The Terrifying Li Hao

Night fell. Tonight, Silver City felt rather desolate and cold. Outside the walls, the vast army had quieted down from the daytime tumult. From every direction, superpowered soldiers from the northern forces continued to pour into the main host in staggering numbers. Within the city, Li Hao waited silently. He was also pondering. He knew he was too young and lacked experience in commanding vast armies. But in single combat, the people of Silver Moon feared no one. Large-scale group warfare was not Silver Moon's forte. Yet if it came to a pure showdown among top experts... he was not afraid, the Silver Moon martial masters were not afraid, and neither were any of the powerful figures who followed him. Formidable combatants stood quietly, all waiting for something. Some wore twisted, predatory grins, while others smiled as if reminiscing about something pleasant. Southern Fist had been in high spirits lately. He actually sidled up beside Jade Rakshasa, only to be met by Hou Xiaochen's icy glare. Shrugging disdainfully, he took a few paces back and drifted over toward Jade Light Sword. Jade Light Sword was utterly aloof as well. Yuan Shuo did not react much, merely darting a glance at him. At that single look, Southern Fist cursed under his breath. Looking around, he felt speechlessly awkward, yet he didn't dare approach Bright Light Sword. Although Bright Light Sword had balanced his yin and yang and looked far better than during his days with a bushy beard, to Southern Fist... forget it, better keep his distance. Yet it was precisely because of him that the group possessed some semblance of vitality. Otherwise, to any onlooker, this gathering would seem like an assembly from the underworld. Li Hao's voice slowly broke the silence. "The King of Dali has left his camp as well. Be on guard. Both the King of Dali and that chief priest of the temple are extraordinarily formidable—far more dangerous than those origin clones... As for origin clones, this is no longer the era of Origin, so there is no need to fear them excessively." The crowd nodded without speaking. Nobody was surprised that the King of Dali and his allies had chosen a decapitation strike. If they really came, no one had any reason to shrink back. Li Hao said nothing more. Everything that needed to be said had already been said. He merely found the King of Dali somewhat peculiar. The king knew full well Li Hao could detect his departure, yet he still made such a show of staging a surprise raid... He might as well have challenged them directly to single combat. For a sovereign king, acting like this seemed rather petty and underhanded. A long sword materialized in Li Hao's grasp. If the King of Dali was unwilling to let him temper his troops, there was nothing to be done about it. If peak combatants were to decide the outcome, Li Hao certainly was not afraid of him. If that fellow insisted on courting death... then Li Hao would gladly send him on his way ahead of schedule. …… South of Silver City. Several dozen black-robed cultivators stood suspended in midair, a faint barrier of light shimmering faintly around them. Looking toward Silver City, someone sighed with emotion. "Silver City... no, it should be called Sword City. We haven't walked this world in countless years, and now the seas have turned to mulberry fields. Of the eight great main cities, Sword City... is gone, isn't it?" "Who knows? It might still exist. A city like that doesn't perish so easily. But... it may never be able to emerge again. Sword City is likely wandering within the world's barrier..." "Tell me, if Sword City still exists, who rules it now?" "Hard to say." "I have no interest in that. I only wonder about one thing: it's not surprising that the divine weapons of the other families are roaming outside, but Sword City... if I remember correctly, it plunged into the world's barrier at the very first moment. Why would the Starry Sky Sword have passed down to the outside world?" "Who knows? Perhaps the main lineage of the Li Family prevailed, so they sent out the Starry Sky Sword along with some clansmen." "Hoping that the kin stranded outside would fight their way back someday? Still, one has to admit, after all these years, this Li Hao who emerged does have real capability." Of the eight great main cities, the other seven still remained on the earth. At the critical juncture, if the main branches departed with their guardian divine weapons, that was entirely understandable. Only the Li Family's situation, where the Starry Sky Sword appeared outside, completely baffled those who knew the insider details. It meant nothing to those who were ignorant. Yet these individuals knew that back then, the moment Sword Venerable and his entourage departed, the Star Gate was sealed. Sword Venerable's retinue suffered an ambush, and the defenders remaining in Sword City piloted the ancient city straight into the skies, entering the world's barrier to do battle. Under such circumstances, how could a surviving Li lineage have emerged? It wouldn't be strange for any of the other seven families to show up, but for the Li Family to appear... was truly bizarre. Of course, at that time, they too had been forced to seal their ancient cities and choose deep slumber. As for what really happened, after a hundred thousand years, no one could turn back the river of time to investigate. If Sword City was still out there, the truth would be known sooner or later. Amidst the idle chatter, someone spoke again: "The King of Dali is quite strong, and so is that chief priest... But aside from them, the rest are frankly mediocre. Looks like they'll ultimately have to rely on us! I don't know what the Lord is thinking; if he mobilized all the clones of the city's powerhouses, we might be able to snuff out the Li lineage directly!" "The Lord has his own considerations... We just carry out our orders and avoid overthinking. Right now, we are all grasshoppers tied to the same string. The Lord doesn't want this realm to belong to the Li family again, either!" That was certainly true. Any surname was fine, as