Preparation

Fifteen powerhouses had regained their physical bodies. Though their combat prowess could not reach great heights in a single day, growing stronger was only a matter of time. Li Hao did not particularly care about how strong they were right now. This was a good beginning. It was a question of integration. The rift between Neo-Martial and Silver Moon created immense, inherent friction. To the rulers of this new era, Neo-Martial posed a monumental threat regardless of whether it harbored hostility. One could either choose to rely on Neo-Martial, as the Nine Departments and their peers had done, or make themselves absolute enemies of Neo-Martial, like the gods. Taking a third path like Li Hao—hoping to assimilate a portion of them—was exceedingly difficult. They had lived through an incomparably glorious age. It was hard for them to look up to anyone today; no matter how well you performed, in their eyes, you still could not compare to the Human King of old. That was the crux of the problem. Thus, even to this day, very few Neo-Martial people truly gave Li Hao their undivided allegiance. Those who did were marginal figures of the past like Di Wei and Redwood—they had not even been considered part of the human race back then. Yet today, several descendants of Sovereigns had stepped forward. For Li Hao, this was a novel experience and a new trial. A faint fusion across two eras had begun. Even if they were merely forced into it by circumstance, Li Hao did not mind. Sincerity mattered little at this stage. *** These powerhouses were not the sum of Li Hao's gains. The critical part was that he had developed new insights into the Bright Star Great Dao. Attribute-less Dao meridians were divine abilities in their own right. In fact, they were a composite divine ability. They were more formidable than isolated supernatural meridians, granting Li Hao a deeper comprehension of cultivating the Great Dao. Since Director Qi could combine seventy-two Dao meridians into a single divine ability, why couldn't thirty-six? Moreover, the thirty-six meridians he had opened so far were only a tenth of the 360 meridians discovered back then. They formed merely the most fundamental circuit, not the only possible one. If he chose a different set of thirty-six meridians, could they also be converted into an attribute-less composite divine ability? Furthermore, while his combat strength might already sit at the limit and ceiling of heaven and earth, what if he refrained from clearing the meridians all the way through, stopping short of piercing the Bright Star Realm? Each Dao meridian was divided into ten acupoints. Thirty-six meridians meant 360 acupoints. If he unsealed nine acupoints in each meridian, leaving the final thirty-six closed, would that raise his threshold to thirty-six meridians? Or would it simply register as zero meridians? Li Hao revised several of his earlier notions. He was feeling out an untrodden path. A road no one had ever walked before. Enemies and rivals lurked in every quarter: the constraints of heaven and earth, the seal of the Stargate, the encirclement by the four nations, the Three Great Organizations hidden in the shadows, and ancient cities scattered all around... Li Hao walked on thin ice. He knew that taking a single wrong step could spell utter destruction—not just for himself, but for everyone who followed him and placed their trust in him. In this era, he had already left all his contemporaries in the dust. Yet precisely because of that, the pressure on his shoulders was all the heavier. In the past, his teacher and elders had held up the sky for him. Now, Li Hao held up the sky for them. In this darkness, he had to lead everyone forward and forge a safe passage. A passage to greet the light! Now, he was everyone's hope. For the people of Silver Moon, the road ahead was pitch-black and indistinct. Only if he, as their vanguard, kept his footing could those behind him avoid straying off course. Li Hao stepped out of Heavenly Star Town. Thoughts continued to churn in his mind. He felt his way forward, step by step. Whether others viewed him as fickle or accused him of shrinking back when confronting danger, he knew he could not act on impulse; he had to consider everyone's future. Some Neo-Martial people whispered in private that he lacked the peerless dominance of the ancient Human King. Li Hao had heard the murmurs, but he did not care. He did not know what that ancient era had truly been like. He only knew that in this era, he had become everyone's haven. He could not afford a single mistake—not even a solitary