After completing its patrol circuit, the warship returned once more to Heavenly Star City.
Li Hao had not completely washed his hands of the four surrounding lands. Instead, he dispatched envoys to requisition and temporarily reorganize the local armies across the four domains, preventing them from scattering chaotically or taking advantage of the turmoil to ravage the lands themselves.
To the commanders left behind to hold down the forts, Li Hao gave only one requirement: they could fight, but they were to avoid it whenever possible.
Now that everyone understood the gravity of the situation, none of them would actively provoke an engagement.
Under these constraints, passive defense was the only course left.
In the south.
Southern Fist had not actually wanted to garrison Shuiyun; he had wanted to head west. Li Hao, however, felt the man had a fiery temper, and the Western Queen was hardly known for her gentle demeanor either, making a clash all too likely.
And so Southern Fist was posted to the south to keep watch over Shuiyun.
Whether the Empress Dowager of Shuiyun was truly fragile or merely feigning weakness, she was at least clearheaded enough to read the lay of the land.
Before they departed, Li Hao left the commanders with one final instruction: "If any of the factions insist on invading... negotiate, sue for peace, and buy time!"
In the south, Li Hao placed Southern Fist in command.
To the east lay the Great Desolation. The Lord of the Great Desolation could not easily leave his territory, so the threat seemed relatively modest at first glance. Yet the Great Desolation's cavalry was formidable, and should he emerge, his might would be staggering. After much consideration, Li Hao paired Bright Sword with Jade Rakshasa to oversee the eastern border.
In the west, he stationed Yang Shan and his wife. The couple possessed mild temperaments. If they encountered the Western Queen, she would not easily launch an attack, nor would they appear overly weak. With one operating in the open and the other from the shadows, they could play good cop and bad cop with consummate skill.
Even though Southern Fist knew the situation was far from ideal, he could not resist asking, "What if they refuse to negotiate?"
Before Li Hao could answer, Northern Fist frowned and scolded, "Don't you go pulling any nonsense! If they don't accept... you kneel until they do!"
"..."
Southern Fist rolled his eyes.
*Do I have no shame at all? How could you say that?*
He grumbled a few words under his breath before asking at last, "If you attack an ancient city, can I come back and join the fight?"
Li Hao considered it for a moment, then nodded. "I will consider it."
"That's good, then!"
Southern Fist breathed a sigh of relief. Li Hao, however, smiled. "If we truly attack an ancient city, the danger will be immense!"
"I know."
Southern Fist shrugged nonchalantly. "Still better than choking back my anger here! Li Hao, to be honest..."
This was the first time in a very long while that he had formally addressed Li Hao by his name.
Li Hao started slightly.
Southern Fist grinned. "Do you think... Silver Moon martial masters fear death more, or losing face?"
Li Hao blinked.
"We aren't afraid of dying! But we need our face!"
He looked earnestly at Li Hao. "All that compromising for the greater good, suing for peace to make them withdraw—we know you might be right! But... you have to understand. Back in the day, whenever we faced a spar, even if we knew your master was far stronger, anyone who encountered him would step up willingly, except for the shameless Earth-Overturning Sword. We weren't afraid of death; we were afraid of losing face, of bringing shame upon ourselves! Hong Yitang can cast away his face, and you're somewhat like him... but everyone else cares about their dignity!
"I know you have your own thoughts and your own plans, and you explained them to us... We understand! But... it still feels suffocating, you know?"
Li Hao stood frozen for a long while before slowly nodding.
Did he understand?
Perhaps he did.
In that instant, several faces crossed his mind.
Even though Silver Moon martial masters had known that challenging Yuan Shuo meant certain death, hadn't they stepped forward anyway?
Just like Eyebrow-Level Staff back then. He had known full well he was doomed, and had he lowered his head to beg for mercy and retreat, Yuan Shuo might not have killed him. Yet hadn't he fought to the bitter end all the same?
Because he was not afraid to die.
Because the vast majority of Silver Moon martial masters loved face more than their own lives.
That was why, when Northern Fist had said he must maintain the bigger picture even if it meant kneeling, Southern Fist had held his tongue, yet his heart remained deeply aggrieved.
He felt completely stifled.
Li Hao looked around at the others.
Some kept quiet, some frowned, and some glared at Southern Fist... yet Southern Fist wore an expression of total indifference. He knew many among them shared his thoughts.
Li Hao nodded. "I understand!"
"Good. I won't say anything more. When you hit the ancient cities... call on me!"
With that, he turned and walked away.
He would take five thousand troops of the Demon Hunting Army with him on this deployment. As for whether the south could be kept stable, he had no certainty; he could only do his utmost.
Yang Shan was stationed in the west. The west was powerful, but its experts had recently suffered a harsh lesson at Li Hao's hands. Consequently, Yang Shan took only five thousand Silver Moon troops with him.
Bright Sword, bound for the east, took a full ten thousand soldiers of the Battle Heaven Army, led by several regiment commanders who had not self-detonated.
The Great Desolation's cavalry was formidable, but the presence of the Battle Heaven Army would suffice to hold them at bay.
***
Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office.
It had been quite some time since Li Hao had sat down within these halls.
Now, the crowd gathered inside the manor.
Before Li Hao could speak, Qian Wuliang stepped forward of his own accord. "Governor-General, I plan to lead an envoy to visit the Hong, Liu, and Zheng families."
He said softly, "Among the three families, at least one ancient city must have committed full-scale treason! In fact... perhaps all three have! Naturally, they may put on a show of diplomacy and won't necessarily try to kill me. But whoever tries to kill me is undeniably an enemy! And if they spare me, with my abilities, I may be able to see through a few things and form a sound assessment."