long as it wasn't Li or Fang. Those two were truly terrifying. As they spoke, the golden-armored clone in front suddenly said, "Word has come from Dali. They have mobilized. As soon as chaos erupts in the city, we strike immediately!" "Understood!" "Rest assured, during the Neo-Martial era, we fought countless battles. Seizing an opportune moment like this is second nature to us..." "How could newcomers like the King of Dali comprehend how many wars we endured in that era?" "Enough, do not speak of Neo-Martial!" someone snapped in a low voice. At those words, the crowd fell silent. Indeed... their feelings were complicated. The might of Neo-Martial was a source of pride for them. They had once fought for Neo-Martial, worshiped the Human King, and felt their blood surge with the rise of Neo-Martial. Yet... in the end, they had betrayed Neo-Martial. Countless years later, they looked down on everyone else, firmly believing that Neo-Martial was the only truly magnificent age. They looked down on Primal Martial, they looked down on this new era, and they even looked down on the Red Moon Great World. Even though that realm was peerlessly formidable—daring even to ambush Sword Venerable and his peers, and even though they pinned their hopes on the powerhouses of Red Moon to crush Neo-Martial... Every single time, they still wondered: could Red Moon really defeat Neo-Martial? Could they triumph over that invincible Human King? Could they outmatch the infallible Supreme Zhang? This tangled ambivalence made them dread mentioning the words "Neo-Martial" at times, while deep in their hearts, they still believed Neo-Martial was truly unmatched, and that they had once been part of it. Only... fate played cruel tricks. Some had complained that the Human King was too ruthless. Corruption and dereliction of duty existed in every era, but the Human King never bothered to ask for reasons; his response was a single word: kill! Resources were scarce and Neo-Martial had too many powerhouses. The Human King looked out only for his old acquaintances, ignoring peripheral figures like them without the slightest care. If they wanted to scrounge some resources and resorted to extortion, his response was again a single word: kill! If the Human King had been more merciful, why would they have betrayed Neo-Martial? Of course, treason was treason. No matter how many reasons or excuses they invented, they were merely soothing their own consciences. Now, there was no turning back. …… While these figures were lost in their tangled thoughts, another group silently approached Silver City. Jiang Li, Chief Priest of the Temple, had a complex look in his eyes. The words the King of Dali had spoken to him earlier concealed an underlying message: the temple... must bow its head and submit. However, among the temple priests, some held their faith to the extreme and would never easily betray the temple to pledge fealty to the King of Dali. Therefore, this raid was primarily staffed by temple priests rather than the King of Dali's personal guards, the Divine Guards. Jiang Li looked at the priests among the ranks. Many of them were fanatical zealots. And the King of Dali... likely wanted these very people to remain on this battlefield, never to return, along with those disobedient tribal chieftains. Jiang Li had not anticipated before that the King of Dali would harbor such intentions behind this campaign. Suppressing his thoughts, Jiang Li sent a telepathic message: "When we strike shortly... everyone, be careful. Li Hao's faction is not weak; otherwise, they would not inspire such dread or leave the Heavenly Star overlords so helpless! Under no circumstances should you underestimate their experts. As for the Silver Moon martial masters, our ancestors clashed with them before. Years ago, Silver Moon held off Dali with a single province, which shows just how formidable Silver Moon is..." He offered a few extra words of caution. "Rest assured, Chief Priest!" someone quickly responded. "The light of the temple shall envelop heaven and earth!" Those were the temple priests. The Divine Guards, however, remained utterly silent. Their sole loyalty was to the King of Dali. Whatever the priests said about the light of the temple held no interest for them, and they had no desire to get involved. Moreover, the Divine Guards had another mission this time. If they proved no match for Li Hao's side, they were to let the priests cover the retreat. As for how to cover it... they would await Chief Priest Jiang Li's arrangements. They were somewhat perplexed by the King's order; after all, the Chief Priest was the head of the temple. Time ticked away. A shroud of darkness began drifting toward Silver City. …… Inside Silver City. A mirror surfaced, projecting a patch of black mist with no further details. Yet Li Hao's brow furrowed repeatedly. He could not sense the vast natural force of heaven and earth. The King of Dali... was not there! What was going on? Under these circumstances, the King of Dali was actually absent? Or was he lurking somewhere, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike a thunderous blow? The atmosphere tonight felt decidedly strange. Seeing the black mist drifting near, Li Hao said nothing. He tossed the mirror into the air, and a faint radiance enveloped the surroundings. Right at that moment, a bolt of black lightning crashed down from the heavens. Rumble! A bolt out of the blue. Beneath the lightning strike, even Li Hao's mirror trembled slightly. The next instant, an incantation echoed in the ears of Li Hao and his companions. Heaven and earth turned upside down! The world seemed to revert to the era of chaos. Li Hao had witnessed such methods before; in the mineral vein, the red-shadow powerhouse had employed a similar technique—a Primal Martial domain. Reverting to the primordial age of chaos! It could trap enemies, though naturally, it could also become one's own tomb. Li Hao cast all distractions aside and barked, "Kill!" Boom! In an instant, powerhouse after powerhouse materialized in the sky behind him, lunging straight toward that cloud