Matchless Might

South of Silver City. A contingent of origin expert clones was fleeing in panic. Li Hao’s ferocity had exceeded all expectations. They had originally assumed that no matter how powerful Li Hao was, he would merely be at the ceiling of the current era. Their clones might not match him individually, but the gap shouldn't have been insurmountable—much like when Lin Hongyu had slain a clone previously. Formidable though he was, in a one-on-one duel, everyone still thought they had a chance to turn the tables. Yet who could have foreseen that Li Hao had already surpassed that threshold? This unexpected turn of events instantly threw them into disarray, plunging them into a desperate predicament. Fortunately, Dali's Chief Priest was exceptionally formidable and could even wield Primal Martial bones, which had allowed them to narrowly escape with their lives. At this moment, the group fled rapidly, every one of them rattled. Losing a clone was no small loss for their true bodies. Preserving the clones was by far the best outcome. As they bolted in frantic flight, someone suddenly let out a low roar: "Look out!" In an instant, heaven and earth spun wildly! In a daze, tens of thousands of elite troops and dozens of superpowered combatants suddenly materialized before them. Directly in front, the King of Dali rode at the vanguard. He glanced at these origin experts and cracked a faint smile. Not bad—there were still several dozen left, which matched his expectations. "Kill!" With a low bark, the natural force of heaven and earth bore down, upending the world. Behind him, the elite soldiers suddenly manifested armor—unexpectedly, it was Neo-Martial armor as well. Not only that, but their armor possessed a far more primitive, savage aura than that of Battle Heaven City. Even more shocking, these soldiers coalesced into a colossal giant in an instant. It was not the linked vital energy and blood of Neo-Martial formations! It was a true composite assembly: the armored soldiers seemed to become components of the giant itself, tens of thousands of elite troops transforming into an enormous mecha warrior. Gripping a massive battleaxe, it cleaved downward! The fleeing experts all paled in horror. A fusion battle technique! This technique was far more formidable than the military technique of linked vital energy, but it was also far more dangerous. If the giant were shattered, all those soldiers would die. Yet it was undeniably more devastating. As the giant formed from the soldiers brought its axe down, its dense vital energy tore through the void. Countless pairs of eyes emerged within it, and in the next moment, tens of thousands of troops roared in unison! Boom! Their vital energy surged with peerless intensity! The axe cleaved the void, and with a sharp crack, an origin clone was smashed to pieces. "King of Dali!" Someone roared in fury, "How dare you!" It was actually the King of Dali intercepting them! Damn it! This time, they had come to assist the King of Dali in battle. These experts also bellowed one after another, expanding into towering giants. Yet the King of Dali was peerlessly ferocious. His body swelled countless times larger in an instant, and his iron fists detonated the void with a single punch! With a thunderous crash, an origin clone was blown apart on the spot! Behind him, the Divine Guards were also terrifyingly powerful, far stronger than the squad that had ambushed Li Hao earlier. Moreover, these people all possessed distinct, unique traits. Some had golden arms radiating peerless might. Some had eyes gleaming with golden light, like Heavenly Eyes. Others swept the surroundings with overwhelming mental energy, stirring up tempestuous waves. These Divine Guards were the ones who had truly inherited aspects of Primal Martial abilities. Each possessed an ultimate skill, and every one of them was remarkably strong—scarcely weaker than some Silver Moon martial masters. In an instant, they struck in unison. Together with the King of Dali and the soldier-formed giant, dealing with this band of mere origin clones became an instantaneous slaughter. Origin clones were already far inferior to their true bodies. Furthermore, back at Li Hao's location, they had consumed considerable energy. With no external origin source to replenish them, their strength had already been severely diminished. Among the ancient city experts, one let out a shrill roar and unleashed a powerful combat technique! The devastating technique tore through the void! It forced several Divine Guards to cough up blood and retreat repeatedly. Yet these individuals quickly became the King of Dali's targets. The King of Dali traversed the void, his iron fists shattering space with every strike. Golden light shimmered across his body, like an imperishable true form! Punch followed punch, blasting several people apart in the blink of an eye. "King of Dali... you dare ambush and slaughter us... You're courting death!" At this moment, someone roared in rage, looked around, and bellowed, "Fight!" In an instant, as if receiving a command, the remaining origin clones turned crimson in the blink of an eye. The King