At that point, he added, "In addition, I require a few people to accompany me."
"Speak."
Qian Wuliang said seriously, "Hu Ming the All-Ears."
Hu Ming, that wretched-looking little old man.
Li Hao frowned slightly. "He is acceptable, but... he is timid as a mouse. Something could easily go wrong."
Qian Wuliang smiled. "Governor-General, you might not realize it, but for people like us, the gains from taking risks can exceed our ordinary rewards tenfold or a hundredfold. We... are all willing to take risks to render distinguished service for you! Yet if we threw our lot in with the ancient cities, what would we be? Lower than dogs. So long as I speak to him, he will agree, and he will never betray us."
Li Hao nodded.
Qian Wuliang continued, "The second is Director Zhou."
Director Zhou gave a slight start.
Qian Wuliang offered a smile. "Director Zhou walks the path of ancient martial arts. It will be easier for him to build rapport with them."
Li Hao pondered for a moment and nodded. "Anyone else?"
"Furthermore, the ancient cities may wish to measure our strength, and mine is lacking... The three ancient cities might not all be hostile; we might even be able to win one over. I need a powerhouse to accompany me."
Saying this, he looked toward a certain figure. "Moreover, that person needs to hold a sufficiently high status to represent the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office!"
Sufficiently high status.
Li Hao's expression shifted slightly.
At that moment, Yuan Shuo dusted off his robes and said nonchalantly, "I will go!"
Qian Wuliang had clearly been hinting at him.
Yet Li Hao was reluctant to let him go, for it truly was perilous. Just as he opened his mouth, Yuan Shuo looked at him and said, "Do you really expect me to spend the rest of my days editing books here? I have explored more ruins than you have visited cities! I am well versed in ancient philology. Whether a place has been inhabited by living people year-round, whether its energies are active, whether there are perpetual signs of human presence—I can tell at a single glance! The city of traitors will certainly have living people and will certainly be active; it couldn't possibly have remained dormant for a hundred thousand years! No one is better suited to sniffing these things out than I am.
"Furthermore, whether they are traitors or not, they all know you hail from my Five Animals Sect. I... am the best proof of your sincerity!"
Yuan Shuo smiled. "A truly traitorous city would actually hesitate to kill me. Killing me would expose them completely!"
Toward the end, he added, "Southern Fist might be a bastard, but one thing he said was right: don't constantly underestimate us. The world keeps turning no matter who leaves. Silver Moon held on until today even without you! People like Zhao Shuguang are all concealing their abilities now. If you were truly gone... wouldn't Silver Moon still be Silver Moon? I will go. I will cooperate well with Qian Wuliang on this trip!"
Below, Qian Wuliang dared not raise his head to look at Li Hao.
He knew that bringing up Yuan Shuo was testing Li Hao's bottom line.
Many understood that Li Hao had no living family left. Even when he suffered a major setback against the Western God Nation, he had shown little outward reaction, yet the moment Yuan Shuo suffered, he had exploded with fury.
Perhaps in all of Heavenly Star, the only person who could truly shake Li Hao was Yuan Shuo.
Yet... if Yuan Shuo did not go, it would be difficult to earn their respect.
Without commanding their respect, how could one peer into the shifting currents of their hearts?
If they only sent a few minor figures to negotiate, what could they possibly discover?
Li Hao closed his eyes in contemplation. After a long silence, he slowly said, "Very well!"
He looked at Qian Wuliang and asked calmly, "Do you have any other requests?"
"I do."
Suppressing his unease, Qian Wuliang lowered his voice. "If possible, I hope a Neo-Martial senior can accompany us to serve as a mediator..."
Li Hao, however, shook his head. "No need!"
Qian Wuliang started, then quickly understood. He nodded. "Then never mind."
Li Hao nodded. "Anything else?"
"Nothing... wait, there is one more thing. We need a batch of divine energy stones to serve as greeting gifts."
"Done!"
"We need... one hundred million!"
"Done!"
Qian Wuliang let out a deep breath of relief. That was good.
He turned his gaze toward Director Zhao. "Additionally, I will need Director Zhao to provide me with some intelligence. I am not particularly familiar with Silver Moon and do not know the general locations. As long as the general regions are identified, even if I cannot find them outright, I have ways to prompt them to escort me into their cities."
Li Hao looked toward Director Zhao, who nodded. "Though I am not entirely certain of their exact coordinates, after overseeing Silver Moon for so many years, I can delineate their rough areas. In fact, there may even be contact persons of theirs within Silver Moon's borders... I can provide all of those materials."
"Then I must trouble you, Director Zhao!"
With that settled, Li Hao spoke up. "Without further delay, Director Zhao, you and the others accompany General Qian back to Silver Moon at once!"
"Understood!"
The group wasted no words. Yuan Shuo rose and left without even bidding Li Hao farewell, wary that Li Hao might try to stop him.
Li Hao merely watched in silence.
Though it was ostensibly an diplomatic mission, it was far from safe.
In fact... it was fraught with mortal danger!
Regardless of whether a city was traitorous or not, their reception would likely be frosty at best. Li Hao had shattered the divine weapons of the Hong and Liu families, and during his earlier confrontation with the King of Dali, he had openly declared that the Zheng family head had betrayed their cause...
In short, he had offended all three parties.
As for Qian Wuliang leading the team, whether he lived or died... Li Hao did not particularly care.
It might sound coldhearted, but it was his genuine thought.
Yuan Shuo, however... could not be replaced.
