Fleecing the Sheep

Within the void, a clash between Sovereigns raged. Projections of all Eight Great Families were present, but the others appeared exceptionally frail. Only the projection of the Sword Venerable was relatively formidable, unleashing strike after strike, every sword swing executed as if laying his life on the line. There were no superfluous techniques, no so-called divine abilities. Just a single sword! And that Sovereign sealed here—even with the moon hanging overhead, his back against the Star Gate, and a Bagua diagram above him, all suppressing and sealing him—still unleashed unimaginably immense combat prowess. It seemed, however, that this Sovereign from the Red Moon Great World specialized in spiritual methods. He was particularly adept at bewitching the mind. Yet his opponent was merely a projection left behind by a mighty expert of the past, manifested through a formation. Its source of energy came from heaven and earth. At this moment, Li Hao vaguely understood why the energy of heaven and earth had been instantly drained back then. It was not just because of the energy veins, but because of this seal. A Sovereign had intruded, and someone activated this formation to seal him. Maintaining the projections of the eight experts—especially that of the Sword Venerable—demanded an astronomical amount of power. Thus, the energy of heaven and earth had been depleted. Today, the formation was not as powerful as it once was, and the world was beginning to generate energy again. The Sword Venerable's projection consumed less energy than before, which led to the resurgence of heaven and earth. Only now did Li Hao understand everything. The hundred thousand years of dormancy were tied to this Sovereign and the Sword Venerable’s projection. Over all these years, one sought to break the seal, while the other continually shattered his progress. A war of attrition had formed! In that case, the current resurgence of heaven and earth likely meant that the Sword Venerable’s projection was far weaker than in the past. On the other hand, it also showed that this sealed Sovereign was not nearly as powerful as he had been back then. He had been steadily weakened! Both sides were diminishing. Because of this, an equilibrium was maintained, leaving the Sovereign perpetually unable to break free. At this moment, the Red Moon Sovereign continued to speak: "Descendant of the Li family, this Sovereign speaks no falsehoods! If you break the seal, the Silver Moon world is yours. As a Sovereign, I would never deceive you..." Li Hao’s mind grew hazy once more, drifting into a muddleheaded state under the interference, as if everything the other party said was absolutely true. He had known long beforehand that such a situation might arise. He had made some preparations... Yet truly facing a Sovereign—even a sealed Sovereign—he still found it difficult to endure this verbal intrusion. Within Li Hao’s body, divine characters flared one after another. The "Dao" divine character radiated power, jolting his physical form, yet it remained difficult to resist. Right at that instant, a flash of sword light gleamed in the darkness, illuminating heaven and earth. Li Hao snapped back to his senses! The Sword Venerable’s sword! At that moment, a thought struck Li Hao. The Sovereign interfered with him, and the Sword Venerable’s sword shattered that interference. Each spiritual intrusion was, in truth... an opportunity for him! Was it not? Though he had initially felt fear and hesitated to speak, his spirit surged with energy as he said, "Your words carry no weight. The Silver Moon world doesn't belong to you!" "Oh?" The Red Moon Sovereign waved his hand once more. Heaven and earth overturned, stars plummeted, and the cosmos seemed to tear apart. He was like a god! His voice reverberated, "Why would they not? It is merely a minor world. Were it not for this seal, not even the world boundary itself could stop a Sovereign... Once the seal is broken, this Sovereign shall be invincible... truly invincible!" "Do you take the experts of Neo-Martial for dead?" Li Hao felt tremors rocking his spirit wave after wave. A wisp of sword intent coiled around him, and he said softly, "Neo-Martial and your universe might still be locked in combat... or perhaps your side has already been defeated. Otherwise, if a Sovereign vanished for countless ages, would no one come to rescue you? Would no one search for you? "All that remains in Silver Moon are the old, weak, sick, and crippled; the truly powerful have all departed. Yet you are a Sovereign... In any universe, a Sovereign is by no means weak. Why has no one come to save you?" The projection chuckled softly. "You do not understand... The myriad worlds are magnificent