Sword Dao Divine Ability

The Yushan Town ruins. As Director Zhao and the others entered, Di Yao reappeared. He seemed gentle and harmless, exuding an approachable warmth that set one at ease upon first contact. "Junior Yuan Shuo!" "Junior Qian Wuliang!" "Greets Senior!" Every one of them was exceptionally polite. Di Yao did not look old. In fact, he appeared quite young, wearing a faint, gentle smile. He glanced over the newcomers and nodded slightly. "Good, very good. Possessing such strength at such a young age is truly extraordinary. In any era, you would be favored darlings of heaven." He smiled faintly and continued, "I do not know much about this Neo-Martial Dao, and Shuguang does not visit often. Given your youthful accomplishments, you must possess unique insights into this path. I wonder... would you two care to share? That way, we can devise a flawless plan for your upcoming advancements." Qian Wuliang hurriedly answered, "Of course! Since we require Senior's assistance, how could we conceal anything..." Before the other two could speak, he rushed on, "The Neo-Martial Dao is now also called the Bright Star Dao. The new humans cultivate Dao meridians..." Qian Wuliang held nothing back, pouring out every detail with utmost deference, as if terrified that Di Yao might refuse to help him advance. By the end, he had clearly explained divine ability Dao meridians, non-attribute Dao meridians, and how the 360 Dao meridians formed a sword. Yuan Shuo and Director Zhao both furrowed their brows. Di Yao, however, broke into a smile, his face filled with marvel. "To think this Neo-Martial Dao is so terrifying. I know a bit about Shuguang's condition and vaguely knew about the thirty-six Dao meridians. I never expected... that it was merely a tenth—or merely a tenth of the non-attribute Dao meridians. This new path is truly remarkable. Perhaps it can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Neo-Martial origin path." Qian Wuliang beamed. "Senior possesses the power of a Saint. It is said that even opening 360 Dao meridians might not rival a Saint from the origin era. Comparing us to Senior is like comparing candlelight to the sun and moon." "You cannot say that. The first step is always the hardest..." Di Yao chuckled, his peripheral vision catching the solemn expressions of the other two. They clearly felt Qian Wuliang had spoken far too much. Smiling, Di Yao looked back at Qian Wuliang. Among the three, this man was the weakest. Di Yao understood what lay beneath: this person's desires were practically written across his face! That raw, burning ambition could hardly be concealed. As a Red Moon cultivator, Di Yao was intimately attuned to such desires. They were so dense that even he was astonished. He did not know much about Qian Wuliang—he knew Yuan Shuo, but this Qian Wuliang was obscure, yet harbored such staggering ambition under Li Hao! Moreover, he had entered alongside Zhao Shuguang and Yuan Shuo, clearly marking him as one of Li Hao's confidants. Did Li Hao even know the extent of this man's ambition? At that moment, Yuan Shuo spoke up. "Senior, to receive your aid is our honor. Before coming here, the Governor-General stated that if Senior opens one meridian for each of us, we will compensate Senior with ten million divine energy stones. For three meridians, it will be fifty million..." Yuan Shuo said somberly, "Since Senior is willing to help, the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office and the Silver Moon martial arts community will not let Senior suffer a loss! Furthermore, the Governor-General stated that if you can open five or more meridians, Senior will receive an additional five thousand drops of the Spring of Life! In other words, opening five meridians brings fifty million divine energy stones and five thousand drops of the Spring of Life!" Di Yao raised an eyebrow slightly. What a lavish offer! He understood the state of heaven and earth very well. Hearing this confirmed that Red Robe had indeed been slain. A flicker of gravity passed through his mind. He still could not afford to be careless! To slay Red Robe—even if Red Robe's physical body had been damaged long ago while his own remained intact, and even if Thorny Rose had allegedly backstabbed Red Robe—Li Hao's side being able to eliminate him meant they were still a tremendous problem. If it were merely slaying Red Robe, Di Yao would not fear them. Compared to Red Robe, he possessed one advantage: his physical body remained whole, whereas Red Robe had lacked a body. His fear lay in complications. Thoughts flashed through his mind, but his desire to control these pawns became difficult to suppress. Every person sent to his door was a prodigy of this era. Ten of them! Restricting the quota was partly to avoid overexhausting himself, but also to make Li Hao select the finest geniuses to enter. After countless thoughts flickered through his mind, Di Yao