Li Hao stood watching in silence as they departed. Only after a long while did he recover his wits and turn to the rest of the assembly. "The King of Dali has returned to Dali and has not come back yet. Still, we cannot keep everyone here. A portion of our forces must return to Silver Moon alongside Jiang Li!"
"Commander Yu, you and your people head back first."
With that, he began calling out names. "Sky Sword, Earth-Overturning Sword, Minister Yao, Section Chief Chen... The rest of you will accompany me to resume our previous task: clearing out a number of ruins! While the King of Dali and the others have yet to return, we must resolve the trouble of those scattered ruins as swiftly as possible! Furthermore, there are nine major communication stations. I intend to capture them rapidly to sever their armor communication network and dismantle their transmission jade system..."
The crowd exchanged glances. Lin Hongyu asked, "Governor-General, will we need... the assistance of Senior Redwood and the others?"
"Redwood and Di Wei will come along; no others are required."
Lin Hongyu understood and nodded, then added in a low voice, "The monster plants guarding the communication base stations... might all be peak Immortals, just like Senior Redwood."
"Yes, I know. But they are stationed in isolation, which makes them perfect for testing the waters. If we cannot even handle a single, isolated peak Immortal monster plant... marching on an ancient city would be nothing more than seeking death."
Lin Hongyu took note and pressed no further, quickly adding, "Then I will continue promoting our key initiatives: education, agriculture, sky screens, and infrastructure. As for the monster plant that agreed to cooperate, I will need its help in supplying food."
"That is fine. Negotiate with it later. You can offer more money, more divine energy stones!"
Li Hao chuckled. "We lack many things right now, but for the moment, we do not lack divine energy stones."
"Understood."
Lin Hongyu nodded and said no more.
Seeing that no one else had questions, Li Hao announced, "Without further ado—time is the one thing we never have enough of... While Qian Wuliang and his team search for the ancient cities, we will set out to deal with those targets. Give me half a day to shape physical bodies for several regiment commanders, and then we depart!"
Finding no objection, the crowd quickly dispersed.
***
Heavenly Star Town ruins.
At this moment, thanks to the cleanup efforts of the Heavenly Star Army, Heavenly Star Town had been restored to its former state.
Presently, the students of Yuanping Martial Arts University, Director Wang, several monster plants, elements of the Heavenly Star Army, and avatars such as Old Turtle's resided here.
Energy was extraordinarily dense in this place, making it a sacred land for them.
Outside the ore vein.
Upon arriving, Li Hao released the spiritual power of the regiment commanders who had previously self-detonated. In their prime, these commanders had not been weak, all bordering on the Peak Realm. Having survived all these years, their spiritual power had actually grown considerably.
During their earlier self-detonations, several of them working in concert had managed to blow a god to death.
Of course, that had also been due to the god not being fully revived. A fully revived god was immensely formidable; in their ancient prime, gods had possessed Saint-level combat strength and could never have been killed by such a blast.
At this moment, five commanders' spiritual essences floated in midair.
Just then, Director Qi drifted over as well, offering a slight smile. "Are you about to mold physical bodies?"
"Yes."
"How about counting me in?"
Li Hao was taken aback. He had raised the offer before, but the man had declined. Why now?
Director Qi chuckled. "I see the treasure pool is about to be completely drained, leaving only the dregs of medicinal paste. If I don't catch this train now, any body revived later will just be an ordinary vessel. Doing it now allows it to be somewhat stronger."
That was indeed the truth.
Li Hao nodded. "What kind of body would Director Qi like?"
"Something similar to yours."
Director Qi chuckled softly. "I am far too familiar with the Neo-Martial body. Changing my way of living might bring a different kind of brilliance."
Li Hao's heart stirred, and he nodded. "Very well!"
Turning to see Zhang An materialize, Li Hao said, "Senior Zhang, the five commanders need bodies forged, as does Director Qi. As for Yuanping Martial Arts University... I can allocate four spots for now. Today, I will forge ten bodies in total. I have pressing business and must leave shortly. Is there anyone here who wishes to have a body forged?"
Zhang An replied calmly, "There are. However... since they are being forged, make them slightly stronger."
"I understand, but..."
Li Hao wanted to explain that it was not for lack of willingness, but rather material constraints. With the treasure pool's waters depleted, he could not simply conjure exceptionally powerful bodies out of thin air.
At that moment, a physical body suddenly materialized before Zhang An. "Use this."
Li Hao gasped. "Senior, this is a Heavenly King body..."
"I know."
Zhang An nodded. "Its usefulness is limited for now. Its true utility would only manifest after the second resurgence. At this stage, it cannot be put to proper use; even if I venture outside, I cannot wield Heavenly King combat power. Here... having it or not makes no difference. In that case... it is better to break it down and forge bodies for them, giving everyone a superior foundation so they don't have to start cultivation entirely from scratch."
He added, "For the first batch of people receiving bodies, combining this with the native elemental energy contained within the divine bodies might yield rather impressive results."
Li Hao's heart moved, and he nodded. "I understand. Senior... do you mean that the Yuanping students also wish to forge new human bodies?"
"Some prefer it."
Zhang An said softly, "Four, you said? I will fetch them. Go ahead and prepare."
"Alright."
***
Zhang An drifted away.
Soon, he arrived at a district within the city where numerous puppets gathered. Some were playing cards, some were chatting, and others were reading. Confined to puppet shells, they had nothing else to occupy their time.
They were simply too idle!
"Teacher!"