misstep. When he emerged, everyone was waiting for him. Seeing the dozen or so powerhouses stepping out beside him, the group was taken aback—not because these figures were revived, but because they had actually chosen to follow him out. Li Hao did not elaborate, merely giving concise arrangements: "Regimental commanders, the Battle Heaven Army has followed Bright Sword east to hold off the Great Desolation. For now, you will accompany Commander Yu to adjust and get your bearings." He then turned to the former students. "Jiang Yingli, you were students who had yet to graduate back then, so your life experience may be somewhat limited... and you know relatively little about this era." He looked around and singled out one person. "Go with Dean Hong for now and follow his directives." The students exchanged glances and offered no objection. Hong Yitang and Huang Yu felt a faint headache coming on, regarding this as an unenviable assignment. "Director Qi... if you aren't too busy, you can join Yuming. He has gathered scholars and researchers from our era. Though they are currently occupied with the sky screens..." Director Qi chuckled. "Sky screens are far too simple. Don't you want to secure the communication relay stations? Whether activating them or taking them offline, someone needs to handle it. None of your people understand them well—even Wang Ye doesn't know much about them. You will likely need my assistance." Li Hao felt a flicker of interest. Indeed, what he wanted most right now was to seize the communication relay stations, sever the communications of rival factions, and take full control of the entire transmission network. Judging by Director Qi's tone, did he understand these systems deeply? "Director Qi... you've researched communication networks as well?" "The institute researched a bit of everything." He glanced at Li Hao. "There were eight departments in the research institute—has the Governor-General forgotten? Among them was the Void Signal Transmission Department. In our time, that division primarily investigated signal propagation across the cosmos. Not within a single world, mind you, but cross-realm transmissions between different worlds. We achieved several breakthroughs back then. Through specific void signal relay stations, we could even establish contact with the main world..." Li Hao nodded in remembrance. The research institute indeed possessed such a division. "Then for Director Qi, transmitting and jamming signals within the Silver Moon world should be trivial?" "Not entirely trivial," Director Qi replied modestly. "At the very least, we cannot stop high-level experts from transmitting mental voices to one another! Naturally, we can still enforce certain restrictions—for example, generating specific frequencies to scramble all transmissions except those running on our authorized channels..." Li Hao only half-understood. Director Qi clarified, "In other words, by calibrating the frequency, we can block every signal except the specific wavelengths we authorize... essentially severing the enemy's transmissions." He added, "Once all nine relay stations are operational, we will possess that capability. "However..." The crowd had been listening in fascination, but his 'however' made them tense up again. Director Qi sighed. "However, the nine signal relay stations belonged to a vital department. Therefore... specific administrative authority is required to activate them. We do not possess that authorization." Disappointment washed over the crowd. In the next breath, Director Qi continued, "That being said..." "..." Everyone pricked up their ears once more. "Governor-General Li is the heir to the Sword Venerable and holds the Starry Sky Sword. The Starry Sky Sword carries substantial authority. Others lack the clearance to activate them, but the Governor-General can!" "...Phew!" A collective sigh of relief swept through the group. Li Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Was this man doing it on purpose? Keeping everyone dangling on the edge of their seats with all these dramatic twists? Could the Starry Sky Sword really operate the nine relay stations? In fact, one of the nine stations was already under Li Hao's control—the ruins where Redwood resided. Redwood had been one of the guardian demon plants stationed at that particular relay station. Li Hao wasted no time. "Everyone here possesses my full trust, so I will get straight to the point. While the clash with the Divine Kingdom has just settled and we have a brief buffer period with the other three factions, we must seize the nine relay stations! "To them, these