of black mist! The fastest was none other than Yuan Shuo. Like a bolt of lightning, he hurled a fist forward, shattering the chaotic void. Having held back his urges for too long, he let out a sinister chuckle. His punch obliterated the black mist, instantly revealing over a hundred figures! A black-robed ancient city figure snorted coldly and threw a punch in response. In the blink of an eye, battle erupted on all sides. Li Hao remained silent, his brow furrowed. The King of Dali was truly not present. However, he did spot the chief priest. Jiang Li looked slightly surprised as well. Casting a glance at Li Hao, he said softly, "It seems Governor-General Li detected our presence long ago. I thought this surprise raid might accomplish something." With that, a unique vibration resonated from his mouth, shaking the world! At that moment, south of Silver City, a glowing barrier moved swiftly toward their position. Simultaneously, Jiang Li waved his hand, and countless lightning bolts flashed in the sky, crashing down toward the crowd with a tremendous roar. Li Hao felt a strange pang—was this a Primal Martial method? Manipulating lightning like a divine ability. It seemed the Primal Martial gods each controlled the power of a single path. This bore a striking resemblance to the people of Heavenly Star in this era. Strictly speaking, this era could loosely be considered the new Primal Martial era of a new world, so the grand Daos still converged toward the same destination. "Leave this man to me!" Li Hao also wanted to test just how formidable this Primal Martial Dao was. Without another word, he stepped into the air and slashed out with his sword! The chaos cleaved open! A divine character for "Thunder" materialized, unleashing a strike like heaven's thunder. With a roar, the black lightning in the sky shattered one after another. Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "Nothing special!" Lightning against lightning, Li Hao prevailed. Jiang Li was not surprised. If Li Hao lacked even this much capability, how could he have unified Heavenly Star? He waved his sleeve, and countless flames manifested between heaven and earth. Splitting into tens of thousands of streaks, they swept toward Li Hao. Li Hao countered with another divine character; the word "Fire" emerged, instantly unleashing raging flames that shattered the enemy's fire once more. Li Hao was in no hurry. The enemies had not all arrived yet, and he wanted to see what the King of Dali was planning. At the same time, he remained on guard against a sudden ambush by the King of Dali. This temple chief priest was indeed quite formidable. By Li Hao's estimation, the sheer power of his lightning and flames surpassed many seven-element experts. "Governor-General Li is indeed valiant, but... it is not enough!" Jiang Li chuckled softly. "The Primal Martial Dao is far more than mere elemental divine abilities!" With those words, he vanished on the spot. Li Hao's surroundings plunged into chaos. Everything disappeared, and all the experts vanished. Right then, a colossal deity seemed to emerge within the world, stepping down toward Li Hao with an immense foot. Boom! Heaven and earth shattered! That deity possessed boundless might, seemingly the manifestation of Chief Priest Jiang Li himself. Li Hao looked up into the sky, a golden gleam flashing in his eyes. He allowed the massive foot to stomp down, but suddenly pivoted and slashed behind him, piercing the void with his blade. He frowned slightly. "A mental domain attack... rather intriguing. However, I possess the Sword Eye and can see through all illusions. You are not up to the task!" That backward strike seemed to slice through something vital. The world shattered instantly, and Jiang Li's figure reappeared, blood trickling from his seven facial orifices as he stared at Li Hao in astonishment. "No wonder the King said you would be a formidable foe!" At that moment, the surrounding battles became visible once more, roaring with thunderous clashes. One after another, Silver Moon martial masters engaged the black-robed ancient city powerhouses. These ancient city experts were all origin clones. There were over a dozen of them present, possessing terrifying combat prowess. Their opponents were the figures once listed on Silver Moon's Roster of Heroes, every single one a fighter of extraordinary mettle! Naturally, there were also those of slightly lower tier, such as Jade Light Sword and Golden Spear, who were currently dealing with the Divine Guards and temple priests. Li Hao glanced at the methods of the Divine Guards; they were unremarkable, relying purely on powerful physical strength. The temple priests, on the other hand, were rather interesting. Some of them even vaguely deployed techniques resembling domains. These priests operated similarly to divine abilities, whereas the Divine Guards were like cultivators of attribute-less Dao meridians. Jiang Li was strong, but Li Hao still did not pay him much mind; his primary concern was waiting for the King of Dali. Just then, a sphere of light crashed into the chaos. Instantly, fifty experts materialized within the chaotic domain. Before Li Hao could act, a brilliant sword light suddenly pierced the sky. The strike came without the slightest warning. Even Li Hao barely caught a glimpse of it before an origin clone was cleaved to pieces by the blade. Among the newcomers, someone shouted in shock and fury, "Li Daozong!" Indeed, it was the Ninth Division Commander. Now clad in golden armor, the Ninth Division Commander's eyes brimmed with murderous intent as he glared at them, utterly cold and ruthless. "Traitors, die!" Kill! A familiar sword intent erupted instantly. The Ninth Division Commander had maintained a low profile recently, but now he unleashed the fury burning in his chest. That strike was none other than the Lifeless sword intent from the Li Family sword art—the sword strikes without a sound! Both were origin clones, and both were restricted to the limit of what heaven and earth could accommodate. Yet as the Ninth Division Commander's sword intent erupted, he