Seeing Zhang An arrive, everyone rose. Zhang An wasted no time on pleasantries and said calmly, "You all know what I have been thinking. Today, Li Hao is going to forge new human bodies. For the first batch, four will be chosen. The spots are few. Who among you is willing to receive a new human body?
"Let me make this clear beforehand, and I will say it once more... If you take a new human body, the Great Dao... was discovered by Li Hao! He knows best how many Dao meridians exist and where they lie. He might be sharing them openly now, but he may not necessarily disclose newly discovered meridians in the future... He cannot leave every secret open indefinitely!
"Therefore... if you wish to keep up, the only way... is to let go of the past!"
He said in a deep voice, "If you are prepared for that, step forward. If not, do not come out! Leave the opportunity to those who need it."
Among the puppets, someone remained silent for a moment before asking, "What if we are ordered to attack Neo-Martial?"
"Then attack!"
Zhang An said sternly, "Once you have cast your lot, see it through. Are you going to turn back on the path you chose yourself? Vacillating back and forth is the most perilous and detestable thing of all!"
"Then... what if we encounter our parents or ancestors in the future?"
Zhang An frowned. "There will be no baseless slaughter; Li Hao is not that sort of person! If that day truly comes... choose your kin! Between loyalty and family, I advise you to choose family! Between vacillating factions, I advise loyalty! Family over loyalty, and loyalty over factional alignment—that is what makes one human!"
Hearing this, several puppets seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Then what Teacher means is... if... it does not involve our kin, but merely the remnants of Neo-Martial today, we... may fight without reservation?"
Zhang An nodded. "Yes. A hundred thousand years have passed; everyone has their own path and their own choices! Of course, if you fall in battle, hold no grudges against anyone."
Having said that, he asked again, "Who is willing to step forward?"
In an instant, roughly thirty puppets stepped out.
Without the slightest hesitation.
Zhang An's heart quivered. That was not a small number. While some still hesitated, these individuals had shown no hesitation whatsoever.
Were they callous?
Or were they decisive?
At that moment, he could not tell what he truly felt. Such utter decisiveness without a shred of doubt meant they had already thought it through completely.
Yet from the perspective of Neo-Martial, such decisiveness was perhaps... somewhat heartbreaking.
He did not voice his thoughts. Ahead of him, a robotic cat stepped forward and took the initiative to speak: "Teacher, you might think... we are too heartless! But Neo-Martial is gone. At least, the Neo-Martial of our hearts no longer exists in this era! The Neo-Martial of today, the ancient cities of today, the remnants of today—they have all changed. We are human too, and we change. We... no longer want to remain puppets!
"Of course, there is no need for excuses... Any number of reasons is just an excuse. If we stand as enemies of Teacher in the future, Teacher may strike us down without hesitation!"
The speaker sounded remarkably calm. "Teacher has always told us to make our own choices, and today, we have chosen this outcome! As for Teacher yourself, perhaps you have yet to decide... Teacher, fence-sitters are always in the greatest danger. Regardless, we hope you will make a decision soon, and we hope for a good outcome."
With that, the robotic cat ceased to look comical. Turning toward the group that had stepped forward, it said, "Only four of us will receive new bodies today. We need the four strongest, those with the greatest talent! They will cultivate the new martial path first. Once they achieve results, you will be in the next batch, and we will be able to share our experience. Those who were Immortals in the past, step forward."
Instantly, eight stepped out.
"Counting me, that makes nine..."
The robotic cat glanced at the puppets. "Five more than allowed... I will go speak with Li Hao. When he said four, it was only because he didn't want to waste time; it doesn't have to be strictly four. Teacher is too embarrassed to ask, but I am not!
"One more person means one more pillar of strength!"
Zhang An opened his mouth, but hesitated.
The robotic cat did not consult him further, as if to declare that since they had made their choice, from this day forth they would fight for everything themselves, sparing their teacher from being caught in the middle.
The nine puppets said nothing more. Bowing slightly to the others, they turned and strode away.
Watching their receding backs, Zhang An's emotions were profoundly tangled.
They had grown up!
Or rather, after a hundred thousand years, they were weary, exhausted, sick of it all, unable to endure this existence any longer.
Should he feel happy? Or pained?
In the past, these youths were meant to become the Demon Guards of the Human King, yet now...
***
Outside the ore vein.
Nine puppets approached.
Li Hao recognized the leader. Before he could speak, the leading robotic cat stated, "Jiang Yingli of Yuanping Martial Arts University greets Governor-General Li! I wish to discuss something with the Governor-General: could you revive nine of us at once? All of us were geniuses in our day, all at the Immortal Realm!"
Li Hao was slightly taken aback.
The robotic cat continued, "We all hail from the main world and have few entanglements with the Silver Moon world. Aside from our former classmates and teachers, we have no deep attachments here! Compared to the eight main cities, we are far more unfettered! Nine Immortals, each skilled in extremely powerful battle techniques—even if we cannot unleash their full might today, we are still far beyond ordinary Immortals!
"Indeed. If Governor-General Li revives us and crafts bodies for us, our combat power will definitely not be weak once we have flesh!"
"At the very least, we have great hope of swiftly reaching the current limit of heaven and earth. Our spiritual power is robust enough that even without comprehending force, we can rapidly open a vast number of non-attribute Dao meridians!"
"We have undergone rigorous training and possess a strong sense of tactical cooperation in battle!"
"..."
The students vied to recommend themselves.
This had never happened before.
Previously, these students had regarded themselves merely as mercenaries, addressing Li Hao directly by his name. Today, a subtle shift had occurred.
Li Hao remained silent for a moment. "You all want new bodies?"
"Yes!"