and complex, with varying flows of time. The main world of Neo-Martial has likely vanished, perhaps colliding and intersecting with the Red Moon world. Perhaps only years or decades have passed in battle over there... while Silver Moon has already seen a hundred thousand autumns! "You are too weak to grasp the principles behind this. Thus... who holds the upper hand between Red Moon and Neo-Martial is unknown to all, even to this Sovereign... But since Neo-Martial abandoned Silver Moon, I suspect they have fallen at a disadvantage..." He did not claim that Red Moon had definitely won. As a Sovereign, he disdained deceiving a weakling in such a petty manner. His voice boomed across heaven and earth: "Neo-Martial is powerful; that is an undeniable fact! Yet the Human King divided his world in two, perhaps into three or four... In doing so, Neo-Martial’s supreme expert falls short of the Lord of the Red Moon... "Descendant of the Li family, trapped in this minor world, you will likely spend your entire life here until you wither away. A hundred thousand years is but the snap of a finger to me, yet to you, it brings the rise and fall of seas and continents. Break the seal and let me walk free, and whatever you desire shall be yours." Li Hao grew dazed again. Another streak of sword light swept across his vision. He stared blankly at it for a long while before regaining his wits, his voice slightly raspy. "How do I break the seal?" "Extract the Li family bloodline power in your body and use the Starry Sky Sword to sever one corner of the Bagua. As long as you contribute a fraction of effort, this Sovereign can naturally break the seal..." Li Hao appeared disoriented. He seemed increasingly dispirited. The voice echoed in his mind once more: "Even if you do not help me, this seal cannot last much longer. Heaven and earth have developed their own consciousness and do not wish for someone to constantly siphon away their energy... Thus, sooner or later, this seal will crumble on its own." A faint crimson energy began seeping toward Li Hao’s projection. *** Meanwhile. Near the stone gate, Li Hao’s physical body seemed enveloped in dense red energy. Yuan Shuo instantly frowned. He had not approached Li Hao, yet the wisps of red energy wafting out made him feel uncomfortable. Not only that, the energy of the Eight Great Families drifting near the stone gate suddenly detonated! Just like the first time, their energy conflicted violently with this crimson power. The explosion snapped Yuan Shuo fully awake. He took a deep breath, his expression exceedingly grave. This... was terrifying! He was far stronger now than in the past, yet merely the leaking energy made his spirit sway. What kind of monster was sealed in here? Yuan Shuo glanced at Li Hao, then let out a low roar that sounded like a tiger echoing through the mountains. "Li Hao!" The furious shout rang across the surroundings. With an unstoppable momentum, it surged straight toward Li Hao. Rumble! In the void, a fierce tiger pounced forward. *** Within the starry expanse, a roar exploded in Li Hao’s ears. "Li Hao!" Li Hao snapped awake, feeling a heavy weight in his heart. The voice still echoed in his ears. How terrifying—and this was even while the Sword Venerable's projection was constantly slashing at the entity. A few simple words from the other party had managed to affect him, almost impossible to block. What a frightening being! Was this a Sovereign? The "Dao" divine character within him circulated rapidly once more, unleashing torrents of force. Li Hao closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, sword light seemed to gleam within his gaze. He no longer listened; he only watched. He watched the projection swing his sword! Every strike was seamless, as though cleaving open heaven and earth at the dawn of creation. As Li Hao watched, he forgot everything else. Ignoring the Red Moon Sovereign’s influence entirely, he fixed his gaze on the strikes. Sword strikes of the Sword Venerable’s projection materialized in his eyes, each one utterly natural and impossibly fierce. Within Li Hao's mind, a wave of sword intent surged. A thought struck him. Suddenly, the sky within the starry cosmos split open, revealing another world—the Great Dao universe. "Huh?" At that moment, the Red Moon Sovereign seemed to sense it. A surge of formidable power rushed straight toward the rift in the sky. Boom! A thunderous crash resonated through heaven and earth. "Hmph!" A muffled grunt sounded. The Sovereign seemed surprised: "An origin path Great Dao universe? No... that doesn’t seem right... A new path universe? Impossible... How could a mere minor world give birth to a new path?" It was as if he had only just discovered that a new path