chuckled lightly. "Governor-General Li is far too polite. There is no need for so much..." Yuan Shuo insisted, "Favors are favors. Since Senior pays a price, how could we enjoy the benefits with an easy conscience? If this allows us to advance and step into the middle stage of the Sun and Moon Realm, it will all be worth it!" The middle stage of the Sun and Moon Realm—even the fourth tier—required at least nineteen Dao meridians to be opened. A fourth-tier Sun and Moon cultivator could rival an early-stage Immortal Realm expert of the current era who was fully restored. Without origin path power, that was about the extent of their strength. Perhaps slightly stronger, but only marginally so. Di Yao raised an eyebrow. That demand was not low. Even as strong as Yuan Shuo was, he had only opened thirteen Dao meridians, having just barely stepped into the second tier of the Sun and Moon Realm. He chuckled and said softly, "I will do my best. Opening acupoints is trivial; according to your description, it is not difficult. The difficulty lies in the fact that opening meridians easily causes the power to backfire and shatter your physical bodies. Therefore, as they are opened, the physical body must be stabilized and strengthened at the same time. That is immensely difficult. "Presently, you have stepped into the Peak Realm of this era. Advancing within the same realm is not hard, but entering the middle stage is equivalent to stepping into the Immortal Realm. This places extreme demands on the physical body!" He sighed and said, "I will do my best to elevate you to the third tier of the Sun and Moon Realm, perhaps even the peak of the third tier. The fourth tier is genuinely difficult. It will depend on your fortune!" This was both true and false. The truth was that it was indeed exceedingly difficult, equivalent to a metamorphosis from the Peak Realm to the Immortal Realm; the price he would pay was steep and not cost-effective. The lie was that he was actually considering elevating them to the fourth tier to see if it would bring unexpected pleasant surprises. Of course, there was no need to lay that bare. He knew Li Hao harbored ill intentions! He even knew Li Hao might know about the existence of Red Moon power, and that Li Hao might be having him empower his subordinates to weaken Di Yao in preparation for an eventual clash. But right now, Di Yao had no choice. Otherwise, Li Hao would still come, and Di Yao could not escape. Accepting this task offered an opportunity. He was on the defensive! Unable to leave this place and with his location discovered by Li Hao, he could only passively wait. That meant he had to create opportunities for himself. Regardless of whether Li Hao had sufficient confidence, making more preparations was always right. His gaze swept over the trio, his eyes smiling once more. "Then let us begin. Before we start, I also require some of the Spring of Life, mainly to protect your physical bodies..." Without a word, Yuan Shuo took out a storage ring. "Inside are eight thousand drops of the Spring of Life. I do not know if it is enough; if not, we can retrieve more later..." "It is enough for now!" Seeing Yuan Shuo offer thousands of drops of the Spring of Life without batting an eye, Di Yao understood that this teacher of Li Hao was indeed extraordinary and held a lofty status in Li Hao's camp. Even someone as strong as Zhao Shuguang could not produce eight hundred drops, let alone eight thousand. This was even better! Beside them, Qian Wuliang's eyes flashed with envy and jealousy, his desire showing once more. Di Yao's smile grew even more radiant! Interesting! This man was far more interesting than Zhao Shuguang. That pure desire was far more untainted than Zhao Shuguang's caution or Yuan Shuo's vigilance. Di Yao could see it and perceive it clearly; that was his unique gift. Thus, he looked at Qian Wuliang with increasing delight. Qian Wuliang also wore a brilliant, beaming smile. He was observing Di Yao as well. That greed, that craving... Qian Wuliang felt a flicker of emotion in his heart, quickly suppressing it all. This "Senior" really liked him; the man's greed was practically overflowing! A good thing! Due to his strength, when he was captured by Li Hao, he had only been at the Rising Light stage, far weaker than the others. Even now, he was a tier below them. If he could seize this chance to become a third-tier or even fourth-tier Sun and Moon cultivator in one stroke, his standing in the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office would change drastically. Qian Wuliang knew that many people disliked him. Yet Li Hao did not dislike him all that much. Li Hao needed him. That was enough! If his strength could catch up, things might turn out very differently. So at this moment, Qian Wuliang laid bare his yearning, his greed, and his ambition without reservation. He felt his thoughts might mirror those of the