"I intend to deal with certain monster plants in the ruins..."
"Order us as you see fit, and we will exert our utmost!"
Li Hao took a deep breath. "No regrets?"
"A hundred thousand years—everything that could be regretted, hated, or contemplated has already been thought through! Teacher believes we slept throughout those hundred thousand years, but... even waking once every millennium for three to five years at a time, we have endured three to five centuries of darkness and loneliness."
Li Hao smiled. "Then in the future... you may no longer be considered Neo-Martial people..."
"Neo-Martial people... is that identity truly so important? What mattered was never the name 'Neo-Martial,' but the spirit of Neo-Martial: resisting injustice, refusing to yield, fighting the darkness, defying everything!"
Jiang Yingli proclaimed loudly, "Governor-General, you do not understand what Neo-Martial truly means! Neo-Martial is rebellion! The Human King and the Supreme led everyone to rise against the injustice of fate! Identity was never the core!"
Li Hao laughed. "Good... Then... all nine of you shall be revived together!"
"Thank you for granting our wish, Governor-General!"
Li Hao chuckled. "Then today, fifteen of you will be revived, all with new human bodies."
He added, "Today, I will invest heavily. I will use the elements from the divine bodies as the primer and the energy within the Heavenly King's flesh as the source. Among them, Fire, Earth, and Wood can serve as the elemental divine ability Dao meridians you choose, because I possess divine bodies of those three elements, capable of drawing upon the power of the Great Dao."
"Isn't there also Misfortune? What is that?"
"I am not entirely sure, so I won't offer it as a choice... If you choose it, it will be difficult to control. I do not recommend choosing an unknown Dao."
The group nodded.
Li Hao said no more. Gathering his focus, he spoke: "The old rules still apply: Dao transplantation, anchoring the passageway. Furthermore, to make the passageway sturdier, you students may choose to forge your puppet bodies into divine weapons. Their materials are exceptional and can be refined and merged into your primary Dao meridians, piercing the origin path to serve as vessels that can bear even greater power!"
The materials of those puppets were indeed precious treasures.
The puppets hesitated slightly. Jiang Yingli remarked, "They are difficult to refine. These vessels were personally crafted by the Principal back then..."
Just then, a soft sigh sounded as a figure flew in from the distance. "I will help you refine them."
"Teacher..."
"We will proceed as before. Di Wei and I will stabilize the Dao, sever the Dao, and transplant the Dao. The puppets will be transformed into divine weapons—natal divine weapons! We will consolidate the passageways to draw more power from the Bright Star Realm, accelerating your recovery so you may swiftly regain your former Immortal combat strength!"
With that, he looked at Li Hao. "Today, they have chosen to join you... I only hope the Governor-General... can treat them without bias! With the shifting of the Dao and the rebirth of their flesh, this marks a new beginning. So long as it does not involve their kin, the students of Yuanping Martial Arts University will never shrink from battle!"
"Of course!"
Li Hao nodded and spoke no more. Divine characters flew out one by one as the power of the Bright Star Realm surged forth.
Now, the process was simpler than before.
Recently, he had completed a rudimentary division of the Great Dao's domains. So long as these individuals selected a primary divine ability Dao, or even a physical body Dao or non-attribute Dao, he could rapidly complete their conversion.
Compared to when he had converted Director Wang, it was far easier now.
As for what heights these people could reach and how many Dao meridians they could open, that depended entirely on their own capabilities.
Yet their foundation was present: their Dao was potent, and their transplant was stable. With such a robust foundation, their cultivation would be far faster than others. Director Wang, for instance, had easily opened eighteen meridians by now.
He, too, had converted from the early Immortal Realm.
These students had perhaps been even stronger than Director Wang in their prime. Though all had been early Immortals, these youths were direct disciples of Sovereigns, possessing potentially greater combat prowess.
Presumably, opening eighteen meridians would take them no more than a few days.
Such were the benefits of an immense background.
Meanwhile, Silver Moon martial masters progressed step by step; opening twelve meridians was already considered impressive for them.
A clear gap remained between the two sides.
Li Hao paid it no further mind. Whether twelve meridians or eighteen, at present, almost no one walking the new Dao could surpass him.
Moreover, with these people joining, he would only grow stronger.
Putting those thoughts aside, he shattered portions of the divine flesh, reached out to seize the Heavenly King's body, and ignited fire-element energy to burn and refine it. On the other side, Zhang An swept his large hand, stripping the puppet shells directly from the student puppets and leaving their ethereal projections hovering in place.
No flames appeared in Zhang An's hands; instead, a hammer materialized.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
He began hammering the puppet materials, reshaping them into weapons.
In his youth, he had received guidance from Cast-God Sovereign, the greatest craftsman under heaven, dabbling in a bit of everything.
On this day, Li Hao and Zhang An joined forces to forge the finest physical bodies and mighty weapons for these fifteen individuals.
***
Meanwhile, on this same day.
Within an ancient city in Silver Moon.
Someone spoke: "Word has arrived from Shuiyun. The avatar sent earlier was slain by Li Hao. Li Hao forced the four factions to retreat, yet launched no full-scale counterattack. Is he incapable of fighting back against all four sides simultaneously, or... is this deliberate?"
"The King of Dali has returned to Dali and is hunting down members of the Three Great Organizations. Ying Hongyue has also sent word through special channels; he hopes to obtain reinforcements. He claims to have discovered the source of the Taboo Sea in Dali, where immense fluctuations are reportedly occurring, potentially unleashing vast amounts of energy to accelerate the resurgence... Should we reinforce him? Or should we recall the King of Dali..."