next few days should be a time for us to deliberate strategy, win over experts, or devise counter-measures. We will capitalize on this time difference to claim the nine relay stations, perhaps gaining unexpected boons in the process. "Time is tight. There are eight remaining, and we have at most three days to secure them all!" Eight ruins in three days. That meant two to three sites a day, including locating them, fighting, cleaning up, and potentially tending to wounded members... Back then, Redwood had been at the peak of the Immortal Realm. Furthermore, the resurgence of heaven and earth back then had been far weaker than it was now. The entities slumbering in these ruins might well be even stronger. "Three days from now... the King of Dali may return, and my teacher and the others might discover more ancient cities. Three days is also enough time for the other factions to regain their wits." Li Hao took a deep breath. "We are racing against time!" Faces grew solemn, and heads nodded in agreement. Li Hao glanced around. "Di Wei's true form can already step out, but Senior Redwood can only dispatch an avatar. This time, Di Wei, Senior Redwood's avatar, and the core members of the Governor-General's Office will accompany me! "As for all other senior demon plants, remain stationed in Heavenly Star Town. Convert the Spring of Life as quickly as possible, and provide us with substantial rations." With that, Li Hao produced the earth-drilling shuttle. "There is no time to lose. We depart immediately." He did not bring along many ancient powerhouses on this sortie. Di Wei and Redwood's avatar were the exceptions. If he truly wanted raw numbers, bringing the avatars of General Locust and the others would have been superior. Yet Li Hao hoped his faction could accomplish the slaughter or subjugation of peak Immortals without leaning entirely on external aid. This was also an evaluation ahead of the grand battles to come. *** The earth-drilling shuttle sped underground. This time, there were far fewer people on board. Redwood's avatar was busily probing ahead, visibly nervous. As one of the relay station guardians, locating the other eight stations relied heavily on its senses. Redwood felt intense pressure these days. As a demon plant, it could not reconstruct a flesh-and-blood human body like the Neo-Martial warriors. Li Hao could not forge a demon plant's vessel either; he was not even certain if demon plants had Dao meridians. Unable to remold its physical form, its true body could not leave the ruins. Meanwhile, the combat power of its avatar was becoming increasingly negligible. As one of the earliest demon plants to throw in its lot with Li Hao, it felt an acute crisis of obsolescence. Li Hao, on the other hand, showed no signs of impatience. He was in deep conversation with several experts. "Martial Uncle Sky Sword, I had a minor realization today. When we opened the Dao meridians before, didn't we discuss that everyone should pursue their own research directions? The thirty-six attribute-less meridians we opened earlier are merely the thirty-six most balanced, foundational meridians... yet attribute-less meridians can also form divine abilities." Sky Sword gave him a baffled look, pausing for a while before answering, "We know. Didn't we see the 360 meridians coalesce into a sword before?" "..." Li Hao fell silent. Sky Sword continued, somewhat perplexed, "We intended to finish cultivating the basic thirty-six meridians before considering opening more to form our individual divine battle techniques. Biting off more than one can chew is unwise right now. What were you trying to say?" "..." *I don't want to say anything at all.* Li Hao felt a wave of gloom. So it turned out he had been the only one to forget that detail, while everyone else had kept it firmly in mind? He hadn't forgotten entirely; he had merely assumed that opening 360 meridians was too daunting, failing to realize that smaller circuits could also achieve meridian combinations. From the sound of it, Sky Sword and the others were well aware. "So your intention, seniors... is to complete the thirty-six meridians before forging your personal divine abilities?" "Correct." Sky Sword nodded. "Those 360 meridians were merely the outer contours of that sword. I suspect there may be even more meridians beyond them. It is a boundless path, and we wish to see what results when that day arrives. But... now is not the time." Fair enough. Since they had a clear grasp of their paths, he would not say more. At the same time, Li Hao had some thoughts of his own. His layout for the Great