suppressed and even instantly slew his opponent. Seeing this, the golden-armored clone barked, "Kill!" Boom! He used no fancy battle techniques, merely throwing a punch that shook heaven and earth. The Ninth Division Commander's gaze turned chillingly sharp. "Who are you?" This man's fist intent was peerless; he had to be a top-tier powerhouse of the past, his true self at least at the peak of the Immortal Realm, or even at the Saint level. Such figures were rare in the small worlds. The golden-armored clone did not reply. Even now, they were unwilling to reveal their true identities. Seeing this, Jiang Li's eyes lit up slightly, and he shouted, "Join forces with these seniors and slay them!" Boom! With these origin clones joining the fray, the Dali side grew several times stronger in an instant. Their combat strength was formidable. The Silver Moon martial masters, who had not been at a disadvantage in one-on-one combat, were immediately forced back step by step. Only a handful could barely hold their ground. Yuan Shuo, Yao Si, Hong Yitang, Hou Xiaochen, Sky Sword... Only these individuals could barely hold off their opponents. Going all out, they roared in fury, luminous points flaring across their bodies—the sign of opening acupoints. All of them had opened numerous acupoints. Even while opening acupoints, Yuan Shuo had not neglected his research. Suddenly, he threw a punch, manifesting a cage of heaven and earth that trapped an origin clone inside. The next instant, Yuan Shuo went berserk, unleashing hundreds of punches in succession. Every blow shattered the void. With a deafening boom, the trapped powerhouse was pulverized on the spot! Yuan Shuo roared, "Come and meet your deaths!" Three origin clones instantly converged on him, but Yuan Shuo showed no fear, swinging his fists to meet them head-on! Watching dozens of experts flood the battlefield, Li Hao frowned slightly. He swept his Sword Eye across the surroundings, feeling puzzled. Was the King of Dali really not nearby? Too bizarre! He had been waiting for that fellow this whole time. Seeing that the Silver Moon martial masters were short on peak combatants and on the verge of being overwhelmed, Li Hao shouted, "Come forth and slay them!" Instantly, twenty puppet powerhouses appeared in the void. All of them were students from Yuanping Martial Arts University. Upon appearing, they wasted no words. Some chuckled, others roared fiercely, and all plunged into the fray. Boom! In an instant, hundreds of experts from both sides collided, clashing fiercely amidst continuous roars of fury. Boom! A temple priest was directly pulverized by Southern Fist. Roaring with laughter, Southern Fist leaped toward an origin powerhouse, bellowing, "Let me test how tough you origin bastards really are!" Barely a moment after charging in, he let out a sharp cry of agony and was sent flying backward, spewing mouthfuls of blood. Southern Fist... was no match for an origin expert. Right then, a divine character materialized in the air like a massive star of vitality, pouring a thick wave of life force toward Southern Fist. Li Hao held one hand toward the heavens, as if bathing in a vast river of life. Surges of life force flowed into the bodies of the various combatants. Glancing around, he declared, "Fight to your hearts' content! If this is all they have... not a single one shall escape today; we will annihilate them all!" Opposite him, Jiang Li's expression shifted slightly. Looking at Li Hao, he said in a low voice, "Impressive! I truly wonder to what heights Governor-General Li has cultivated. Such methods are unheard of!" Li Hao was even stronger than anticipated. While fighting him, Li Hao could simultaneously wield a special divine character to infuse vast amounts of life force and control the entire battlefield. Jiang Li considered himself at the very limit of what heaven and earth could accommodate. Yet this Li Hao... seemed to have shattered that limit. Li Hao remained silent, sword in hand, no longer concerning himself with the King of Dali. Not going to show up? Fine... then I'll slaughter every last one of these people! He had boldly proclaimed that the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office would repel the invasions from all four continents, and naturally, he possessed the confidence to back it up. At this moment, acupoint after acupoint flared across his body, followed by the emergence of Dao meridians. In the blink of an eye, over two hundred acupoints shone brightly. Vaguely, nine divine ability Dao meridians surfaced. Since you won't show your face... I'll butcher these people and see if your heart aches! None of these fellows are weak. If not for the sake of tempering his troops, Li Hao would have charged straight for the enemy commander's throat long ago! "Die!" Sword intent surged—a fearsome intent even slightly more potent than what the Ninth Division Commander had displayed! A single sword strike slashed toward Jiang Li! Jiang Li felt a jolt of shock, mingled with disappointment and helplessness. The King had told him that he possessed certain trump cards he should not use. Feigning defeat would suffice! However... Your Majesty, you have vastly underestimated Li Hao. If I don't use them, let alone feigning defeat, even if all of us throw our lives away, we might not escape. Li Hao is far stronger than imagined. No one had anticipated this! They all thought Li Hao's combat strength sat merely at the world's limit—eight or nine elements at most. In reality, he went far beyond that. Jiang Li dared not hesitate any longer. With a soft cry, he began chanting under his breath. Suddenly, a white bone appeared in his hand, translucent and glistening like jade. Nearby, an origin clone started in surprise. "A Primal Martial white jade bone!" The moment he spoke, the white bone seemed to turn into liquid mercury, merging into Jiang Li's body in an instant. Jiang Li's aura skyrocketed. Fissures in the void began tearing open around him, but they quickly dispersed. Jiang Li was startled, while Li Hao remained utterly calm. "Go ahead and use it. With me