"Furthermore, regarding the Great Desolation... The desolation beasts have encroached upon the land, devouring the world's energy. We have an option now: go all out against the Great Desolation and exterminate those desolation beasts. Not only would this earn the acknowledgment of Heaven's Will, but it could also directly trigger the second resurgence..."
"Additionally, the West hopes we will send aid to strike back against Li Hao and his followers! The West is not weak; they can even forcibly awaken a Saint-level god... at a tremendous cost, of course. Can we bring the four factions into alignment so they launch a coordinated assault on Li Hao? Even if he can hold off one side, he cannot possibly stop all four!"
As this person spoke, another added, "Also, there has been movement in Silver Moon today. Li Hao's master, Yuan Shuo, is personally leading a delegation to visit the various factions, hoping to hold talks with the Hong, Zheng, and Liu families to sign baseline agreements and establish positions... Should we continue lying low, or... show ourselves to negotiate and placate them?"
Question after question was tossed out in rapid succession.
In the center of the hall, the man who had remained motionless all this while waited a moment before speaking: "Fostering an alliance among the four factions is the first priority. Dispatch people at once to liaise with all four sides! Second, send reinforcements to Ying Hongyue. If the Taboo Sea can be breached, it will bring immense benefits to heaven and earth's resurgence... However, you must not clash with the King of Dali. Mind your boundaries!
"Third, send additional personnel to assist each of the four nations, but exercise caution lest you be ambushed and slain. None of those rulers are benevolent sorts; I suspect Dali may have had a hand in the demise of the avatars sent to aid them earlier!
"Fourth, prepare two contingencies for the Great Desolation! First, help them invade. Second... eradicate the Great Desolation!"
The man said softly, "However, the desolation beasts within the primal chaos are by no means weak; some even possess Saint-level combat power! For the Great Desolation, prioritize cooperation for now, but be ready to strike. Desolation beasts possess low intellect; if we covertly mobilize troops and encircle them with an army, we may be able to slaughter them!
"Fifth, regarding Yuan Shuo... you may receive him! Expressing our stance and signing agreements are both acceptable. Li Hao needs this agreement to pin down our precise identities... and that is precisely why we must not satisfy him!
"Sixth, once a basic consensus is reached among the four nations... erupt immediately here in Silver Moon, launching an all-out offensive across the region! Li Hao needs time, and so do we. Right now, we will not give him that time!
"Seventh... continue investigating the footholds of the Red Moon Great World. Ying Hongyue might know something. Lately, they have kept an exceptionally low profile, so much so that no one has noticed them. Stay vigilant; they might... launch a surprise attack on the Western Moon God. The ancient Moon God perished long ago, and only recently did I learn that this Western Queen is actually the second-generation Moon God!"
The Western Moon God!
At these words, someone's heart stirred. "Can the Moon God truly control the moon hanging above Silver Moon?"
"She can!"
The man nodded. "Back then, the first-generation Moon God was personally slain by the Sword Venerable because the Moon God was the key to controlling Silver Moon. We assumed she could never revive—after all, a Sovereign had struck her down—yet she revived nonetheless. Had Li Hao not forced her hand, compelling her to draw upon the power of the Silver Moon, even we wouldn't have known that this Queen was the reincarnated Moon God!"
"Then we must indeed be careful. Perhaps the people of the Red Moon Great World are watching her right now..."
"Indeed!"
The man nodded. "They seem to have vanished from the world lately, but they will never be content to remain dormant. The Moon God is one factor; second, the key might still lie with Ying Hongyue. Ying Hongyue is running all over the place right now. Previously, he collaborated deeply with them, yet recently he reached out to us again. There may be something amiss."
"Understood!"
The people below nodded in succession.
Yet someone said troubledly, "My Lord, if that is the case, without the aid of the Red Moon Great World, our manpower... is stretched rather thin!"
The man fell silent for a moment before replying, "Haven't the other main cities shown signs of movement recently? Find a way to contact the personnel lying dormant and see if they can lend strength. Naturally, keeping a low profile remains paramount!"
"Understood!"
Another asked, "My Lord, what about... Battle Heaven City? They are tied far too closely to Li Hao. Should we activate our people there?"
The man contemplated for a moment, then shook his head. "Not for now; it is too dangerous! Battle Heaven City's ties with Li Hao are far too intimate. The slightest misstep could lead to complete exposure. Wait for now, then reassess!"
"Understood!"
The group quickly set about making arrangements.
Once everyone had departed, the man pondered for a moment, then sighed softly. A spectral silhouette stepped out from his body, swiftly condensing into human form, and murmured, "Perhaps... I should go out and see for myself!"
With those words, the phantom flickered and promptly appeared at the exit.
The next instant, he stepped out of the ancient city and emerged into the outside world.
At that moment, heaven and earth trembled faintly, as if sensing something. The phantom looked up at the sky, filled with nostalgia. After a long while, he flew in the direction of Silver City; it had been far too many years since he had walked the world.
Where was Li Hao right now?
Perhaps only by meeting Li Hao in person could he truly understand him.
Not just Li Hao, but also the one sealed beneath Silver City. Rumor had it that Zhang An had also revived; he wondered if he would meet him.
Thought after thought drifted through the man's mind.
Sensing the tolerance of heaven and earth, he made an appraisal: at the current rate of progression, even without a second resurgence, Immortals would soon be able to walk the world freely.
***
At this very moment, within Heavenly Star Town.
Thunder roared in all directions!
The Bright Star Realm seemed to manifest directly over Heavenly Star Town.