Dao was still insufficiently rigorous. Lumping all attribute-less energy into a single zone was suboptimal. Perhaps subdivisions were needed. Yet so far, he had not even completed the coalescence of an attribute-less divine ability. Sabers, spears, swords, halberds... in the future, these ought to form dedicated domains. A domain for the Saber Dao, a domain for the Sword Dao... Dividing them this way would bring greater order to the Great Dao Universe. While he was lost in these thoughts, Redwood's phantom form flickered ahead, speaking abruptly: "There might be a relay station nearby. Because the current geography differs somewhat from the past, I cannot pinpoint the exact location... but every relay station emits a distinct pulse. I perceive faint traces of it, though I am not certain if it is here." Li Hao walked onto the deck as the shuttle surfaced from underground, scanning the surroundings. They were still within the Central Region. Redwood could only identify a broad direction, unable to fix the precise coordinates. Searching blind would prove exceedingly difficult. Li Hao was just about to look for nearby powerhouses to see if any ruins had been spotted in the vicinity—finding one clue might lead to another—when Director Qi spoke up: "A general bearing is more than enough!" He turned to Li Hao. "Governor-General Li, do you have your military battle armor on hand?" "Yes." "Bring out your golden armor and let me have a look." Li Hao retrieved his battered golden battle armor. In his current state, this armor provided minimal utility, offering limited defensive value. In several past clashes, it had nearly been torn to shreds. Director Qi took the golden armor and explained, "Military armor relied on the nine relay stations to maintain long-range communication. The nine stations formed the very core of the Silver Moon region's entire transmission network. "Each station occupied a specific point and fulfilled an essential role. Even after countless years of slumber, they can still support transmissions between pieces of military armor!" With that, he manipulated the armor through unknown means, causing what looked like an antenna to extend from its surface. Li Hao had never noticed the feature before. Director Qi explained, "This is an emergency transmitter. In a moment, I will broadcast an emergency signal to produce wave pulses. By tracking the resonance, we should be able to home in on the nearest relay station... Once the broad area is established, locating it is simple." Li Hao nodded. With Director Qi's help, the task had become vastly easier. Director Qi initiated the emergency transmission without delay. A distinctive pulse rippled outward. Li Hao focused his senses. Soon, his eyes flashed, and he looked toward the left—a faint resonant pulse seemed to ripple back from that direction. "Over there!" With a flick of Li Hao's gaze, the earth-drilling shuttle shot across the terrain. Shortly after, the craft came to a halt above a sprawling lake. Redwood appeared to let out a breath of relief. "It's right here! I can sense a demon plant absorbing energy below... It seems one of them survived." Looking around at the radically transformed landscape, Redwood made a deduction: "This is likely Relay Station No. 8. I guarded Station No. 7. At Station No. 8... if memory serves, there were nine guardian demon plants in total. Eight were at the Peak Realm, and one was an Immortal... Today, only that Immortal has likely endured." Li Hao nodded slightly. After a sweep of their spiritual senses, the shuttle plunged beneath the waters. Deep in the lake bed, a vortex spun slowly. The moment Li Hao and his companions arrived, a wisp of mental energy drifted outward. A humanoid phantom manifested within the depths, looking momentarily stunned at the sight of the group. A mental ripple echoed out: "Redwood?" The figure then looked over Li Hao and the others. "You... Heavenly Star... Li Hao?" Li Hao was somewhat surprised. "It seems Senior was not entirely sealed away. You have ventured outside?" "What are you doing here?" The phantom appeared both tense and wary. "We have kept to our own spheres. The outside belongs to you, but the interior... does not!" Li Hao cut straight to the point: "We need the relay station." "What do you mean?" "Please return to Heavenly Star Town to reunite with the other senior demon plants... and hand this place over to us." "Impossible!" Li Hao's brow furrowed. "Does Senior believe we cannot handle your true body? The relay station is of great use to us. Senior Redwood has already yielded Station No. 7..." "That has nothing