had been born in this world. He found it unbelievable! This world was far too weak. While it was not impossible for a Great Dao universe to form, that usually only occurred in top-tier worlds with powerful heavenly wills and mature realms. How could a minor world give birth to a new path? How could this be? He wanted to break into it. A newly discovered Great Dao universe was an absolute treasure in the eyes of all top-tier experts. For a Sovereign, if one could not become a World Lord, making further progress was exceedingly difficult. Yet if one took control of a new Great Dao... then anything was possible! Right then, Li Hao’s projection manifested, looking up at the sky. He saw a surge of crimson energy trying to taint the Bright Star Realm, only to be obliterated by the Great Dao universe in an instant. No matter how newly born a Great Dao universe was, it was not to be underestimated. When power not belonging to the Bright Star Great Dao intruded, it would show no mercy. When Li Hao had brought Director Zhou in before, it was also through the "Dao" divine character. Seeing this, Li Hao breathed a small sigh of relief and stopped paying it mind. He directed his divine characters into the Bright Star Realm. Within the previously unaligned region of the Bright Star Realm, a sword suddenly appeared, carving through the cosmos and the world to form an independent Sword Dao region. Capturing sword intent! The Sword Venerable’s sword intent was astonishing. Even the wisps drifting outward struck deep dread into the heart. In the Bright Star Realm, the Sword Dao region gradually took shape. Meanwhile, on Li Hao’s physical body, 360 Dao meridians faintly surfaced. Not all of them materialized, as doing so required an immense amount of energy. Yet several of the visible Dao meridians rapidly opened their acupoints. Only one per meridian. Observing a battle between Sovereigns and comprehending the true meaning of the Sword Dao was an opportunity granted to very few. Li Hao immersed himself in this sensation, feeling his mental power and force on the verge of being torn apart. Yet what did it matter? Waves of formidable sword intent enveloped him, accompanied by bursts of crimson energy trying to infect him, while his teacher’s furious roars echoed in his ears from time to time. Shout after shout! Li Hao’s "Dao" divine character hovered above his head, radiating myriad Daos. Streams of power from the Bright Star Realm poured down over him, cloaking his body. Bathed in starlight, Li Hao resembled a deity or a Buddha. He opened his eyes once more. This time, instead of watching the battle, divine light erupted from his gaze as he surveyed the surroundings. A vast starry sky! At this moment, he saw even more. He saw the moon above the Red Moon Sovereign. That moon should have been silver—the origin of the name Silver Moon. Now, however, it carried a tinge of red, tainted by the opponent's power. Looking closer, he could faintly see a gateway standing within the moon, glittering like starlight. The Star Gate! This was the gateway leading outside the world. This was the first time Li Hao had ever seen the Star Gate so clearly. Inscriptions seemed etched upon it, with Great Daos rising and falling. Li Hao observed it for a moment before shifting his gaze. Sword City was likely in this region as well—within the world boundary. Where was Sword City? Divine light burst from his eyes as he looked farther into the deep darkness. After an unknown amount of time, he saw it. Deep in the distant starry expanse, a tiny city floated like a sword drifting in space. Yet it felt devoid of any aura or vitality. It seemed to be merely a dead, silent city. Was that Sword City? Li Hao’s heart stirred! He seemed to have spotted Sword City! It was said that Sword City had willingly activated the seal back then, choosing to suppress this Sovereign. Had Sword City... been completely wiped out? Before he could see clearly, a sharp pain shot between his brows. Li Hao knew that the pressure generated by the clash between the two combatants was too immense, tearing at his spirit and making it impossible for him to hold on. His projection materialized, his brows furrowing slightly. He glanced into the distance at the two still locked in combat, then looked at the figures standing nearby, completely indifferent. Logically, the formations of the eight main cities should have prompted all eight experts to act. Yet so far, only the Sword Venerable had struck. The others seemed to have fallen entirely silent. Ying Hongyue! It definitely had to do with Ying Hongyue. He had seized the bloodline inheritances of the seven families, which might have restricted the bloodline formations of those seven. With that thought, Li Hao