Origin paths pierced through heaven and earth, plunging straight into the Bright Star Realm. Zhang An, seeming to perceive something, looked toward Li Hao with a solemn expression.
*Is this man... organizing the Great Dao of the universe?*
He glimpsed the demarcations of several domains!
Though he could not see it clearly, Li Hao's speed in forging bodies and opening passageways this time was far faster and simpler than before.
Perhaps... it was truly so!
What monumental ambition!
Did Li Hao truly intend to hold all the myriad Dao of the Bright Star Realm in his grasp?
Li Hao glanced over, and upon seeing Zhang An staring at him, offered a bashful smile. Zhang An was taken aback; that smile... truly left one at a loss for words.
Just then, the fifteen experts let out thunderous roars in unison!
The next instant, acupoints began opening, lighting up in rapid succession!
Each of them was equipped with only the foundational thirty-six Dao meridians.
In addition, each had chosen one primary divine ability meridian, alongside the physical body Dao meridian, giving them thirty-eight Dao meridians in total.
For these experts who had once possessed golden bodies—or even immortal golden bodies—opening the physical body Dao meridian was effortless. In the blink of an eye, expert after expert unlocked their physical body meridians.
Next, they began opening non-attribute Dao meridians.
Vast quantities of energy were drawn in by them.
Among them were several women. When Li Hao glanced toward one of them, before he could even look properly, a sharp reprimand rang out: "Governor-General, conduct yourself with dignity!"
"..."
Li Hao was speechless. *I was the one who molded that body!*
*It's all cobbled together from flesh, blood, and energy. In my eyes, it's just a heap of bloody matter. No matter how good it looks, it's not all-natural. What dignity is there to speak of?*
*If I had the mind for it, I could pinch out a whole crowd of them whenever I wanted!*
Speechless, Li Hao said softly, "Focus on your cultivation and don't let your thoughts wander. Also... Jiang Yingli, your body seems a bit uncoordinated, perhaps slightly different from your past body. Is there an issue..."
Nearby, another student chuckled quietly. "She's at least a third slimmer, of course she feels uncoordinated!"
"Bullshit!"
"Jiang Yingli, it's not as if we don't remember the past. If everyone had forgotten, you could pretend all you want. Who among the Jiang family... isn't chubby?"
"Bastard, once I recover my combat power, I'll smash you to death with a hammer!"
"Look at that, typical Jiang family violence. Even the women use hammers..."
"..."
To the side, Li Hao suddenly chuckled. Having regained physical bodies, these fellows seemed considerably livelier.
Among the revived students, aside from Jiang Yingli, Li Hao knew the names of the others as well. Yet he was somewhat puzzled that Li Shengzhang, who had stepped out with Jiang Yingli previously, had not taken part in this revival.
*Could he... have chosen a Neo-Martial body?*
Li Hao wondered, but did not ask.
Everyone had their own choices.
Perhaps he was waiting for the next opportunity?
Or perhaps he simply was not ready to revive?
Who could say!
Observing them now, Li Hao saw that their acupoints were opening swiftly. The Sovereign descendants were opening apertures noticeably faster than the regiment commanders. Among them, the Seventh Commander also bore the surname Jiang, seemingly from a collateral branch of the Jiang family... yet Jiang Yingli and he showed no signs of knowing each other.
The Seventh Commander had thick eyebrows and large eyes, appearing remarkably low-key at the moment.
The commanders' speed of opening acupoints was visibly a step slower.
Li Hao frowned slightly. After a brief contemplation, he sent several divine characters sinking into the commanders' bodies, saying, "Your speed is slightly slow. Using my divine characters to channel the energy of the Bright Star Realm should hasten the process!"
Jiang Yingli grumbled discontentedly, "Why don't we get any?"
"Your talent is too extraordinary, and you were powerful in the past. Reaching the limit of heaven and earth is only a matter of time for you, so it hardly matters. Besides, you have divine weapons to stabilize yourselves, which they do not."
Confronted with that, Jiang Yingli fell silent.
It was simply the truth.
In just a few hours, the students had opened as many as a hundred and eighty acupoints, reaching the peak of Douqian. Factoring in their physical body and divine ability meridians, they had already reached the Mountain-Sea tier.
The commanders, however, had only opened slightly over a hundred. The gap was instantly laid bare.
This left Li Hao somewhat helpless.
Sure enough, even when everyone started from scratch, the strong grew strong faster. Fortunately, after years of tempering in the military, the commanders remained calm and unhurried, advancing steadily. They would catch up eventually.
Perhaps that was the greatest benefit of military service: a remarkably steady temperament that refused to be discouraged by momentary setbacks.
Finally, his gaze settled on one person.
Director Qi!
This man was truly intriguing.
He had not opened a single acupoint. While everyone else seized the connection to the Bright Star Realm to cultivate frantically, he had not unlocked any apertures, busy tinkering with who-knew-what.
Only when the passageway to the Bright Star Realm stabilized and the others' period of explosive growth came to an end did he unhurriedly look toward Li Hao. "Could the Governor-General do me a small favor?"
"Director Qi, please speak freely."
Director Qi possessed the aura of an immortal sage, and his newly born body was that of an old man. Perhaps he felt this was the only way to convey his wisdom?
Who could say!
With a warm smile, Director Qi said, "I have spent some time studying the new martial path lately. I discovered that non-attribute Dao meridians are not limited to just these; there are many more. The thirty-six chosen merely form one specific cycle..."
Li Hao nodded; that was indeed the case.
It was just that currently, people had not even finished opening thirty-six meridians, so no one had the appetite to study more.