to do with me. Withdraw at once!" The phantom took on an enraged tone. "You may be formidable, but within this relay station, my true body wields Immortal-level might. I have no reason to fear you!" "..." Li Hao studied the phantom with a frown. Without another word, he slashed out with his sword! A thunderous boom resounded as the phantom shattered instantly. "Go in!" Li Hao was in no mood to waste time bandying words; he had eight stations to secure, and every moment counted. The instant the earth-drilling shuttle breached the barrier, a torrent of thrashing branches lashed out at them. Li Hao severed a cluster of branches with a clean sword strike. Before long, an enormous tree loomed into view, its energy surging violently with fury: "You dare trespass here... This is a vital strategic outpost of Neo-Martial..." Just as Li Hao was about to reply, Hong Yitang called out, "Look!" He pointed toward one direction. Li Hao followed his gaze and froze. There... bones littered the ground. They appeared to be human remains. Heaped beside the tree roots, the skeletons were dense and numerous—and those were merely on the surface; even more were likely buried beneath the soil. Redwood sighed softly. "Mingling, have you been consuming humans to cultivate?" The colossal tree took on human form, manifesting as a sullen, middle-aged man. He shot a wary glance at Li Hao before turning to Redwood, speaking in a low voice: "Heaven and earth failed to revive, and energy ran dry years ago. I was on the brink of death... Besides, these people barged in on their own. I merely siphoned some energy... Redwood, survival of the fittest. I chose to stay alive. Surely you haven't come on their behalf?" Redwood hesitated. Such matters... if undiscovered, amounted to little. Even if discovered, as long as one was powerful enough, it rarely mattered. Redwood understood all too well that many demon plants had reached their limits back then. Facing death amidst a drought of worldly energy, consuming practitioners—even if their energy was meager—could sustain them somewhat over time. Li Hao had never encountered this before. Or rather, he had. Back in Battle Heaven City, when intruders entered, those slain were devoured by the city. General Locust's power had played a role in absorbing them to facilitate its own revival. However... Battle Heaven City had only slain intruders. Here, looking at the boundless white bones, Li Hao did not believe they had all been trespassers. Who would stumble upon an obscure ruin in such numbers? By his estimate, the visible skeletons alone numbered well over a thousand! Director Qi let out a heavy sigh. "Neo-Martial issued strict edicts: no demon plant or beast was ever permitted to use humans for cultivation!" The sullen man frowned. "I was on the verge of death; who had the luxury to care about edicts? Furthermore, the Neo-Martial humans slew plenty of demon plants and beasts for their own cultivation back then. It is nothing more than the strong preying on the weak! I am stronger than them, and I was dying—is it a crime to absorb a bit of energy to save myself?" He then turned to Li Hao with lingering wariness. "You must be Li Hao... I know you are powerful, but I am no weakling either! Here, I can unleash my full might. I have no desire to oppose you. If you insist on taking the relay station... I can depart after the second resurgence, and this place will naturally be yours!" It claimed it was an act of self-preservation. Starved of energy, it had resorted to this to survive. From the demon plant's perspective, this was perhaps not entirely unjustified—much like humans hunting beasts, feeling no kinship or remorse, akin to people eating meat. Yet now that Li Hao had seen it, he could not turn a blind eye. Toward cooperative demon plants, he generally avoided resorting to deadly force. Now, Li Hao chose not to debate. He said softly, "Right and wrong need not be argued; there is no point. Each walks their own path. I do not condone your actions... and so, there is only one choice: to kill you!" At this stage, debating moral absolutes was meaningless. Humans ate beasts; beasts ate humans. Each had their justification, each sought their own survival and strength. Who could definitively declare who was right? "Kill me?" Mingling was wary of Li Hao's retinue, but it was far from defenseless. If negotiations were off the table, talk was pointless. In an instant, its golden true body manifested. A formidable aura erupted! "Kill!" Li Hao barked. The experts around him surged forward. Sky Sword and Earth Sword struck in tandem, their sword