vanished instantly. The moment he disappeared, the Red Moon Sovereign’s voice echoed in his mind once more: "Break the seal, and you shall become second only to me..." *** Li Hao returned to reality. Red light flickered across his body. Opposite him, Yuan Shuo’s aura erupted as he roared, "Li Hao!" His voice was hoarse. Li Hao opened his eyes to look at his teacher. Yuan Shuo looked grim as he stared at Li Hao, who was wrapped in red light, unable to tell whether his student had been compromised. Grave concern etched on his face, he shouted sharply once more, "Wake up!" A tiger roared! Force vibrated! The power of the five elements erupted to awaken Li Hao. But Li Hao merely let out a chuckle as an idea came to mind. The Starry Sky Sword appeared in an instant, tearing through the void. The domain of the Bright Star Realm emerged. In the next instant, Li Hao slipped inside. Boom! A mighty power seemed to surge within the Bright Star Realm, threatening to tear Li Hao apart—or rather, to shred the red energy within him, which was an external force. It was incompatible with the Bright Star Great Dao. A sound like crashing thunder reverberated! It rattled continuously inside Li Hao’s body. As he stepped into the Bright Star Realm, countless diverse energies attacked him, piercing through his entire body until the red energy was blasted out with a roar. For a moment, an illusionary figure seemed to emerge, only to be crushed by the convergence of myriad energies in the Bright Star Realm. A muffled groan echoed in the empty Bright Star Realm. It did not come from Li Hao! Li Hao’s expression shifted, filled with lingering fear and shock. "It... actually managed to infect me!" He had thought he remained largely unaffected and had stayed clearheaded the entire time. The Sword Venerable’s sword intent, his own sword intent, his master’s roars, and his force had kept the intrusion at bay. Yet in reality, a remnant lurked within, polluting his spirit and flesh. Only when he entered the Bright Star Realm did its Great Dao reject the alien force and obliterate it outright. Not even a Sovereign could bypass that! A mere sliver of a Sovereign’s power could hardly stand against an entire Great Dao universe. "Terrifying!" Li Hao was shaken, but in the next instant, a smile crept onto his face. He instantly devoured all the converged energy, channeling streams of diverse Great Dao power into his body. Dao meridians manifested one after another. This was far more effective than any Spring of Life. This was the innate power of the Great Dao. Gathered just now to destroy the Red Moon energy, it had been picked up by Li Hao as an unintended windfall. His eyes gleamed brightly. "The Great Dao universe... targets that power..." Li Hao’s eyes shone with frightening intensity. What if... he allowed himself to be repeatedly infected, entered the Bright Star Realm, and let the Bright Star universe annihilate that power? Wouldn’t that continually gather the power of the myriad Daos for him to consume? However... each time he went, the seal would be triggered. Would that loosen the seal? Moreover, would that Red Moon Sovereign sense anything? He had likely intended to leave something inside Li Hao, and since it had vanished, he might be able to detect it. "Di Yao!" Suddenly, Li Hao remembered the information Director Zhou had shared with him earlier. Di Yao and Director Zhao! Director Zhao might have been infected as well. His eyes lit up. Di Yao was likely a Saint, perhaps originally from Neo-Martial but tainted by the Red Moon Sovereign—or simply an expert from the Red Moon Great World. That did not matter! What mattered was that this power would provoke the Bright Star universe. The power of the origin path also seemed to be targeted... But Li Hao quickly shook his head. Currently, the various experts had very little origin power left, as the origin path had vanished from heaven and earth. It was not easy for the Neo-Martial people to gather even a bit of origin power; he wouldn't use them for experiments. Thoughts raced through his mind. Furthermore, Director Zhao seemed infected, yet like Li Hao, he remained completely unaware. Li Hao had been personally tainted by a Sovereign and hadn't sensed a thing, believing he was untouched. Director Zhao was weaker than him and had been infected by a Saint... He would surely be just like Li Hao, thinking it impossible because he felt nothing amiss. "If I stuff Director Zhao in here... it should resolve some problems... and not just him..." Li Hao’s heart stirred. Perhaps... others had been infected as well, including the traitors of Neo-Martial. And the Bright Star Great Dao targeted this power. Ideas kept surfacing. To find out who was infected, pulling them into the