Director Qi continued, "And I discovered that the elemental paths of divine abilities are all divine abilities, whereas the non-attribute ones... are not."
*Nonsense!*
*Otherwise, why would they be called divine ability Dao meridians?*
"Yet I also discovered... non-attribute Dao meridians can possess divine abilities as well."
Li Hao started and looked at him. Director Qi said, "Would the Governor-General please forge a few more Dao meridians for me..."
With that, he pointed to several locations on his body.
Li Hao thought for a moment, then drew in vast quantities of energy once more to shape the requested meridians.
Soon, another cluster of Dao meridians was formed.
Only then did Director Qi begin cultivating. Across his entire body, his Dao meridians numbered over a hundred.
He consumed far more energy than the others.
Yet he did not open meridians like the rest. Instead, following his own unique sequence, he began opening acupoints one by one. In the blink of an eye, seventy-two acupoints were illuminated—not according to the previous order, but in a brand-new sequence where seventy-two Dao meridians each had a single acupoint opened.
Soon, a weapon condensed in his hand. He chuckled, "Governor-General, what weapon is this?"
"This... a spear?"
"No, this is a brush!"
Director Qi chuckled. Pointing with his finger, a loud *crack* echoed as a massive divine energy stone shattered into pieces. "Seventy-two acupoints is merely the peak of Hundred-Breaker, not a divine ability martial master... yet seventy-two acupoints can also combine to form a divine ability. Shall we call it... the Brush Dao Divine Ability?"
He smiled. "I merely cobbled it together casually; I didn't expect the power to be quite decent, though it still needs minor adjustments. Thus, non-attribute Dao meridians can also form divine abilities, such as weapon divine abilities... through combination! They can be combined into sabers, swords, spears... Everything in the world can be combined! Different combinations of Dao meridians yield different divine abilities, not confined to a single elemental affinity!"
Li Hao's heart quivered, as if a door had been flung wide open.
Director Qi added, "The Governor-General saw it last time: the three hundred and sixty Dao meridians form the shape of a sword! If so, does that mean that when three hundred and sixty non-attribute Dao meridians are combined to the end, they form an almighty Sword Dao?
"And can the Sword Dao... be divided into various branches of the Sword Dao? Three hundred and sixty meridians might represent the most comprehensive Sword Dao, but can thirty-six non-attribute meridians be turned into a simplified Sword Dao?"
Li Hao felt as though enlightened by a sudden flash of insight. His eyes shone with a peculiar light as he stared at the old man.
Yes!
The three hundred and sixty meridians had formed a sword last time—how could he have forgotten that!
Was the Sword Dao an elemental divine ability?
No!
The Sword Dao had no element!
Yet the Sword Dao... could also possess divine abilities!
Director Qi knew when to stop and smiled. "I shall study it further... The Dao physique of new humans is truly fascinating, truly fascinating. Simply... incredible! Governor-General, do not focus solely on elemental divine abilities. Non-attribute ones... are the true treasure trove!"
Li Hao nodded and took a deep breath. "I was thinking earlier that elemental divine abilities were so few—was the Great Dao of heaven and earth too sparse? But today... I suddenly realize how narrow-minded I was! Everything can become a Dao, everything can become a divine ability! So long as they are combined successfully, the eighteen forms of weaponry are all divine abilities! A stone, a drop of water—all are divine abilities! So... this is the true Great Dao... To think I even studied the Yuanping Chronicles, yet let my thoughts go astray. Many thanks for the reminder, Director Qi!"
He had fixated only on Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Light, Darkness, Wind, and Lightning, forgetting that all things could become divine abilities!
At that moment, he laughed. "So that's how it is! I understand now... In that case, I can birth other divine characters! Thirty-six meridians can form one divine character, seventy-two meridians can perhaps do the same, seventy-three can be recombined, more or fewer—all can form new divine abilities, new divine characters..."
Li Hao laughed heartily. "So that's it! Thank you, Senior, for dispelling my confusion!"
Director Qi chuckled. "I merely made discoveries along the path you paved. You had long since discovered that the three hundred and sixty meridians formed a sword... I only find it regrettable that I cannot materialize all three hundred and sixty meridians at present. Otherwise, I would dearly love to see what kind of peerless Sword Dao divine ability would manifest once all three hundred and sixty meridians and three thousand six hundred acupoints were opened!"
Hearing this, even Li Hao felt a surge of anticipation.
He had been so occupied that he had overlooked this: three hundred and sixty Dao meridians formed a sword, perhaps... the supreme Sword Dao under heaven?
And the old man before him had casually combined seventy-two meridians to condense a brush. If seven hundred and twenty acupoints were opened, couldn't a true brush coalesce, fully displaying the Brush Dao Divine Ability?
How fascinating!
So fascinating that Li Hao felt tempted to experiment and see if he could assemble a dog shape to unleash a Dog Dao Divine Ability!
This sudden epiphany had clarified so much; sometimes, all one lacked was that spark of inspiration.
Also, had Black Panther opened the Dao meridians of the demon race yet?
If not... should he artificially forge some for it and create a Dog Dao Divine Ability?
At that moment, Li Hao was brimming with anticipation.
It was a pity he could not continue cultivating right now; he had pressing matters to attend to.
Otherwise, he truly wanted to drag Black Panther out and experiment on it, opening a dog-shaped meridian combination. That would surely be a sight to behold!
Glancing toward the depths of the ore vein, he thought: *If Black Panther still doesn't figure it out, I'll just drag it out later and forge it manually. Why stay in seclusion all this time?*
Chapter 330