of Dali frowned slightly. The Blood Saber Art? The remaining experts transformed into crimson silhouettes. One shrieked, "Though we turned traitor, we too lived through the Neo-Martial era! How could we allow ourselves to be slain so easily by you ants? Kill!" With that shrill roar, the remaining origin clones erupted in sheer fury. Back against Li Hao, they had launched an offensive. Having lost, following their superior's orders, they fled. That was fine! Yet here, the King of Dali actually dared ambush and slaughter them. That was utterly intolerable! Furthermore, they needed to send the news of the King of Dali's betrayal back. In an instant, their combat strength skyrocketed. Boom! Several crimson figures detonated on the spot. Amid the deafening explosion, the massive giant formed of soldiers stumbled backward, crushing the void beneath its feet. A cacophony of cracking sounds erupted, followed by countless screams of agony. The King of Dali's gaze turned chillingly grim. He had expected a complete rout, yet the enemy had counterattacked so fiercely. In that single blast, an untold number of his soldiers had perished. Refusing to waste any more time, he let out a low roar. At that moment, an immense face seemed to emerge across the sky. The King of Dali tilted his head toward the heavens and took a massive bite at the sky! In an instant, he seemed to swallow something into his belly, and his aura surged once again. He flashed before an ancient city expert and brought his palm down like a celestial cage! Boom! The crimson figure roared furiously, "When my true body emerges, I will surely slaughter you!" Boom! The origin clone detonated instantly, blowing the King of Dali's massive palm into ragged tatters. The King of Dali frowned once more. Why did these fellows feel far tougher than what he had anticipated? He was simply out of luck! These ancient city experts had originally hoped to preserve their clones to return. Thus, against Li Hao, and with orders from the superiors in the cities, their first thought upon being outmatched had been to flee. Moreover, someone had covered their retreat, leaving them with no reason to fight to the death. Now, however, seeing the King of Dali blocking their way and sensing his overwhelming might, they knew returning to their true bodies was impossible. Why hold anything back? Even if they were traitors, they had been Neo-Martial experts. At their core, they were savage. Seeing that there was no way out, they erupted instantly, employing whatever battle techniques were most brutal. Blood Saber Arts, self-destructions—they unleashed everything without hesitation. If even one escaped, it was a victory; after all, these were merely clones. Boom! Boom! Boom! A string of explosions rang out as torrential power swept through heaven and earth. Boom! A powerful Divine Guard was blown to pieces. The King of Dali's eyes twitched slightly. These Divine Guards were the true elite of the Dali Dynasty, exceptionally formidable. He had originally thought they would easily crush their quarry... yet these madmen possessed no fear of death and detonated themselves directly, blasting a mighty Divine Guard into oblivion in the blink of an eye. Not only that, but many other Divine Guards were sent flying, coughing up blood, teetering on the brink of death. The soldier-formed giant was battered to collapse by the self-destruction of five or six clones. Tens of thousands of soldiers were flung outward; some were obliterated instantly, while others barely survived under the protection of their armor. The King of Dali's face turned ashen. He threw a punch, blowing apart a clone that was just about to detonate with a resounding crash! *** At the same time. In the distance. Li Hao, concealed within the void, drew a sharp breath. So fierce? To be frank, he hadn't thought much of these Neo-Martial traitors. Because they were clones, he hadn't taken them too seriously—killing them was just killing clones. Besides, they were traitors... so he felt no goodwill toward them. Previously in the Heavenly Star Sea and Silver City, his subordinates had eliminated them with ease. Yet now... they were this vicious? Li Hao inhaled quietly. He had only just arrived. Because the commotion was considerable, he had sensed it despite the King of Dali's concealment techniques. And the moment he arrived, he witnessed this brutal spectacle. They had blown themselves up without the slightest hesitation or reluctance. Perhaps it was because they were clones and wouldn't truly die. Or perhaps... it was because the King of Dali had chosen to ambush and betray them, sticking in their throats like a fishbone. As traitors themselves, they despised traitors more than anyone else. Such complex emotions were beyond Li Hao's comprehension. Around thirty origin clones had been present; in the blink of an eye, at least half had detonated. Another seven or eight had been slain. The remaining few did not detonate, seizing the opening to flee in all directions. One roared fiercely, "How dare you betray us... King of Dali, you and your Dali Dynasty will become things of the past!" The King of Dali's expression