here, spatial rifts mean nothing!" With a wave of Li Hao's hand, several divine characters vanished, blanketing heaven and earth. A faint smile touched his lips. "I'd also like to see what your Dali relies upon, and whether this Primal Martial powerhouse is truly still alive, and how much power he can lend you!" "Fight with all you have!" Jiang Li's face changed drastically. His aura was overwhelmingly powerful now, yet no spatial rifts were slicing into him. How... how did Li Hao manage this? Moreover, this fellow was outrageously strong, and outrageously arrogant. Saying no more, Jiang Li roared, "Die!" This time, it was no longer an elemental divine ability. He threw a single punch, and a mighty phantom rose behind him—seemingly a Primal Martial powerhouse whose primordial aura suffocated many nearby. The Ninth Division Commander's expression shifted as well, and he shouted, "That is a Primal Martial bone, the bone of a living Primal Martial powerhouse... Be careful!" Li Hao said nothing as the power of his acupoints erupted. A surge of formidable energy welled up, accompanied by vast amounts of special energy from the Bright Star Realm wrapping around his fist. He, too, threw a punch! Boom! The void fractured. With a sharp crack, Li Hao's fist actually split open, a drop of blood spattering out. Jiang Li's fist, glistening like crystal, remained largely unharmed. Li Hao took a few steps back. Surprise flickered in his eyes. "Not bad! No wonder he dared let you lead the team. Your strength... exceeds my expectations. Though you rely on external aid, you are undeniably formidable!" He was surprised, but Jiang Li was utterly horrified! Not just Jiang Li—even the Ninth Division Commander and the golden-armored clone were stunned. Under these circumstances, Li Hao had clashed directly with the bone of a Primal Martial powerhouse, yet his entire arm hadn't shattered. How... how was this possible? Was the method of opening acupoints truly this powerful? Jiang Li's expression turned grim as he cursed bitterly in his heart. Your Majesty, this was truly reckless. Your Majesty's plan was wonderful in theory, but looking at this situation, Li Hao hasn't even shown genuine tension yet; things might not be so simple. Could it be... that we won't even be able to run? He had already deployed the bone of a Primal Martial god. At the very least, his current power equaled more than a dozen elements of divine ability strength! Yet it had merely fractured Li Hao's arm. How could the physical body of a Heavenly Star native be so terrifying? He grew frantic. The King was currently lying in wait for these origin clones and was not here. If Li Hao truly wiped out all these priests and Divine Guards, disaster would strike. Everyone had underestimated Li Hao. The man's strength seemed to advance with every passing moment. He could no longer care about any grand plan. With a roar that completely shed his previous scholarly demeanor, imbued with an eerie power, he chanted another phrase. Suddenly, another bone appeared in his grasp, and he bellowed, "Li Hao is too strong, retreat!" With that, the second bone merged into his body, turning both of his arms into translucent crystal. He hammered both fists toward Li Hao! Overwhelmingly powerful! Li Hao drew a sharp breath. *Damn, he can add more? He's that strong?* In an instant, Li Hao reached out and recalled several divine characters from the surroundings. Immediately, spatial rifts tore open, slicing into Jiang Li's arms with sharp cracking sounds. Crack! More and more rifts began cutting into Jiang Li. His face contorted, and he could no longer hold back his fury. "Li Hao, didn't you say you'd let me unleash my full strength?" Li Hao had withdrawn his divine characters, leaving him exposed to the slicing spatial tears! The suppression of heaven and earth! This bastard! Li Hao scoffed derisively. Nonsense! The power Jiang Li had suddenly unleashed was simply too great. Li Hao suspected this fellow might have even more bones; if he let him continue, Jiang Li might end up far stronger than him. Wouldn't that be suicide? This temple chief priest truly had a few tricks up his sleeve. Why would Li Hao give him free rein? Jiang Li was thoroughly helpless! Unleashing excessive power brought down the spatial blades; withholding it meant he was no match for Li Hao. This man was a complete monster. As the spatial tears continued to cut into him, he had no choice but to reduce his power. A white bone materialized in his hand and quickly vanished, leaving only one arm crystalline as he punched toward Li Hao! The chaotic domain around them suddenly dispersed. One had to admit this chief priest had a vast array of methods and formidable combat strength, capable of adjusting his power at will. Although it was tied to the Primal Martial bones, that was still his own capability. "Retreat!" Jiang Li roared again, punching toward the sky as he bellowed, "Seniors, go first! We shall cover the retreat!" By now, the origin clones were visibly shaken. Li Hao possessed terrifying methods. Furthermore, those puppets were far from weak. They had already deduced the identities of those puppets—they were vessels formed from the descendants of Sovereigns, not to be taken lightly. They had assumed that fifty clones, combined with the ten-plus ancient city clones already here and the Dali powerhouses, would stand a decent chance of taking down Li Hao, even if it proved difficult. Now... they finally understood why the Lord had said not to clash head-on with Li Hao using clones. The next instant, these powerhouses erupted with full force, knocking back their opponents and attempting to flee. Li Hao snorted coldly. Did they think they could come and go as they pleased? Not so easy! If the King of Dali refused to show himself, then Li Hao would claim all of their lives instead. At that exact moment, a divine character suddenly materialized in Li Hao's hand. Not far away, Director Wang's movements suddenly faltered, his aura thrown into utter disarray. Terrified, he scrambled to flee. Li Hao had just extracted the divine character