entity before him! The crucial point now was whether the Governor-General could resolve the drawbacks. Li Hao had not explained, and Qian Wuliang had not asked. Since Li Hao dared to let Yuan Shuo enter, Qian Wuliang dared as well. This was clearly not a suicide mission; otherwise, even if others were sent in, Yuan Shuo would never have been. Just as he had called upon Yuan Shuo when visiting the ancient city, following Yuan Shuo now was the safest bet. He understood one principle: following Yuan Shuo meant never suffering a major loss. Li Hao might screw over anyone, but he would never screw over Yuan Shuo. Di Yao said no more. "Then let us begin. I know little about the new path, so I can only follow your instructions to open acupoints, open meridians, and strengthen your bodies. If the energy runs out of control, there is nothing I can do. If the requirements for your cultivation realm are too strict, I will be powerless as well." He could provide the power, but if the new path demanded too much realm comprehension, he could not help. Yuan Shuo said solemnly, "Senior, just do as you see fit. Realm comprehension is not an issue, at least not for us. We are pure martial masters with powerful force. Force is our realm!" Di Yao nodded, understanding. This generation of martial masters with powerful force might be the last of their kind. If the new path continued and non-attribute Dao meridians spread, there might no longer be any concept of force. Martial masters who possessed force possessed a vastly superior innate foundation compared to others. Qian Wuliang, on the other hand, felt slightly apprehensive. He possessed no force, and he wondered if any complications would arise. Di Yao perceived this as well. All of them knew that before a powerful expert, one should avoid excessive wandering thoughts to keep them from being sensed. Yet they also knew that as long as they concealed them properly, the expert could not perceive everything. Di Yao ceased speaking and waved his hand. Vast waves of energy surged through the ruins. "Sit and cycle your cultivation techniques!" The three quickly sat cross-legged and circulated their techniques. All of them used the Acupoint Opening Art, the exact same technique. Each person's degree of acupoint opening differed. Director Zhao had opened the most acupoints and meridians, already reaching the second tier of the Sun and Moon Realm. His goal this time was to step into the fourth tier. Yuan Shuo had barely stepped into the second tier, largely thanks to absorbing some energy when expelling the red shadow power earlier and opening a few acupoints; before that, he had only been at the peak of the first tier. Qian Wuliang had it even worse. He had barely opened ten Dao meridians. While he seemed only a few meridians behind the others, the difficulty of advancement was immense. Presently, heaven and earth were more lenient toward native cultivators. Li Hao had opened over twenty meridians. As native cultivators with innate Dao bodies, their upper limit was actually higher; it was feasible for them to reach the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm. The problem was that the process was brutally difficult. For Neo-Martial cultivators, the constraints were harsher, making their upper limit lower, though no one could reach that ceiling yet anyway. Di Yao said nothing more, gathering vast amounts of energy to penetrate their bodies. This kind of advancement usually required immense trust. Otherwise, the internal state of one's body would be laid bare for inspection. As Di Yao helped them open acupoints, he studied their physiology. The more he studied, the more surprised he became. These people's innate Dao meridians... He knew about supernatural locks, but back then, no one had ever imagined that supernatural locks were Dao meridians. Transforming supernatural locks into Dao meridians was undeniably ingenious. Even he felt a trace of admiration! What an imagination! Just as he thought this, dense energy merged into Qian Wuliang's body. Qian Wuliang rapidly unlocked an acupoint at astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, Qian Wuliang ignited an acupoint. Then the other two began opening acupoints one after another. Di Yao continually compressed energy into their bodies. Beyond that, he used his formidable mental strength to stabilize their physical forms, even releasing some of his own life force into them. In this manner, the potent life force of a Saint-level entity made their physical bodies increasingly robust. Acupoints ignited one by one. Qian Wuliang was the weakest, so he progressed the fastest. Before long, he opened a complete Dao meridian, reaching eleven meridians. Yuan Shuo and Director Zhao had not yet managed to open a full meridian. Di Yao continually infused the Spring of Life, life force, and specialized energy, subtly lacing it with a faint trace of red. It was exceptionally