Bright Star Realm would reveal it immediately. That might be the most foolproof method. Some of the infected might not even know it themselves. A chill ran through Li Hao. This power was frightening. If a large number of people were infected, they might turn traitor and fall under the enemy’s control at a crucial moment. Inside him, Dao meridians continued to appear. Devouring a substantial amount of Great Dao power, Li Hao opened acupoint after acupoint. Many of the 360 Dao meridians surfaced. After lingering for a moment, Li Hao vanished from the Bright Star Realm. Outside, Yuan Shuo was waiting anxiously. In a flash, Li Hao reappeared. Before Yuan Shuo could speak, Li Hao said, "Follow me!" Grabbing Yuan Shuo, he vanished instantly. In the blink of an eye, as if traversing the universe, Yuan Shuo’s heart jolted as he found himself in the vast cosmos. In the next instant, a bolt of lightning-like power surged forward. Boom! It bore down directly upon Yuan Shuo! Yuan Shuo yelled, assuming Li Hao had been corrupted, and threw a punch straight at him. Boom! A resounding crash echoed. Li Hao caught his fist and smiled. "Teacher, I’m fine. It’s you... I was tainted by an expert’s power earlier, and some of it leaked out. You were likely infected slightly... Wait for the Great Dao power to cleanse it!" Yuan Shuo’s heart stirred. The next moment, an immense force descended, washing over him with a roar. A faint red mist emerged and was wiped out by myriad energies in the blink of an eye. Yuan Shuo was shocked. How could this be? He had not even touched that power. How had he been infected? This was terrifying! "That was a Sovereign-level entity... exceedingly frightening!" Seeing the red energy eliminated, Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Teacher, try absorbing some of this residual energy." Yuan Shuo acted quickly, absorbing it. An instant later, his expression shifted, turning to sheer delight. "This... is pure Dao meridian power!" "Yes!" Li Hao nodded. Master and disciple exchanged a glance, seemingly reading each other’s minds. Yuan Shuo said eagerly, "If you go in a few more times, can't you keep baiting him into infecting you..." "..." Li Hao chuckled and nodded. "It's possible, but he isn't stupid. Once or twice might work, but if done too often... an accident might happen, and he might catch on." He laughed. "No rush. There's another fellow—a Saint-level being!" "He definitely won't be as terrifying as a Sovereign..." Li Hao thought to himself, grinning. "He’s a fat sheep, and I’m going to fleece him clean! Teacher... maybe... there's hope of dealing with the Saints in the ancient cities!" With that, he pulled Yuan Shuo back out. Yuan Shuo was thrilled as well. In that brief instant, he had opened at least three or four acupoints. It had happened in a flash. It was simply too fast! *** This time, Li Hao did not fly slowly. Grabbing Yuan Shuo, he tore through the void and vanished on the spot. Elsewhere. Director Zhao was still brooding when Li Hao suddenly appeared. Director Zhao was just about to explain that he had not been influenced, that it was all a misunderstanding—for if he were compromised, why would he reveal the intelligence to Old Zhou? Li Hao simply mistrusted him too much. Before he could speak, Li Hao said, "Director Zhao, go find Di Yao and have him modify your body to strengthen your physique!" "This..." "Go!" Li Hao added, "Not just you. If possible, ask him if he can modify more people. There are plenty of Silver Moon martial masters and experts..." "Are you joking?" Director Zhao said solemnly, "This is extremely dangerous. It was only because of my strength and steadfast mind that I wasn't severely affected! If others go... those without sufficient willpower, even Hou Xiaochen or your master, might be influenced and become his slaves!" He thought Li Hao had lost his mind! Resorting to any means necessary just to grow stronger. He had gone himself only after planning for many years. Everything had been prepared! Sending others would be sending them to their deaths! Li Hao pondered for a moment, then looked at his teacher. "Teacher, if the influence goes too deep, it might be hard to purge. But if they've only just undergone the modification, it might be possible to cleanse it completely. I don't know the exact details, and if I go, he might not be willing to modify me... Teacher, go with Director Zhao. You... will serve as the test subject!" Yuan Shuo, however, had no objections at all. He nodded. "Fine!" Li Hao looked at Director Zhao with a smile. "We take a gamble! I'm even willing to gamble with my own teacher... There's nothing to fear. Just as my teacher said, at this stage, who is afraid of whom?" "..." Director Zhao thought he