light flashing to envelop the surroundings. Li Hao, however, refrained from joining the fray. He stood back, sizing up the opponent's strength and drawing mental comparisons. Because current Neo-Martial powerhouses lacked the support of the origin path, their combat power had deteriorated, though to varying degrees. A seven-element divine ability or a seventh-layer Mountain and Sea practitioner could rival some of today's Peak Realm combatants. Yet the Peak Realm spanned a massive spectrum. Li Hao had been formulating comparisons over the past few days. The seventh to ninth layers of Mountain and Sea were only on par with early-stage Peak Realm fighters today. The first layer of Sun and Moon roughly matched the mid-stage Peak Realm, the second layer matched the late-stage Peak Realm, and the third layer was comparable to the peak of the realm. Only upon stepping into the fourth layer of Sun and Moon could one contend with an early-stage Immortal. To reach the fourth layer of Sun and Moon required opening nineteen or more meridians. Naturally, due to varying degrees of revival, some ancient experts had recovered very little. Even if they held Immortal status, their actual combat prowess remained meager. In the earlier days, Redwood and other peak Immortals had been severely suppressed in power, starved of sufficient energy. Li Hao's benchmarks were based on beings who had restored their peak combat strength. Leaving other places aside, the experts in the traitorous ancient cities unquestionably wielded their full historical power; aside from losing the origin path's amplification, they suffered no weakness. The Mingling tree before them possessed peak Immortal strength on paper. By conventional standards, only a seventh-layer Sun and Moon expert—one with at least twenty-eight opened meridians—could hope to contest such a foe. None of Li Hao's allies currently possessed that level of raw power. Yet at this moment, a few experts with ten or more opened meridians—those who had stepped into the Sun and Moon Realm—were already pressing Mingling into a corner. *Its revival is insufficient, its energy depleted... No wonder it stooped to absorbing the pitiful energy of human bodies...* Li Hao appraised the situation. Though nominally a peak Immortal, Mingling wielded at most the combat strength of a current third-layer Sun and Moon expert. Besieged by multiple Sun and Moon fighters, it was visibly struggling. Still... just because the demon plants in the relay stations were weakened did not mean all demon plants were. Li Hao watched closely. Several individuals in the crowd displayed fierce combat ability—Sky Sword, Tyrant Saber, and Earth-Overturning Sword were all remarkably formidable. Yet they could only prevail against an emaciated Immortal. Against a fully restored one, they would fall short. With twelve meridians opened, their combat power hovered at the pinnacle of the first layer of Sun and Moon. Such strength could only handle fully revived mid- or late-stage Peak Realm combatants. Though energy across heaven and earth remained relatively thin lately, it was steadily recovering. Many slumbering powerhouses were likely far stronger now than before. As he pondered this, Hong Yitang let out a low shout in the distance, slashing out with his sword! Ever-shifting! As the sword swept forward, power from the Bright Star Realm flickered faintly through the void. A soft white radiance enveloped his body—the manifestation of unsealing the physical Dao. Li Hao watched with keen attention. This strike carried not the power of Earth, but the fury of Fire, akin to a blaze incinerating the heavens! *Boom!* The mighty Mingling tree was sent flying backward by the blow. In an instant, the others swarmed forward, unleashing a barrage of divine arts. Director Qi strolled over to stand beside Li Hao, watching the battle for a moment before remarking, "Mingling's revival is minimal and its energy starved. Had it been allowed to recover for a while longer... these people would struggle to best it." Li Hao nodded. "Which is why we must strike before the worldly energy recovers further... We have to seize the initiative!" He paused, then asked, "Senior, do you think a seventh-layer Sun and Moon practitioner with twenty-eight opened meridians would stand a chance against a Saint?" "A Saint of this era?" "Yes." "Impossible!" Director Qi shook his head. "Unless that Saint is catastrophically weakened—so weak that less than a tenth of their original power remains! Otherwise, if they have recovered even a fraction more, you cannot defeat them with seventh-layer combat