weak, and as this crimson energy seeped in, the trio felt nothing unusual. However, thoughts began to multiply in their minds. At this moment, Yuan Shuo thought about absorbing more, opening more acupoints and meridians to endlessly strengthen himself. Director Zhao thought that once his avatars merged, he might be able to step straight into the fifth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm. Reaching the fifth tier required at least twenty-two Dao meridians. And how many meridians had Li Hao opened now? Earlier, Li Hao had mentioned having twenty-four meridians, which placed him only at the peak of the fifth tier. All sorts of thoughts surfaced in their minds. They were genuine desires, not forced upon them by someone else, but their spontaneous emergence during cultivation was slightly abnormal. A deeper smile touched Di Yao's eyes. ... At the same time, outside. The other seven arrived one after another. Sky Sword, Earth-Overturning Sword, Hou Xiaochen, Kong Jie, Huang Yu, Chen Zhongtian, and Lin Hongyu. These people possessed varying levels of strength. Currently, the weakest was probably Kong Jie. As one of the Four Guardians of Silver Moon, he had originally been the weakest among them. Moreover, he had not been among the first batch to go to Heavenly Star City, nor could he command armies like Huang Yu. Thus, over time, a gap had opened between him and the others. Almost everyone else had opened around twelve meridians, possessing the combat prowess of the peak first tier of the Sun and Moon Realm. He, however, had barely reached ten meridians. Right now, he appeared somewhat nervous and excited. Hearing Li Hao say that someone would help them advance, Kong Jie could not help saying, "Well... how about I yield my spot to someone else? Tyrant Saber, Northern Fist, and the rest are all present..." He said this aloud, but in his heart, he prayed: *Please don't agree!* He desperately wanted this opportunity. If he missed it, such a chance would rarely come again. Li Hao smiled. "Director Kong has guarded Silver Moon for years. The Silver Moon Inspectorate has consistently played its role. The peace and stability of Silver Moon owe much to Director Kong's contributions! Besides... I was once a member of the Inspectorate myself!" Kong Jie grinned, feeling delighted. This was the reward! It could be considered Li Hao rewarding past merit. Past merit! The merit of guarding Silver Moon and preventing it from falling into chaos. Although the Inspectorate had failed to solve many cases back then, Silver Moon had maintained peace for years, keeping the Three Great Organizations from running rampant. This time, having all Four Guardians of Silver Moon present was indeed Li Hao rewarding their contributions. Otherwise, for ten slots, Kong Jie would never have made the cut; there were many who were stronger or had closer ties to Li Hao. As for Chen Zhongtian, Qian Wuliang, and Lin Hongyu, it was also a reward for their service. A return of favors! "Wait here a moment. When they come out and we see the results, if nothing is amiss, the rest of you may enter." The group remained silent, waiting patiently. Time ticked away. Darkness fell, marking the end of the first day—exactly twenty-four hours since Li Hao's avatar had shattered. Though Li Hao did not know about the three-day agreement, he knew time was not abundant. With a full day gone, he felt slightly anxious, though he showed no sign of it. After about two or three more hours, the trio emerged. They looked somewhat dazed. Compared to before, their strength had undergone an immense transformation. Far away in the shadows, Zhang An frowned slightly. There was no obvious abnormal aura about the three, yet something vaguely gave him a repulsive sensation. Sky Sword and the others sensed nothing unusual. Li Hao felt a faint trace of Red Moon power that had seeped into their bodies. Yet the trio showed no drastic behavioral changes. Director Zhao smiled brilliantly as always. "Governor-General, this time... the progress was quite good!" It was better than he had anticipated, and the dreaded scenario of being completely corrupted by Red Moon power had not occurred. He even wondered if Di Yao had refrained from corrupting him. Even Yuan Shuo sent a voice transmission to Li Hao: "There seems to be no adverse effect, and I don't feel any interference... Could it be that he didn't use Red Moon power to interfere with us?" Li Hao sighed inward. *What a subtle power!