was completely insane! Li Hao spoke again: "Right now, immediately, make haste!" Director Zhao frowned. "But... no one can suppress me right now... Once the modification is complete and I step out of the ruins, even you might cause immense trouble if you try to hold me down." "It’s fine. Even if I truly cannot suppress you, I’ll call Senior Zhang... Could you possibly rival a Saint?" "..." Director Zhao smiled bitterly. "I’m afraid he’ll slap me to death on the spot!" Neo-Martial people would surely despise the power of invaders. "It’s fine. Don’t underestimate the magnanimity and rationality of a Saint." Li Hao smiled. "I will handle everything." He grinned again. "Time is tight; go right now... You head over first. I’ll make a trip to Heavenly Star Town to fetch Senior Zhang. This is an opportunity, not a crisis!" Turning to the others, he said, "Accompany Director Zhao. Director Wang, keep a close eye on him; Director Zhao might not be in a rational state right now." Director Zhao was speechless. Was this really necessary? He genuinely did not feel he was compromised! He was still Zhao Shuguang! He felt Li Hao was far too wary of him, breeding resentment and anger in his chest. He had racked his brains and risked everything for Silver Moon and Heavenly Star. Yet here he was, suspected by Li Hao. It truly grated on him! When he was guarding Silver Moon, Li Hao had not even been born. He frowned slightly, saying nothing aloud, but felt distinctly uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Qian Wuliang’s voice sounded by Li Hao’s ear: "Director Zhao... seems somewhat displeased with the Governor." Li Hao’s heart stirred. He glanced at Director Zhao. He did not doubt this man's sense of duty, nor did he suspect him of colluding with the enemy. But at this moment... he might have truly been infected without realizing it. Li Hao was merely taking precautions. Given Director Zhao’s normal character, he shouldn't be displeased; he should have actively cooperated. Indeed, this subtle influence was terrifying. It magnified the desires in one’s heart! And was Director Zhao the only one affected? No wonder so many people betrayed Neo-Martial despite knowing its strength and the terrifying might of the Human King. Those traitors... including Sun Xin, the deputy commander of the Heavenly Star Army, had their internal desires amplified. Otherwise, as Neo-Martial people, would they have dared to turn traitor? On the other hand, Ying Hongyue... by using the bloodline power of the Eight Great Families, he might have offset some of the influence. Otherwise, with his desires amplified, Ying Hongyue wouldn't be as rational as he was now. Thoughts flashed through his mind, and Li Hao sent a voice transmission to Director Wang: "Keep an eye on Director Zhao... Be careful." With that, he soared into the air and vanished. He needed Zhang An’s help. This time, it was not to deal with Neo-Martial people, but Di Yao. Zhang An shouldn't object. Di Yao... was crucial! Li Hao disappeared quickly. *** Heavenly Star Town Ruins. Zhang An remained within the ruins. Normally, unless Li Hao lent him the "Dao" divine character, he could not leave. But Li Hao could not leave it with him permanently, as he needed it himself. When Li Hao suddenly appeared, Zhang An was somewhat surprised. "You're... back?" Li Hao had taken many people with him on this excursion, but hardly any Neo-Martial people aside from those who had revived their physical bodies. Zhang An understood his thoughts. Yet understanding was one thing; he had not volunteered to help. He knew Li Hao should understand his stance as well. Li Hao smiled. "Senior Zhang, rest assured, this is not to target a Neo-Martial main city. Even if it were... I would only target a city of traitors! I believe that between you and me, between Neo-Martial and Silver Moon, a balance will eventually be reached!" Zhang An hesitated, but Li Hao did not linger, speaking rapidly: "I want to deal with a Saint from the Red Moon Great World—the world that went to war with Neo-Martial back then. Does Senior know of it?" "Red Moon?" Zhang An paused, then said, "I know of this matter, but that was not what we called them. Back then, messages from the main world said Senior Sun God referred to it as the Realm of Desires!" The Realm of Desires! Li Hao nodded. That name was truly fitting. The Sun God... Li Hao knew of him as well. He was the strongest expert of the Early Martial era, someone not inferior to the Human King. When Li Hao was in Battle Heaven City last time, he had glimpsed a conversation among several Sovereigns through those two words, where the Human King mentioned that the Sun God had been injured... seemingly by an expert from that universe. Li Hao smiled. "Whatever