yet... where should I go?
Li Hao and his people were nowhere to be found. In the vast expanse of Heavenly Star City, she had somehow become the strongest person around. The crucial point was that everyone she asked was completely clueless; no one had any idea where Li Hao and the others had vanished to.
Chapter 300