* Indeed, had he not felt the same earlier? When intruded upon by the Sovereign, he had felt unaffected. Whether there was any true impact could only be determined by entering the Bright Star Realm. The strength of all three had increased considerably. Director Zhao had officially stepped into the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm with nineteen meridians opened. He had gained the most, having jumped from fourteen to nineteen—five whole meridians at once! Incredible! The power of a Saint was beyond imagination. The next largest gain belonged not to Yuan Shuo, but to Qian Wuliang. Qian Wuliang had barely stepped into the third tier with sixteen meridians opened, meaning he had gained six meridians—even more than Director Zhao. Last was Yuan Shuo, who had also reached the third tier with seventeen meridians opened. However, Yuan Shuo had already opened thirteen meridians beforehand, so he had only gained four—fewer than the other two. Li Hao's thoughts stirred, vaguely guessing why. He glanced at Qian Wuliang. Qian Wuliang's eyes were burning with wild, ecstatic excitement. "Good... very good!" Li Hao exclaimed, "All of you have reached the third tier, and Director Zhao has even reached the fourth! The fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm rivals an early-stage Immortal! Among the humans of this new era, setting aside those of us blessed by heaven's will, Director Zhao is perhaps the first to reach this level!" And that was without fusing his avatar. After fusing, he might truly have a chance to step into the fifth tier. Li Hao himself had absorbed plenty of Great Dao power earlier, but he had not used it to open meridians. Instead, he had used it to open acupoints along the 360 Dao meridians. Having opened many acupoints, his total opened meridians had not increased. To this day, Li Hao still had twenty-four opened meridians, remaining at the peak of the fifth tier, keeping 250 acupoints active across the thirty-six meridians. In reality, however, he had opened over three hundred acupoints. He had opened many acupoints on other meridians without completing the entire meridians. Hearing Li Hao's words, the others turned green with envy. At least the third tier? This progress was ridiculously fast! Li Hao made an internal assessment: Di Yao likely had a limit in mind. For these people, the third tier was the general cap. Aside from Director Zhao, he would not allow anyone else to reach the fourth tier. Even so... it was enough! Li Hao smiled. "The rest of you, go in!" With that, he handed a storage ring to Hong Yitang. "Here are twenty thousand drops of the Spring of Life. As for the compensation promised to Senior Di Yao, I will pay him once everyone finishes their advancement. Tell Senior not to worry about me defaulting on the debt!" Without another word, the group eagerly filed inside. Li Hao watched in silence. Seeing this, Director Zhao said, "Then I will go in as well to introduce them." "Very well." Director Zhao followed them inside. Li Hao remained silent. In his ear, Zhang An's voice sounded again: "Have your master and that Qian Wuliang go in as well... Their presence here makes me uncomfortable. I have something to say to you." Li Hao raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Master, Wuliang, you two should go in and take a look as well..." The two exchanged a glance, said nothing, and followed into the ruins. Once they were gone, Zhang An materialized instantly. He said gravely via voice transmission, "The state of those three when they came out was deeply wrong! Li Hao, you are playing with fire, do you realize that? Those people... might be possessed by him through an alternative method!" He was exceptionally grave! Li Hao was crossing the line! If this continued, the people of the Red Moon Great World would infiltrate and take over the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office. That was perilous. "Senior, rest assured. I know what I am doing." Zhang An frowned and said no more. He knew Li Hao persisted because the harvest was enormous. Just looking at those three was enough—advancing so much in the blink of an eye would have taken months or years on their own! Di Yao had truly invested heavily. Also being at the Saint level, even with Di Yao possessing a physical body, Zhang An knew that elevating those people so much demanded a steep price, likely consuming a portion of Di Yao's Saint Dao origin essence. With more people this time, the process took even longer. Outside, Li Hao, Director Zhou, Director Wang, and Zhang An waited in silence. Director Wang did not mind. He had opened quite a few meridians at a rapid pace and was nearing the fourth tier, so he was in no hurry. Director Zhou, however, felt a tinge of regret. He no longer had the body of a new human. He used to be powerful; back when no one knew about Dao meridians, he could already rival six-element or even seven-element divine abilities. Yet to this day... his strength only hovered between the ninth tier of Mountain and Sea and the first tier of the Sun and Moon Realm. Though formidable compared to most, all ten of these people would surpass him today. For a moment, he even considered discarding this golden body to return to his original physical form. But then he remembered that in order to obtain this golden body, a powerful entity who had been