strength... At the ninth layer, with around thirty-six opened meridians, you might hold a sliver of hope against an incompletely recovered early-stage Saint. "However, if the opponent is beyond the early stage, or has recovered more than thirty percent of their might, you will be no match." He continued, "From what I have observed, the Sun and Moon Realm corresponds to the Peak Realm of our day! Of course, without the origin path, everyone's tier can be adjusted down by one level. Reaching the middle stage of Sun and Moon might allow you to contend with some Immortals. "The late stage of Sun and Moon could defeat late-stage or even peak Immortals..." He added, "This assumes fully revived combatants. Thus, a peak Sun and Moon practitioner should be able to sweep away any entity at the Immortal level! But against a Saint... you need to step into the next realm entirely!" Li Hao's brow furrowed. The ancient cities inevitably held Saints. How much they had recovered was impossible to predict. Half? Less? No one knew. Saint-level combat strength was what he feared most. As for Immortals, if Li Hao disregarded the cost and forcibly unsealed his meridians, reaching twenty-eight or more was not out of the question. When dealing with the Divine Kingdom previously, he had even forced all his meridians open. Hong Yitang and the others could handle Peak Realm opponents now, and had a shot against lightly revived Immortals. Yet against Saints, no matter how little the enemy had recovered, their efforts would be largely futile. Thus, the Saints in the ancient cities remained the greatest obstacle. Li Hao felt a throbbing headache. Understanding his anxiety, Director Qi added, "It isn't merely the Saints. The main cities also possess formidable defensive arrays, and in critical moments, the ancient cities themselves can be mobilized." He piled on more pressure. Then, as if finding it somewhat amusing, he added, "Of course, if you happen upon a newly awakened main city, even a Saint wouldn't be terrifying; you should be able to handle them. But twenty-one years have passed since the first resurgence. I find it hard to believe every major city is merely newly awakened..." Li Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Senior, why must you heap endless pressure on me?" "I am merely stating facts." Director Qi advised, "Without opening at least thirty-six meridians, I do not recommend attacking any main city! In fact, even thirty-six might not suffice! One must anticipate defeat before battle. In the most extreme scenario—a Saint fully restored—an early-stage Saint would be manageable, but if you faced a peak Saint like Director Zhang, you would struggle to contend with him even with a hundred meridians!" Li Hao inhaled deeply. An extreme scenario... Worrying about that was pointless. If it truly came to that, one could only resign oneself to fate. While they spoke, the Silver Moon martial masters erupted in coordinated strikes, forcing enraged roars from the Mingling tree. Its true form was now fully revealed, fissures spreading across its trunk, yet it remained remarkably resilient. Relying on the immense fortitude of its physical body, it forced the group back step by step. For a time, they could not bring it down. With so many people, they still couldn't swiftly finish off an Immortal whose recovery was so minimal—its restored strength was truly pitiful, even inferior to Redwood's initial state. Li Hao continued to watch without intervening. He kept his eyes fixed on the fray, contemplating how he would handle a Saint. An encounter was practically inevitable! If he forcibly unsealed thirty-six meridians, coupled with nine elemental divine abilities and the physical Dao, could he open forty-six meridians? With forty-six, could he bring down a Saint? And if he opened all those meridians, how long could his physical body endure? Ten seconds? Thirty seconds? The last time he forced all his meridians open to deliver a single punch to the Western Queen, he had barely held together, nearly blowing himself apart. He was in better shape now than before. After all, he had unsealed the physical meridians and opened more acupoints, but it remained insufficient. At present, Li Hao had unsealed 250 acupoints, which, combined with ten other Dao meridians, amounted to only twenty-four opened meridians. Unleashing more than double that count in one go would place an agonizing burden on his flesh. As he pondered, Director Qi delivered another blow: "There is another factor. The origin path may be gone, but a Saint's mental energy remains terrifyingly potent. You new