turned grim. Without a word, a weapon suddenly materialized in his hand—a pair of gauntlets, or rather, a single gauntlet. Because the golden gauntlet covered only one of his hands. A golden gauntlet! At this moment, the Starry Sky Sword in Li Hao's hand trembled slightly. The King of Dali glanced coldly at a patch of empty space. Without speaking, he threw a punch. Space itself seemed to collapse, and with a thunderous roar, the expert who had just threatened him was pulverized directly within the shattered void. The King of Dali vanished instantly, reappearing in front of another person. That expert seemed terrified, recognizing something, and shrieked, "How is that possible?!" That gauntlet... he seemed to recognize it! How could the King of Dali possess that person's legacy? Utterly impossible! That person had seemingly never set foot in this world—how could he have left behind an inheritance? Even if it wasn't an inheritance... where did that gauntlet come from? Boom! Before the shout died away, the gauntlet seemed to shatter the world. Another boom resonated, and the origin expert clone was ripped apart directly, still wearing an expression of disbelief: "Emperor of Tyrant Heaven... no, impossible..." Bang! The clone burst apart! That gauntlet was truly matchless in might. In the darkness, Li Hao's expression shifted slightly. What a powerful gauntlet, what a terrifying weapon! The Starry Sky Sword in his grasp vibrated faintly. Emperor of Tyrant Heaven? He felt puzzled. Who was the Emperor of Tyrant Heaven? By now, he knew quite a bit about the Neo-Martial Sovereigns. Was there such a person? He had never heard anyone mention that title before. Meanwhile, the King of Dali swept his cold gaze across the surroundings. He surged forward, traversing the void, his powerful physical body shimmering with golden light. Punch after punch hammered out. Any fleeing origin clone that crossed his path met almost certain death! This man's combat prowess was unfathomably formidable. Like Li Hao, he had surpassed the world's constraints. Right at that moment, a figure fled toward Li Hao's hiding spot. In the darkness, a brilliant flash of sword light illuminated heaven and earth. Crack! The void splintered. The fleeing expert was cleaved cleanly in two. He seemed to look at Li Hao, then back at the King of Dali behind him, before suddenly detonating. A sneering laugh echoed outward: "Both breaking past the limit... one mountain cannot hold two tigers... let's see which of you dies!" With those words, he collapsed completely. At that very moment, dozens of Divine Guards converged around Li Hao. The King of Dali, having dispatched the last origin clone, stepped across the void and fixed his gaze upon Li Hao. He had sensed Li Hao's presence earlier. Frowning slightly, he asked calmly, "Where is Jiang Li?" Li Hao had actually come here. Then what about Jiang Li? In his estimation, Jiang Li should have been able to stall Li Hao for some time. Even if he couldn't, he should have intimidated Li Hao into staying put. Yet here Li Hao was. Li Hao looked around and smiled. "Dali has no shortage of top-tier experts, and these Divine Guards have quite a few tricks. Of course, I'm even more curious—where did that gauntlet come from?" The King of Dali remained impassive. "Didn't you hear?" "I did. The Emperor of Tyrant Heaven... though I've never heard of him before." The King of Dali chuckled. "Naturally. In the Primal Martial era, there were the Nine Emperors and Four Heavenly Emperors: Battle, Tyrant, Extinction, and Combat. All were supreme figures of Primal Martial! Later, the Nine Emperors and Heavenly Emperors opened the Origin era. The other four Extreme Dao Heavenly Emperors perished in battle... and later, each had reincarnations. The Emperor of Tyrant Heaven was that Sovereign who emerged from Capital Martial Arts University during the Neo-Martial era, so people preferred to call him the Iron Sovereign, or the Jingwu Sovereign..." Enlightenment dawned on Li Hao, and a thought struck him. "So, the reincarnation of the Emperor of Battle Heaven was the Blood Sovereign?" "Correct." The King of Dali seemed to know a great deal. He said indifferently, "However, none of them considered themselves the reincarnations of those figures. The past was the past, and the present is the present. Therefore, during the Neo-Martial era, such matters were no longer mentioned." Li Hao understood! So that was why! No wonder Battle Heaven City had been so thrilled when the Blood Sovereign bestowed upon them their title. He also recalled the vision within the words 'Battle Heaven' when he had first visited Battle Heaven City: that Blood Sovereign had seemingly said that he was he, and I was I. In that case, was this gauntlet truly an artifact left behind by a supreme Sovereign? Li Hao smiled. "It seems Your Majesty has obtained quite an extraordinary legacy as well!" The King of Dali remained unusually calm. "In this era—or rather, in any era—no one becomes powerful out of thin air. Everyone has their own opportunities! To have reached where you are today, you must have had plenty of opportunities yourself. Why be