like a master to him had burned his own life away... He could not bear to replace it. He sighed inwardly, keeping it hidden. Perhaps... there was no need to pursue overwhelming combat power. Yet as a golden body expert from earlier years whose battle prowess had always been at the pinnacle, how could he truly not care? Back then, when he looked at Li Hao and the others, they had been so weak. Among the Four Guardians of Silver Moon, aside from Old Zhao, none could stand shoulder to shoulder with him. As these thoughts crossed his mind, Li Hao suddenly sent a voice transmission: "Director Zhou, if we conquer an ancient city this time, you will strike it rich!" Director Zhou's heart stirred. Li Hao smiled brightly and transmitted, "Ancient cities have many experts, demon plants, and indestructible substance... Once an ancient city falls, Director Zhou might instantly step into the Immortal Realm, reaching the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm or even higher!" Director Zhou looked at Li Hao. This young man's ability to read people was truly formidable. With just a passing thought, Li Hao had deduced what was on his mind. "Then I await the Governor-General's good news!" Li Hao chuckled, nodded, and said no more. ... They waited several more hours until dawn began to break on the horizon. The group finally emerged, buzzing with excitement. Kong Jie was the most thrilled, his fervor practically uncontainable. "I... I actually opened six Dao meridians at once! Sixteen meridians! I'm... in the third tier of the Sun and Moon Realm!" Heavens! It was simply unbelievable! Among the ten, aside from Director Zhao who had reached the fourth tier, the other nine had all reached the third tier, ranging from sixteen to eighteen meridians, exactly as Li Hao had predicted. All at once, one fourth-tier and nine third-tier experts had been forged. Kong Jie's demeanor had noticeably shifted; he was feverish, thrilled, practically ecstatic. Over this period, he had been under immense pressure. Now, with that pressure suddenly relieved, he even had the mood to joke with Li Hao: "Now, if that Southern Fist bastard dares nag at me again, I'll punch him to death!" He laughed brashly. "Third tier of the Sun and Moon Realm!" Li Hao chuckled as well, looking over the crowd. None of them showed signs of falling into depravity or being stiffly controlled like puppets. Instead, each expressed themselves naturally, appearing little different from usual, merely far more animated. Knowing what was occurring, he smiled. "Be careful. There might be some aftereffects..." At this point, he turned to Director Wang. "Director Wang, wait here with the others for me..." He hesitated before sending a transmission to Director Wang: "No matter what changes occur, ignore them for now. If an unexpected crisis arises, just take Director Zhou and leave." Then he turned to Zhang An. "Senior... let us go inside and meet this gentleman." Zhang An nodded. Before he could speak, Li Hao added, "Senior, you only need to hold the line for me. You do not need to take action." "What?" Zhang An was startled! Hold the line? That was a Saint—a fully intact Saint! Without the combat power of a seventh-tier or even ninth-tier Sun and Moon cultivator, facing him meant certain death! And that was assuming the opponent was only in the early stage of a Saint. *You are... truly bold, truly reckless!* Li Hao smiled. "It is merely a spar... Rest assured, I know what I am doing." "Li Hao..." "Senior, let us go together." Zhang An frowned and said no more. ... Inside the Yushan Town ruins. When Li Hao stepped inside, Di Yao's aura was slightly disordered. He smiled. "Governor-General Li has arrived!" He glanced at Zhang An with subtle wariness, which quickly melted into a smile. "Di Yao greets Section Chief Zhang!" Zhang An looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly. "You do not belong to the Eight Main Cities?" Di Yao chuckled softly. "No, merely a rogue cultivator." He added, "Chief Zhang held a lofty position and likely does not know me. In the past, I was merely a minor figure..." "A minor figure at the Saint level?" Zhang An said coldly, "Even in the main world, a Saint was no minor figure. You are being overly modest!" At this moment, Li Hao spoke, smiling brilliantly. "Thank you, Senior, for your aid. You helped everyone open multiple Dao meridians. According to our prior agreement, I owe Senior hundreds of millions of divine energy stones and tens of thousands of drops of the Spring of Life." "No rush. If the Governor-General is short on resources, delaying payment is completely fine..." Di Yao appeared exceptionally accommodating. Li Hao smiled. "That will not do! A debt must be paid. I, Li Hao, never default. However... I have a small request. I wonder if Senior would agree?" "Governor-General, please speak." A sword appeared in Li Hao's hand as he smiled. "I am someone who enjoys