humans do not cultivate mental energy directly; you cultivate 'force'! You must ensure your force is not crushed by their mental energy. Otherwise, no matter how powerful you are, they will drag you directly into their mental domain and slaughter you!" Li Hao's expression shifted slightly. "Can my fusion of nine forces resist a Saint's mental suppression?" "It will be exceedingly difficult!" Li Hao's face tightened. "Even that won't suffice?" "I have sensed your force... When fused, it is impervious to Immortals. But a Saint is an entirely different tier—they can definitely breach it!" Li Hao took a deep breath. Director Qi added, "However, it is not an entirely hopeless situation..." Li Hao looked at him. Director Qi thought for a moment before saying, "If you conceal your force within the Bright Star Realm, it will be difficult for them to breach that realm... Furthermore, if you truly wish to slay a Saint, it is nigh impossible under normal circumstances, but there is still one recourse: the Bright Star Realm!" Li Hao's heart stirred. "The Bright Star Realm is your base of operations, a Great Dao Universe that no one truly understands... If you can find a way to drag them into the Bright Star Realm to battle, severing their connection to the world completely, you stand a chance of taking down an incompletely revived Saint." Li Hao's expression flickered as inspiration took root. Dragging them into the Bright Star Realm! It would be far from simple. Yet it was indeed a viable path. Director Qi was merely offering counsel; how to execute it depended entirely on Li Hao himself. Li Hao sank into deep contemplation. Up ahead, the battle reached a fever pitch. At that moment, Chen Zhongtian, who had kept a low profile throughout the skirmish, suddenly thrust forward with his sword! That single strike fused multiple divine abilities into a unified whole. With a deafening boom, exploiting the tree's momentary lapse in attention, his blade pierced straight through its core of life! The others swarmed in, unleashing their ultimate techniques as battle cries reverberated across the cavernous space. Seeing its demise at hand, the Immortal entity prepared to detonate itself. Just then, Di Wei, who had refrained from acting until now, abruptly summoned a phantom of the Imperial Palace. With a thunderous boom, it pressed down! Its power was significantly greater than before! In an instant, the violent, surging energy was forcefully suppressed. The opponent's origin path materialized for a fleeting second, and Earth-Overturning Sword and the others erupted with divine power, cleaving the path apart with a tremendous blast. This was the first time they had independently slain an Immortal. Yet Li Hao's brow remained tightly furrowed. Everyone had grown far stronger than before. However... this was merely an Immortal with minimal recovery. Contending with an ancient city remained a long and arduous prospect. Still, seeing the jubilation on everyone's faces, Li Hao offered a faint smile: "Your prowess has grown immensely, allowing you to slay an Immortal. Truly a cause for celebration!" The crowd was thrilled, but Li Hao quickly added, "Its recovery was minimal, barely matching an early-stage Immortal... perhaps even inferior to a fully restored early-stage Immortal." At these words, everyone froze, their excitement abruptly deflating. Li Hao continued, "Its strength hovered around the third layer of Sun and Moon, roughly equivalent to the peak of the Peak Realm..." The crowd fell silent. Was that all it was? They had genuinely believed they possessed the might to execute a peak Immortal. Li Hao did not sugarcoat the truth. He had to be candid; if they mistakenly believed they could easily slaughter peak Immortals, it would be the beginning of their demise. "You have done exceedingly well! Clean up the area, and we will set out immediately for the next relay station!" Li Hao did not dwell on the matter. "There is still ample room for improvement. As long as you all step into the fourth layer of Sun and Moon... you will truly rival Immortals. In our predecessors' era, there weren't all that many Immortals to begin with. "The fourth layer of Sun and Moon merely requires opening nineteen meridians..." The crowd felt the urge to roll their eyes. *Merely?* As if it were that easy! Only a monster like him would think nineteen meridians was 'merely' a small feat. Even so, their spirits were not crushed. They quickly cleaned up the battlefield, reaping a decent harvest. Before long, the earth-drilling shuttle departed once more, speeding toward the next relay station.