envious?" "Fair point!" Li Hao nodded slightly. A moment later, he looked around and smiled. "Your Majesty's strength is formidable, matchless in might. How about... a spar?" The King of Dali's vital energy and blood surged toward the heavens! He stared at Li Hao for a long time before asking once more, "Where is Jiang Li?" "Him?" Li Hao wore an odd expression. "Nothing major. He just lost both arms and a leg. He's fine now and has already headed back." The King of Dali fell silent. He let out a soft exhale. "Hand it over!" "Hand what over?" "The Primal Martial white jade bone!" The King of Dali looked at Li Hao, a chill flashing in his eyes. "Hand it over, and I will let you walk away today!" Li Hao chuckled, laughing heartily. He bared his teeth in a grin. "I'm not nearly as overbearing as you, Your Majesty. How about this: give me seventy percent of all the origin power you gathered tonight, and throw in ten thousand sets of those tens of thousands of suits of armor. That will satisfy me. My request isn't excessive, is it?" The King of Dali smiled. "Very well! Try and take them!" "I've been looking for someone to test my sword on!" Li Hao laughed as well. "The second resurgence hasn't begun, and I've been quite lonely! If it were just me, I would have triggered it long ago, actively opening it to test my sword against the world! Alas... this world does not belong to me alone!" In an instant, his sword illuminated the sky! The void tore open! As if a chaotic space had been unsealed, Li Hao stepped inside, raised his sword, and laughed. "Please! Li Hao of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office, Silver Moon martial master!" The King of Dali looked at him coldly. Around them, the Divine Guards moved to follow, but the King of Dali raised a hand. "Return for now! I... wish to witness the might of the Demon Sword for myself!" With that, he stepped into the chaotic space. In the next instant, a beam of sword light roared like a fierce tiger, and a fist phantom tore through heaven and earth! Boom! Heaven and earth ruptured as raw energy swept across the world! At that moment, a massive sword and a pair of fists seemed to manifest above all of Silver Moon. *** Inside the chaotic space. Li Hao was exhilarated, his acupoints opening as 230 radiant clusters blazed like suns. Nine Dao meridians coursed through his entire body. No longer condensed into divine characters, the meridians were fully established within his flesh. Connecting to the Bright Star Realm, boundless energy seemed to flood in. Li Hao slashed his sword, sundering the firmament. Boom! A colossal fist struck out, hitting the Starry Sky Sword hard enough to make it shudder. This was the first time he had encountered someone so powerful, wielding such a formidable weapon—the gauntlet felt even sturdier than the Starry Sky Sword. Li Hao grew even more excited! "Sever Self!" With a low bark, Li Hao moved like an assassin, his sword piercing the heavens. Free of energy fluctuations, it shattered the void continuously. The King of Dali remained silent, throwing a single punch! Between the two of them, the void fragmented relentlessly. Li Hao struck, struck, and struck again! His excitement mounted as they battled fiercely across the wasteland, shattering the void, emerging again, his sword rippling across heaven and earth. Nearby, an illusory figure hovering above an ancient city paled. Before it could even speak, crack! The sword light shattered the phantom! A furious curse echoed from within the ancient city! Li Hao didn't care which ancient city it was. Here, beyond the constraints of the world, he was an invincible presence—though perhaps... the man opposite him was too. Tonight, a sword and a pair of fists illuminated the Silver Moon land. Phantoms manifested above ancient cities one after another. Some were shaken, some astonished, some filled with emotion. That was Li Hao... and the King of Dali? These were likely the two most powerful individuals in the world today, weren't they? Shattering the void, traveling thousands of li while locked in combat, battling across heaven and earth. This was... true Peak Realm combat power! Indeed, true Peak Realm power, boasting the strength of an origin Peak Realm expert. The current so-called Peak Realm, the so-called Seven Elements, were entirely different from them. Unless true Immortal Realm bodies emerged, they were inferior to these genuine Peak Realm combatants. In an era where Immortal Realm true bodies could not manifest, these two represented the absolute ceiling of the world's combat power. Both had broken past the limit! Both enjoyed the favor of Heaven's will, enabling them to unleash their peak combat strength. *** "A continuation of the Sword Venerable and the Jingwu Sovereign?" Within Battle Heaven City, General Huai murmured with deep emotion. Li Hao wielded the Longevity Sword Technique, while the King of Dali appeared to be using the battle techniques of the Jingwu Sovereign. Their weapons were also inherited from those figures. Yet... why would that Sovereign from Jingwu have left a weapon here? It was utterly bizarre! "Who will win?" General Huai