the name... currently, in the Yushan Town Ruins—where the first resurgence took place—there is an entity similar to the Red Moon expert we killed that day. Are you interested in taking action, Senior?" Zhang An nodded, his voice grave. "Naturally! The main world went to war with them; they are targets Neo-Martial must eliminate. If we know of their whereabouts, of course we must strike!" There was no need for Li Hao to urge him. If he discovered such an entity, he would definitely kill them! "That’s settled then!" Li Hao smiled. "The appetizer... should taste quite good." "..." Zhang An was speechless. This... was an appetizer? "The other party... is likely not weak. Being able to trigger the first resurgence means they aren't lacking in energy, and they might still maintain peak combat strength at the Saint level..." "Are you no match for him, Senior?" "Of course not." "Then that's all that matters!" Zhang An had no retort. Fine, there was nothing more to say. Li Hao handed the "Dao" divine character to him once more, and soon, both vanished from Heavenly Star Town. With Sun-Moon combat strength, tearing through the void was no longer a difficult task. Before long, they arrived in Silver Moon, one after the other. Through communication messages, Li Hao learned the whereabouts of the group and vanished again. Soon, he appeared near Cross-Cut Gorge. *** At that moment, Director Zhao, escorted by the others as if under guard, arrived before a small hill with some discontent. "Old Zhou... I didn't expect that even you wouldn't trust me." Director Zhou smiled. "I trust you. Don't misunderstand, Old Zhao; this is all for your own good." "Get lost!" Director Zhao was helpless. Seeing Li Hao arrive with Zhang An, he felt even more exasperated. Li Hao arrived swiftly and wasted no words. "Director Zhao, you go in first... Ask if he can help modify more people. No need to lie; speak the truth. Don't try to deceive a Saint... Just say we want to attack a main city but lack the strength, so we need a boost. I can provide a large number of Silver Moon martial masters to cooperate with him... "A Saint, perhaps even one at peak strength, might be able to help everyone grow much stronger." At these words, Zhang An frowned. "This is inappropriate... First, forcibly elevating strength isn't necessarily a good thing. Second, if he truly is from the Realm of Desires, complications are very likely to arise. Third... even for a Saint, strengthening others incurs a cost to oneself each time. If he agrees, that will be the truly terrifying part: weakening himself to elevate you means his ambitions are even grander!" Li Hao nodded. "I know! But... isn't Senior right here?" Zhang An was at a loss for words! Even with me here, if your spirits are invaded, it will be extremely difficult for me to purge. It was very troublesome! What on earth was Li Hao thinking? Director Zhao said nothing further. Since Li Hao insisted... he would give it a try. With a wave of his hand, a dark passage appeared before him. He looked at the crowd. "I can project an avatar outside now. You all back off a bit... especially Senior Zhang." Zhang An frowned slightly, said nothing, and vanished on the spot. *** Yushan Town Ruins. The moment Director Zhao stepped inside, an ethereal voice rang out from the distance: "You’ve come." "Yes." Director Zhao said, "Has Senior gone outside recently?" "No." The next moment, a figure appeared. He wore no red robes, but rather a scholar's green robe, looking quite refined. He smiled. "Have you come seeking me for something?" "Senior is perceptive!" Director Zhao explained the situation quickly, adding, "So, the descendant of the Li family, Li Hao, wants to attack a main city to seize it and suppress the start of the second resurgence." Di Yao pondered for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Reasonable, but very dangerous..." "It is indeed dangerous, so..." Director Zhao hesitated briefly before saying, "I hope Senior can assist us. I wish to... forcibly strengthen my physique and open acupoints. Of course, I know it will take a toll on Senior..." Di Yao chuckled softly. "It is no big deal. Your strength is modest, so opening acupoints presents little difficulty. However... Shuguang, you understand full well what this entails, do you not?" Director Zhao said solemnly, "There is no time to care about that!" "Sigh!" A soft sigh sounded. A glint of red light flickered in Di Yao's eyes as he looked at Director Zhao. Director Zhao seemed slightly dazed. Di Yao observed him for a moment, letting his spiritual power seep out as the crimson power invaded. A moment later, he chuckled softly. Humans truly loved to overestimate themselves. Zhao Shuguang’s plan sounded nice, but did