for "Dao." In the blink of an eye, nine divine characters—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Light, and Darkness—surfaced around Li Hao and merged instantly into the character for "Dao." Within his body, a staggering 230 acupoints lit up. Lighting up 180 acupoints meant thirty-six Dao meridians were half-opened. Beyond that, every five additional acupoints opened an entire Dao meridian. With 230 acupoints lit, Li Hao had fully opened ten Dao meridians. Combined with his nine divine ability Dao meridians, that amounted to nineteen fully opened Dao meridians. The remaining twenty-six Dao meridians, being half-opened, provided immense supplementary power as well. At this moment, Li Hao's strength exceeded the power of twenty Dao meridians, all channeling directly into the divine character for "Dao." The Starry Sky Sword appeared, slashing out at the fleeing powerhouses! You want to leave? Did you ask for my permission? You think you can just come and go? At this moment, Li Hao was terrifyingly powerful—at least to them, the current heaven and earth could not sustain such monstrous might. Right then, Jiang Li roared in desperation. White bones appeared once more—not just one, but two! Both of his fists turned crystalline again. Ignoring the spatial rifts and letting them hack into his arms until the bone cracked, he still threw a punch at Li Hao! "Retreat!" he bellowed. "Kill!" Li Hao grew irritated. Around him, the Silver Moon martial masters went all out, and the puppets roared, pursuing the fleeing combatants with savage strikes! The Ninth Division Commander pushed his sword intent to its absolute zenith, slashing straight at the golden-armored clone! Boom! A deafening roar echoed across heaven and earth! In the distance, the thunderous rumble of marching troops suddenly drifted over; the Dali army had heard the commotion and begun mobilizing. Li Hao paid it no mind. Huang Yu was holding the line over there, so there was little cause for concern. He merely wondered where the King of Dali had vanished to. His sword struck Jiang Li's arm with a crisp snap. Pain contorted Jiang Li's face, yet he still managed to block Li Hao's terrifying strike. He hurled a fist toward the sky, and with a booming crash, the Wind and Cloud Auxiliary Mirror blocking the path was sent flying! At this moment, Jiang Li's entire body was on the verge of crumbling. Yet even now, he had not forgotten the King of Dali's instructions... he had to let some ancient city powerhouses escape. He roared at the top of his lungs, "Seniors, flee! Flee back to the ancient cities! The Dali camp is no longer safe..." Those origin powerhouses needed no urging; they were already fleeing without a trace. Some even felt a touch of admiration: these Dali people were truly loyal and chivalrous. If the clones died, it was merely the loss of a clone; but if these Dali people died, they died for good. "Flee?" Li Hao's anger flared. You come to my doorstep and think you can run? In your dreams! "Di Wei!" With a low shout, an ethereal projection of the Imperial Palace materialized in the void with a thunderous rumble. A small tree swayed gently, instantly suppressing the void! Heaven and earth were locked down in an instant! It seemed as though even the firmament retreated. Seeing this, some of the fleeing origin clones screamed in terror, "The Imperial Palace..." "Quick, detonate yourselves! Let the others escape!" Although they were only clones, losing them was still a substantial blow. This time, there was no hesitation where everyone scrambled to flee while refusing to sacrifice themselves. The people of the Neo-Martial era, whether traitors or loyalists, remained extraordinarily decisive when hard choices had to be made. Boom! A series of massive detonations rang out as at least seven or eight origin clones blew themselves up on the spot. The blasts dispersed the ethereal Imperial Palace, and the small tree trembled slightly. In an instant, the remaining dozens of phantoms fled into the distance! Li Hao frowned in frustration. In all, they had intercepted and slain only around twenty origin clones. These fellows... no, this temple chief priest was truly an annoyance. In his anger, Li Hao unleashed flurry after flurry of sword strikes, hacking relentlessly at Jiang Li! Since those origin clones had fled, so be it; they were not the true bodies anyway. But this Jiang Li had to stay! Seeing that a large number of origin clones had escaped, Jiang Li breathed a slight sigh of relief. He roared and struck out at Li Hao, suffering intensely under Li Hao's fierce onslaught and the slicing spatial rifts. Around them, numerous Divine Guards and temple priests were being cut down in rapid succession! Jiang Li felt like weeping! This was truly no feigned defeat; they were genuinely outmatched. Your Majesty... even if you manage to slay those clones, this entire operation might be a net loss. Li Hao paid no heed to any of that, barking, "Ignore the ancient city powerhouses! Kill every last one of these men, let none escape!" Boom! Without the origin experts, how could these Divine Guards withstand the onslaught? In the blink of an eye, dozens were slain. A ruthless gleam flashed in Jiang Li's eyes. Suddenly, an arm flew out—not toward Li Hao, but straight toward the Silver Moon martial masters—and detonated with a thunderous roar! Numerous Silver Moon martial masters were blasted backward, coughing up blood! Fury flared in Li Hao's eyes, and he cleaved downward with his sword! Crack! He severed Jiang Li's other arm! Jiang Li ignored the loss, sweeping up the remnants of the Divine Guards and temple priests in a shroud of darkness as he attempted to break away. Li Hao's eyes turned chillingly cold. At this moment, he had only one thought: execute this man! The divine clone he had kept hidden suddenly materialized. A formidable aura erupted in an instant! It blocked Jiang Li's path of retreat. Jiang Li's expression changed, his heart sinking further. Yet at this desperate juncture, he steeled himself and gritted his teeth. Suddenly, both of his legs turned crystalline, and