asked. The Old Turtle shook his head; he did not know either. Both had touched the ceiling of this world. At this point, who could say who would emerge victorious? *** On this day, countless experts across the Silver Moon land watched the battle from the shadows. Even the descendant of the Sea Suppressing Emissary in the North Sea separated an origin clone to watch from the depths of the ocean. In some regions, sky screens even captured glimpses of the duel, showing the two tearing through the void and flashing past. A towering mountain vanished in an instant—leveled by a sweep of Li Hao's sword and ground to dust by a single punch from the King of Dali. Unimaginable power! The battle had erupted so abruptly. Even the Silver Moon experts were taken by surprise. Although Li Hao had mentioned going to demand some benefits, they hadn't expected the two to clash directly—and so ruthlessly, holding nothing back. Tearing through the void, fighting across vast distances, the entire northern continent became their battleground. Everyone watched with bated breath. If either died, it would be a catastrophe of monumental proportions. If the King of Dali died, even though Dali still had Jiang Li, Jiang Li would likely be unable to suppress Dali's proud and fierce commanders. Likewise, on Li Hao's side, if Li Hao died, who could keep the ancient cities in check? Who could suppress those arrogant Silver Moon martial masters? Perhaps the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office would swiftly disintegrate. *** The northern continent. In a desolate, uninhabited wasteland, the void tore open once more. Li Hao let out a low bark, and a rift seemed to open in the sky. Thunder roared, wild winds howled, the five elements erupted, and light and darkness alternated! Opposite him, the King of Dali answered with just another punch! "Flashy nonsense!" The King of Dali snorted coldly. Li Hao possessed far too many methods, but in his eyes, they were all superficial. Five elements, celestial cages, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning—all flashy, empty tricks. Against all things in the world, my fist alone suffices! Li Hao said nothing. His sword hovered in midair as he looked up at the sky. In that instant, the sword seemed to transform into a law of the Great Dao. Li Hao stood bathed in heaven and earth, nine massive stars revolving around him! With a wave of Li Hao's hand, the great stars crashed into the world! Boom! The King of Dali punched repeatedly, shattering every incoming star. Li Hao coughed up a mouthful of blood, while the King of Dali's face turned slightly pale. In the next instant, Li Hao's body expanded countless times. He transformed into a towering giant! At this moment, even across the entire north, people could vaguely see that colossal figure piercing the heavens! Li Hao's eyes were like the sun and moon, great stars striding through the sky, while 230 acupoints radiated brilliant starlight. At this moment, Li Hao seemed to embody the cosmos itself. A smile appeared on his face. "Flashy nonsense? Blind to the beauty of the Dao, ignorant of the wonder of martial arts—King of Dali, you are nothing more than a barbarian!" "Let me show you what the sun and moon truly mean!" Li Hao let out a low shout, and a bright moon rose into the sky, illuminating heaven and earth. In the next moment, he raised his right hand, and a blazing sun materialized! Cradling the moon in his left hand and holding the sun in his right! At this moment, a titan resembling a god or demon stood between heaven and earth, hurling the sun and moon toward the King of Dali! Heaven and earth crumbled! The King of Dali roared, throwing a punch that blazed like a radiant sun. Boom! Deafening crashes resounded without end. The King of Dali was driven backward step by step, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth, his expression shaken. This Li Hao... grew fiercer the longer he fought! As if struck by an idea, he roared again, transforming into a myriad-zhang giant. Tearing through the void and enduring tremendous pressure, he closed the distance to Li Hao, roared, and hammered out a punch! Boom! Li Hao was forced back a step, cracks spiderwebbing across his body. The King of Dali was overjoyed. "Your physical body... is nothing special after all!" Li Hao's physical body was not as formidable as he had imagined. Indeed, it was only his Dao laws and divine abilities that were terrifying. His fleshly body was inferior to his own. If Li Hao's body had been as powerful as his Dao, the King of Dali felt that he would have been utterly defeated today. This young man's strength had already surpassed all imagination, and his comprehension of the Dao was vastly deeper than his own. Yet now... he saw an opening! This sight also allowed several experts thousands of li away to breathe a faint sigh of relief. Fortunately, at least for now, there was still someone in this world who could restrain Li Hao. Otherwise, with the strength Li Hao had displayed, who could possibly match him? Before the world underwent its resurgence, no matter how many Saints or Heavenly Kings existed, they could only