he really think the Eight Directions Seal formed by the Eight Great Families could suppress his power? He had known about it long ago. Yet... so what? It was rather amusing! As long as one harbored desires, one could not escape the intrusion of the Red Moon power. Desiring to grow stronger, desiring to protect, desiring to suppress the realm... all of these were desires! Before a Saint... none of this could escape his eyes. With that in mind, seeing Director Zhao struggle slightly, he withdrew his power. Director Zhao seemed unaware and continued, "Furthermore, this time... we hope to obtain more help from Senior to strengthen more of our experts... Naturally, as compensation, we will provide Senior with an abundance of divine energy stones and Springs of Life; we won't let Senior work for nothing." Di Yao smiled and nodded. "Very well... however, the numbers cannot be too large. Ten people, at most." Director Zhao remained silent for a moment, then nodded. "Agreed!" Seeing this, Di Yao added, "Does that Li Hao need my help?" "That... there is no need to trouble Senior with him." "You... are still on guard against me. Why bother?" Di Yao smiled gently. "We have collaborated for many years. I am not of the same mind as those people; I have my own pursuits..." "I understand!" Director Zhao said no more. "Then I will gather the people... Once everyone arrives, I will trouble Senior to modify us together." "Very well." Delivering themselves to his doorstep! Zhao Shuguang had never been this impatient before. Di Yao thought to himself that perhaps they believed they could keep it under control, making them fearless? Their confidence... was truly somewhat laughable. As long as desire endured, the power of the Red Moon would never fade! Once tainted, escaping was out of the question—not even Ying Hongyue could rely on the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families to break free. It was simply impossible. *** Soon, Li Hao received word. Ten people. The other party had actually capped the number. Wouldn't more be better? Or did he suspect experts outside might be plotting against him, making him wary of overexertion and danger? Yet he, too, seemed unable to restrain his own desires. Li Hao chuckled. Di Yao might know someone was plotting against him, yet he was still willing to take the gamble. As expected, those who manipulated desire harbored desires of their own. "Director Zhao, Teacher, Qian Wuliang..." Li Hao named the three present, then added, "Call over Director Hou, Director Kong, and Commander Yu as well. Also fetch Martial Uncle Hong, and... Lin Hongyu and Chen Zhongtian..." He had picked nine people at once. Finally, Li Hao pondered briefly before adding, "And call Senior Sky Sword." Southern Fist and the others had not yet returned. Letting these ten go in to receive modifications—even if they only forcibly opened several dozen acupoints—would be a great boon. Forcibly opening acupoints was no simple task. Ensuring the body did not rupture and the Dao meridians remained stable required immense power and energy to reinforce and sustain. At any rate, Li Hao could not do it. Doing it himself would shatter his physical body. As for Zhang An, it was hard to say; he had no physical body and lacked dense energy, so Li Hao hadn't asked. Since a Saint was willing to lend a hand... he wouldn't refuse. Once they came out, he would take them directly into the Bright Star Realm—and perhaps fleece some wool along the way. Li Hao chuckled and said, "Head inside first. If there are no issues... once the others arrive, I'll have them enter as well!" The others did not dally, swiftly making their way into the ruins. Zhang An’s voice rang in Li Hao’s ear: "This is far too reckless!" "I know! But... there is no other choice." In the shadows, Zhang An frowned. He could say nothing more. What could he say? By his logic, charging straight in to slay the enemy would be best, yet Li Hao did not seem to think that way. Indeed, Li Hao had other ideas. He had another plan... Once these people finished their modifications, he would go in himself, fight three hundred rounds, continually retreat, flee, and upon losing, step outside and enter the Bright Star Realm! He would drain the opponent’s Red Moon power empty, time and time again! What was the point of simply killing him? Zhang An did not know the wonders of the Bright Star universe, which was why he failed to understand. Li Hao did not explain further. Explaining everything too thoroughly was not necessarily a good thing. At this moment, Li Hao was filled with anticipation. Within the ruins, Di Yao also wore a faint smile. How interesting! That Li Hao... had immense courage, but... did he truly understand the power of the Red Moon?