he kicked out toward the divine clone with immense power! Li Hao frowned and slashed from behind! Jiang Li roared, and a crystalline sheen surfaced along his spine as well. Behind him, the phantom of the Primal Martial god grew increasingly solid. The void crackled as spatial rifts sliced down relentlessly! Jiang Li could not care less. Roaring, he kicked the divine clone aside, then spun around to throw a punch that knocked even the Starry Sky Sword flying! Blood trickled from the corner of Li Hao's mouth as he stumbled backward in astonishment. How could this Primal Martial powerhouse integrate so seamlessly with him? The spatial rifts tore open once more, as if enraged that someone had broken the world's threshold. Crack! A sickening snap severed one of Jiang Li's legs. Yet he didn't care; when he tried to grab the severed leg, the divine clone slapped him with a heavy palm, sending him tumbling through the air. Abandoning the leg, he tore through the void and fled! He cursed vehemently in his heart! A catastrophic loss! Both arms gone, a leg severed, and dozens of Divine Guards and temple priests slaughtered. Forget killing a few dozen origin clones; even if they had slain dozens of true bodies, this was a ruinous exchange! *The King told me not to use special methods... told me not to use special methods...* Jiang Li truly broke down at this moment. That foolish King of Dali! Without those methods... they would have been completely wiped out! Was Li Hao even a native of this era? Dragging his mangled body—missing two arms and a leg, though the spatial rifts finally stopped slicing him—he roared as he fled into the distance: "Li Hao! If you dare pursue us, I will extract all the divine bones! Even if I cannot kill you, I will slaughter every powerhouse under your command!" Li Hao, who was about to give chase, halted and frowned. He watched coldly as Jiang Li fled, choosing not to press the pursuit. If that fellow truly threw his life away in mutual destruction, Li Hao might survive, but the others—especially the ordinary troops—would likely be wiped out. Of course, those Dali soldiers would die as well! Just then, Yuan Shuo and the others flew over, spitting blood and grinding their teeth. "Let's finish him! Since when do we fear threats?" That bastard dared to threaten them! From the distance, Jiang Li's telepathic voice drifted back: "This is no threat. We can continue testing our armies and generals as you wish. The King genuinely intends to hone his troops against Governor-General Li. If you kill us and the Dali army collapses... how will we hone our forces? Furthermore... if you truly force me to deploy all the divine bones, this entire land will turn into an abyss!" With that, Jiang Li arrived back at the Dali encampment and barked, "All forces, fall back!" Hovering in the air, a look of helplessness and anguish flashed across his eyes. Two arms and a leg... those were the bones of a Primal Martial god. Who could have imagined Li Hao would be so terrifyingly ferocious? …… Li Hao glanced in Jiang Li's direction, then turned to look toward another quarter, his brow furrowing slightly. Tonight was truly bizarre. Moreover, Jiang Li had been willing to lose the bones of a Primal Martial god just to save those origin clones... It was truly strange; those divine bones were clearly far more precious than those origin forms. Could this fellow be working hand in glove with the ancient city traitors? Could that Primal Martial god have been one of the conspirators back then? At that moment, the Ninth Division Commander flew over swiftly. He was the only one who had dashed off to hunt down the fleeing enemies. Now, he seemed in relatively good spirits. "I killed that fellow's clone. Less than thirty origin clones managed to escape; we took down at least half... As for you... you exceeded my expectations. Your strength is even greater than before!" Li Hao said nothing, merely muttering with suspicion, "Where did the King of Dali go?" He had waited the entire night and never saw the man! If not for his wariness toward the King of Dali... he would have unleashed his full strength earlier, and apart from Jiang Li, not a single one would have escaped. "Cough, cough, cough..." Nearby, Director Zhao coughed up a mouthful of blood and sent a telepathic message: "Something isn't right. Dali might not be aligned with those traitors. Jiang Li went out of his way at the end to urge them to return to the ancient cities rather than staying here... Could it be... that the King of Dali is lying in ambush along their route?" Li Hao was startled. Waiting along their route? What did that mean? "Dali needs origin power!" Director Zhao's words carried deep implication. Li Hao blinked in surprise. "Surely not?" The next instant, understanding dawned, and he chuckled. "Could... could he be that foolish? That fellow detonated one bone, and I seized two. Three Primal Martial divine bones are far more valuable than that origin power, aren't they?" The Ninth Division Commander nodded solemnly. "Far more valuable!" If the King of Dali had truly chosen this course, then he had suffered a loss that reached down to his ancestors' graves. In truth, the Ninth Division Commander was thoroughly astounded as well, and he asked, "Setting the King of Dali aside for a moment... you... how on earth are you opening acupoints so quickly?" Li Hao had actually opened 230 acupoints! Not only that, all nine elemental divine abilities had been forged into divine characters. The young man had kept quiet, leading everyone to believe his strength was still below fifteen meridians. Yet within mere days, his strength had jumped another tier. As for whether the King of Dali was truly ambushing those clones along the road... it hardly mattered anymore. Whether he succeeded or not had no bearing on Li Hao's side. Jiang Li was considered a peak powerhouse of the current era, yet against Li Hao, he was utterly countered and suppressed. If he grew too strong, spatial rifts tore into him; if he stayed weaker, Li Hao battered him directly. That was likely the dilemma of every