watch helplessly, unable to intervene. The King of Dali... must not lose! At this moment, more than one person held this thought. If the King of Dali fell, they truly could not imagine who at this stage could rival Li Hao. Yet at that exact moment, as Li Hao was being forced back, he suddenly chuckled. "The physical body... isn't everything! King of Dali, let me give you a taste of my new technique, one I've never used before..." With that, Li Hao suddenly split into nine! Instantly standing in nine directions! At this moment, nine Li Haos encircled the King of Dali. A new cosmos seemed to appear between heaven and earth, Li Hao transforming into nine great stars whose collective force bore down. "Thunder!" Rumble! A thunder-clad Li Hao unleashed countless roaring bolts of lightning. A gale-clad Li Hao waved a hand, summoning a tempest that swept the world. In that instant, nine Li Haos stood in nine directions, unleashing every manner of divine ability simultaneously. Yet that was not all! Suddenly, another Li Hao appeared in the sky—the true body, gripping the Starry Sky Sword. With a single cleave, the divine abilities of the others converged into this one strike, sending the King of Dali in the center flying with immense force! "Roar!" The King of Dali let out a beast-like bellow. With a furious roar, he threw a punch that sounded like the shrieking of tens of thousands of fiends. With a thunderous boom, the barriers of heaven and earth seemed to shatter! The ten Li Haos merged back into one in an instant. Meanwhile, the King of Dali was drenched in blood, golden droplets dripping steadily from his body. He panted heavily. His flesh bore charred marks from lightning strikes, scorched burns from fire, and frostbitten cracks from freezing ice. The King of Dali's gaze was chilling as he stared at the equally breathless Li Hao opposite him. A sense of profound shock gripped his heart! Just like Li Hao, he had been confident that no one in this world could rival him! He was the strongest King of Dali in history! He had even suppressed the temple that had endured for countless eras, forcing the Chief Priest to serve him. He had marched his armies into the Central Plains, scheming against the ancient cities, with an eternal hegemony well within his grasp. Toward Li Hao, he had merely considered him a prodigy—a genius of this era. Yet a genius was not an overlord. And he was an overlord! Yet in today's battle, despite his matchless might, he had struggled to overcome Li Hao. Although he had not lost, Li Hao possessed far too many methods. Could this truly belong to a martial master who had cultivated for merely a few months? Wielding all manner of divine abilities with consummate ease— Was this still a martial master? Opposite him, Li Hao flashed a grin. "King of Dali... you've got real grit! I love fighting a martial artist like you!" His smile grew increasingly maniacal. Wonderful! Being invincible under heaven was actually quite lonely. Of course, he wasn't truly invincible, but before the second resurgence, Li Hao felt that everyone else was utterly vulnerable. Even that Jiang Li amounted to nothing. Everything was within his control! They could only be strong if he allowed it; if he didn't, they couldn't be. Yet this man, blessed by Heaven's will, could also break through limits boundlessly. Such an opponent was truly interesting. Had Dali not invaded, Li Hao would have entered the ruins to duel real Immortals, fighting them one-on-one to hone his sword! Unfortunately, Dali had blocked his path. In that case... he would use this King of Dali as his whetstone. Whatever he wanted to try, whatever he wanted to test, he would test it all on this man. Thus, in the next moment, Li Hao made another move. Suddenly, he slashed his sword toward the void! A divine character manifested. "Dao"! When this divine character appeared, the void seemed to shatter beneath the sword. The King of Dali's expression changed! Not just him—at that moment, countless watching experts paled. "The Great Dao Universe!" "The New Dao Universe!" Indeed, at that moment, oriented by the divine character "Dao", the Starry Sky Sword seemed to tear through the firmament. Li Hao stood beneath the sword as a vast power vibrated through it, and a unique energy from the Bright Star Realm flowed down the blade, instantly merging into Li Hao's body. "Think your body is strong?" At this moment, Li Hao absorbed that power, using the Starry Sky Sword as a vessel and the "Dao" divine character as cosmic coordinates to suddenly breach the Bright Star Realm. At that instant, the entire Heavenly Star Dynasty felt an immense, overwhelming pressure. Li Hao's body glittered like starlight. He chuckled and threw a punch! A tiger roared! A ferocious tiger manifested instantly, pouncing toward the King of Dali with the punch. With a thunderous boom, the King of Dali swung his fist. Bang! The gauntlet remained intact, but the hand inside was instantly crushed to pulp! Vibrational force rippled through him. At this moment, Li Hao seemed to carry the weight of a universe. That single punch sent the previously fierce King of Dali flying