top-tier expert. Li Hao smiled faintly. "I've only opened 230 acupoints. I had already opened 180 before, and over ten days have passed since then. Opening fifty acupoints isn't that fast, is it?" "……" Silence fell. Everyone was speechless. Acupoints grew exponentially harder to open the further along one went. Opening one at this stage was harder than opening ten earlier. To open fifty in such a short window, and then claim it wasn't fast? Even Yuan Shuo couldn't help himself: "How could it be so fast? I consider myself rapid, yet even now, I have only opened 190 acupoints, and with five elemental divine abilities, I am only slightly stronger than a seven-element expert..." His speed was considered blistering, and he felt it impossible for Li Hao to outpace him. Although his disciple possessed terrifying talent, this recent period had been Yuan Shuo's own phase of explosive growth! Li Hao glanced at his master and paused before saying, "I don't entirely know, but it really is that fast. It probably... has something to do with the will of heaven." Saying so, he pointed toward the sky. "Lately, I've felt as though myriad people are worshiping me, and when the people of the world cultivate, it feels... as if they are helping me cultivate as well... Naturally, it isn't overtly obvious, but the speed at which I absorb energy from the Bright Star Realm has increased tremendously." Yuan Shuo was taken aback, rendered speechless for a long moment. He had grasped something! The Ninth Division Commander's expression shifted beneath his golden armor. When the people of the world cultivate, Li Hao's cultivation speed accelerates... This... he had heard of this before. In the past, someone had accomplished the exact same feat. Supreme Zhang! In the Neo-Martial era, when everyone cultivated, the stronger the human race grew, the stronger Supreme Zhang became. Yet... Li Hao had not yet unified the realm, nor had he truly claimed kingship. How could this be happening? In truth, Li Hao vaguely understood a bit of it himself, but he disliked putting on airs. It made it feel as though he had become the Human King, something he cared little about. Thus, Li Hao smiled and said, "No need to dwell on that... Right now, I'm just curious whether the King of Dali is truly ambushing those fellows." If it were true... that would be quite amusing. Of course, what was even more amusing was that Chief Priest Jiang Li had paid such a heavy price for the King of Dali's sake. Could there be something extraordinary going on between those two grown men? Otherwise, losing three divine bones, even if they harvested a large amount of origin power, was an astronomical deficit. The Ninth Division Commander said hurriedly, "None of that matters. What matters is... Dali likely harbors a sleeping Primal Martial god!" He added, "If one truly exists, that entity's strength must be formidable! Primal Martial experts might adapt more easily to the current heaven and earth and could potentially break through the barriers to emerge from the ruins. Just now, when that man unleashed power exceeding the limit, the spatial rifts cut him with less ferocity than they do against origin power... Primal Martial... this era is, in some sense, a new Primal Martial era as well!" Li Hao understood. Primal Martial powerhouses would likely find it easier to emerge than origin powerhouses. This indeed warranted serious attention. He quickly composed himself, glanced at the drifting origin power, and smiled. "Those ancient city experts are truly generous, sending me another batch of origin power just when I was fretting over running out!" He chuckled and continued, "Gather the origin power here. Also... I'm going out for a bit. Keep an eye on Jiang Li, everyone. I'm going to rob the King of Dali. If he truly is dealing with those people... asking for half the spoils isn't asking too much, is it?" With a roguish chuckle, he vanished on the spot. After he departed, Director Wang spoke weakly, "That fellow extracted my Dao coordinates and nearly caused me to collapse... and now he's off to plague the King of Dali. Being his enemy must be truly... miserable!" Li Hao was becoming increasingly unfathomable. Though he seemed easygoing on normal days, he felt more and more enigmatic to Director Wang. The Ninth Division Commander remained silent. Technically, Li Hao was his descendant separated by countless generations... Though he wasn't Li Hao's direct forebear, he was still a collateral ancestor, yet he found the youth increasingly impossible to read. Tonight, when Jiang Li displayed the Primal Martial bones, he had braced for a grueling, bitter battle. Yet Li Hao had neutralized the threat with apparent ease. This fellow... if the second resurgence didn't begin soon, everyone would be spun around his little finger. He looked toward the Dali camp. If Li Hao hadn't wanted to temper his troops, perhaps... he could have slaughtered every powerhouse in Dali single-handedly! His thoughts turned back to the Human King. If the Human King were here, he might well have done just that, rather than choosing to temper his army. Sometimes, one felt that while the Human King had a heavy thirst for slaughter, deep down he genuinely cared for humanity. Li Hao, on the other hand... was fundamentally cold. To achieve his goals, Li Hao didn't mind sacrificing lives. For a moment, the Ninth Division Commander felt dazed. Why had he taken to comparing Li Hao to the Human King so often lately? Li Hao and the Human King were worlds apart. Yet he kept making the comparison unconsciously. If this went on, he worried he might betray Neo-Martial and defect to this young man's camp. A terrifying fellow! Thinking of this, he remembered his true body. If the second resurgence occurred and his true self could emerge, he would rival a Saint... vastly stronger than Li Hao. Why did he find the youth so terrifying? It was bizarre. Remembering the evaluation he had once given Li Hao—*unfit for greatness*—he felt that upon returning, he needed to tear that page from his ledger, lest someone read it one day and laugh at his blindness!