backward, coughing up blood continuously, thoroughly astounded! "Five Animals Secret Art—Tiger Fist!" Li Hao let out a light laugh. The next moment, an ape's cry echoed from his lips. His massive silhouette swayed through the void like an ape, then leapt joyfully like a young deer. In an instant, he appeared beside his foe. A punch! The void splintered! Flipping upside down like a monkey's tail whipping through the air, his foot shattered space. Boom! The King of Dali was kicked flying. At this moment, the King of Dali was engulfed in shock. He was... outmatched! Just as the King of Dali was reeling, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly drifted from an unknown direction: "Leave this place. He can only unleash invincible strength in the vicinity of the Starry Sky Sword. He doesn't yet have the ability to truly pierce the Great Dao Universe. You must not continue fighting him within the range of the Starry Sky Sword, or else... you will surely die!" The King of Dali snapped to his senses instantly! With a furious roar, he turned and fled, throwing a punch that shattered the starlight barrier with a resounding boom. Behind him, Li Hao threw a punch that slammed into his back with a loud thud, mangling his flesh, but he could no longer care. He fled through the void in an instant. Meanwhile, Li Hao glanced coldly in a certain direction, suddenly smiling. "Just you wait! I don't care if you're the head of the Zheng family, or Li Daoheng of the Li family, or whoever else. You dared interfere in my duel. In Silver Moon, that is a cardinal sin of the martial world. The whole world is the martial world! After the second resurgence, I will slaughter you!" Silence answered him. The voice from earlier seemed to have vanished entirely. No one knew who had spoken just then. At that moment, experts above the ancient cities swept their mental energy across the surroundings, yet could not extend it far enough. Expressions shifted. Li Hao had mentioned Li Daoheng of the Li family, the head of the Zheng family... How... could that be possible? Meanwhile, Li Hao reached out, beckoning the Starry Sky Sword back. The "Dao" divine character flew back and sank into his body; it was already beginning to fracture. In truth, Li Hao had merely been experimenting. Even if that voice hadn't spoken, he couldn't have maintained it for much longer. If the King of Dali hadn't fled and had simply held out a bit longer, the divine character would have shattered. Li Hao wouldn't have allowed it to break, so he might not have been able to slay the King of Dali in that window. However, there was no need to dwell on that now. Li Hao waved a hand, manifesting a sky screen. His voice echoed across the world: "Demon Hunting Army, full-scale offensive! Kill!" *** In the Silver Moon region. Silver City. Everyone froze. In the next moment, the Ninth Division Commander seemed to understand Li Hao's intent and roared, "All forces, attack! Kill! The King of Dali is defeated—slay the enemy!" At this moment, everyone had caught glimpses of the battle. In the next instant, hundreds of thousands of soldiers roared and charged rapidly toward the distance with thunderous momentum! Jiang Li's expression changed slightly, and he had no choice but to bark, "Attack!" The two great torrents clashed instantly. Battle cries shook the heavens. At this moment, Li Hao's side possessed morale soaring to the absolute peak! Because just moments ago, their leader had defeated the King of Dali with invincible might, forcing him to flee! Had an ancient expert not intervened, the King of Dali might have been slain! That invincible King of Dali had been terrifyingly formidable. Yet he had still been defeated by their leader! At this moment, their morale was at an all-time high. Conversely, Dali's morale had plummeted. Furthermore, the King of Dali had drawn away a portion of the elite troops—all exceptionally formidable combatants—and was not currently present in the camp. In an instant, despite having numerous experts, they were suppressed by the Heavenly Star Army, with the Battle Heaven Army serving as the vanguard. Roars of slaughter shook the world! It was only when the King of Dali returned, radiating a golden beam that lit up the sky just as the Dali army was on the verge of collapsing, that the battle came to an end—because the King of Dali was back! With a furious shout from the King of Dali, their morale finally stabilized, and they began to counterattack! From the direction of Silver City, Li Hao traversed the void, his laughter echoing: "Withdraw the army!" The Heavenly Star Army, which had nearly pushed all the way into the enemy camp, fell back upon hearing Li Hao's voice. Above Silver City, Li Hao looked across at the opposite side, smiling brilliantly. "King of Dali, stay here and train my troops well! Don't run off! The millions of soldiers under my Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office are relying on Dali to forge them into an elite army! If you're unconvinced, tell those ancient city experts to come over as they please. I don't mind harvesting some origin power!" The King of Dali said nothing, merely staring coldly at Li Hao. Beside him, Jiang Li's gaze was complicated. He too looked at Li Hao, his heart aching with a twinge as he recalled the Primal Martial divine bone he had lost earlier. Yet Li Hao paid them no further attention. He looked around and gazed into the distance, his voice resounding grandly: "Before the second resurgence, this world belongs to me, Li Hao! If anyone is unconvinced, come out and face me! The ruins belong to you, the darkness belongs to you, but heaven and earth, and the light, belong to me!" Though utterly arrogant, at this moment, every ancient city remained deathly silent. In an era where true bodies could not emerge, who could match Li Hao with a mere clone? Even the King of Dali, who had likewise broken past the limit, was no match for Li Hao—let alone their clones. Li Hao's words left the millions of Heavenly Star troops exhilarated and thrilled. Li Hao had openly declared that these Dali soldiers were merely for training their troops. It was... incomparably domineering! Across the way, the King of Dali glanced at Li Hao without another word and retreated into his command tent. The moment he sat down, cracks spread across his body. Jiang Li, who had followed him inside, paled instantly. "Your Majesty!" The King of Dali shook his head slightly, his voice deep. "It's nothing. I simply didn't expect this Li Hao... to possess so many tricks. I had thought that no one in this world could stand against me..." At this point, he sneered, "Li Hao is merely putting on an act to intimidate some ancient figures. Don't think he's in any better shape than I am." Jiang Li had his doubts, but said nothing. *** At the same time. Silver City. Amid the crowd's excitement, Li Hao returned to the Inspectorate. Suddenly, his body fractured, blood pouring out. Yuan Shuo and the others were thoroughly shaken. Li Hao laughed. "I'm fine. My physical body really isn't strong enough, and the power rushing in from the Bright Star Realm was too overwhelming... I haven't opened enough acupoints. If I had a few dozen more, it wouldn't be an issue. That King of Dali... actually surprised me. I didn't expect him to be so tough!" The Ninth Division Commander, who had just arrived and witnessed this scene upon entering, sighed softly. "The Li family... always like this. An inescapable curse—their bodies always collapse after a battle..." Everyone froze, and Li Hao blinked before bursting into hearty laughter. What a thing to say! As he laughed, he suddenly waved his sword, incinerating all the blood on the ground to ash. Li Hao looked up at the sky, frowning slightly, and couldn't help but curse: "Filthy mongrel, still trying to steal my vital energy and blood!" With that, he looked up at the void once more. The Eight Trigrams diagram had grown increasingly clear; faintly, he seemed to glimpse something within it. Remembering something, he said, "Director Zhao, make a trip to the Dali military camp. Pass word to the King of Dali that the Three Great Organizations might be raiding his home base. Of course, if they're working together, then pretend I said nothing!" Director Zhao's expression shifted slightly. He nodded without saying much. Li Hao looked up at the Eight Trigrams diagram in the sky, his brows furrowing again. As time passed, the diagram seemed much clearer than before, yet also somewhat dimmer. That was hardly a good sign! Of course, for now, Li Hao cast those thoughts aside. He turned to the crowd and said, "Continue training the troops. I'm going into seclusion for a few days to digest today's gains. That King of Dali allowed me to test quite a few new battle techniques... he's practically a good samaritan. Once I beat him properly, if he's willing to be my sparring partner, I might even spare his life!" "..." Everyone was speechless. That was truly arrogant. The Ninth Division Commander remained silent for a moment before suddenly remarking, "This troop training might cost a great many lives..." Li Hao looked at him with a hint of confusion. "This world does not belong to me alone; it belongs to everyone. I do what I must, and everyone does what they must. Only in this way can we preserve the strength of this new era after I am gone. You are a fierce military commander, Division Commander—why such sentimentality?" He didn't wish to see people die, but he could not be everyone's lifelong savior. The world still belonged to everyone; only through self-reliance and self-strengthening could the new era thrive. Otherwise, it would be just like the Neo-Martial era: once the Human King and the Sword Venerable left, the others seemed to lose their souls, buzzing about aimlessly like headless flies, no longer knowing what they were fighting for. Li Hao felt that Neo-Martial had many virtues, but also flaws. Only when everyone grew strong would a civilization avoid rapid collapse upon losing a few key figures. A mighty era required everyone to be strong, not just him alone. At this moment, the Ninth Division Commander said nothing more. He merely felt a sense of emotion in his heart. Truly, they were different after all. Li Hao... was not the Human King. Li Hao was simply Li Hao.