challenging the strong. If Senior Di Yao is willing to spar with me, I will naturally deliver the owed divine energy stones and Spring of Life after the battle." Di Yao looked at him, surprised. He glanced at Zhang An and saw that Zhang An tacitly permitted it. For a moment, he was dazed, almost wanting to laugh. Did Li Hao... truly believe he was invincible under heaven? Who was Di Yao? He was a Saint! Moreover, he was a restored Saint, not a crippled remnant. Even if he had consumed significant energy earlier, he was still a Saint. According to the tiers those people used, anyone short of the ninth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm was not even worth his attention. Though Li Hao was stronger than those subordinates, in his eyes, Li Hao was still trash. He wanted to spar? Di Yao smiled! Of course, he knew that if he truly tried to kill Li Hao, Zhang An would certainly intervene. But... why kill Li Hao? Li Hao had delivered himself to his doorstep! Earlier, Di Yao had felt that corrupting Li Hao would be exceedingly difficult with Zhang An watching. But if Li Hao sparred with him voluntarily, wouldn't the opportunity present itself? "Governor-General... you jest." Li Hao said earnestly, "No, I am serious! I wish to witness the power of a Saint. Since I intend to attack a main city, the enemy will inevitably have Saints. Kind-hearted seniors like you are rare. I wish to spar with Senior and witness the mighty power of a Saint!" Only then did Di Yao realize the youth was completely serious. He chuckled. "A spar... very well!" He glanced at Zhang An and said with a light laugh, "Section Chief Zhang, if I accidentally injure Governor-General Li... the Chief won't mind, will he?" Zhang An frowned slightly, looking at Li Hao. Li Hao took a deep breath. "Naturally, he will not intervene. Senior Zhang is only responsible for one thing: if I am on the verge of death, pull me away from Senior Di Yao's grasp. Beyond that, no matter what happens, Senior Zhang need not interfere!" Zhang An hesitated. This time, he almost could not hold back. It didn't matter if the others were possessed, but Li Hao was the core of the entire Governor-General's Office. He... "Senior, please!" Without waiting for Zhang An to speak, Li Hao soared forward. Zhang An took a deep breath and gave up on intervening. Li Hao was no fool; he understood the stakes. Perhaps... he had a way to handle it. The next instant, Li Hao struck with his sword! This sword strike was identical to the Sword Venerable projection's strike in the void! Acupoints faintly lit up across his body. Divine characters converged, unleashing an instantaneous strike of remarkable power! Di Yao had originally been dismissive, but now he grew slightly solemn. "The Sword Venerable's inheritance... truly extraordinary. Governor-General Li is indeed gifted!" With that, without even drawing a weapon, he vanished. Li Hao's sword pierced forward, shattering the void, but Di Yao had already appeared behind him. Li Hao spun and threw a punch, but Di Yao vanished again. Slashing back with his sword to cleave the void, Di Yao was nowhere to be found. His voice echoed, "The Governor-General's strength is formidable. Facing ordinary mid-to-late Immortal Realm experts of this era should pose little difficulty. However... against a peak Immortal, you would likely struggle." That was Li Hao's true combat capability. He did not mention Saints; the gap was still immense. Li Hao said nothing. Suddenly, his blood surged. The next moment, the "Dao" divine character flew out from Zhang An's body. Li Hao let out a low roar, forcibly igniting several acupoints, causing his battle prowess to burst upward. A sword slashed out, tearing the void. A fierce tiger seemed poised to devour its prey! *Boom!* Di Yao struck, a fist driving straight toward Li Hao's back. Li Hao transformed into an ape to evade, yet found the strike unavoidable. With a bang, the punch struck home. His back split open instantly, spraying blood. A force seeped in through his back, vanishing in a flash. In the distance, Zhang An's expression shifted slightly. Li Hao staggered and coughed up blood, turning around in shock. "So fast!" Was this the speed of a Saint? At their level, speed had practically reached the limit of tearing through space. Di Yao chuckled. "It is not speed... but reaction time. Your force is strong, yet also weak. To a Saint... it is like stagnant mental energy; your reactions cannot keep up with me..." Like a benevolent teacher, he offered warm guidance: "To face a Saint, the bare minimum is keeping up with my reactions!" With that, he vanished, throwing another punch. Li Hao vanished as well, unleashing a dazzling flurry of sword light. The sword radiance was immensely powerful, yet failed to strike his opponent once. *Bang!* Another heavy impact echoed as a fist imprint caved into Li Hao's chest. A red glint flashed and vanished. Li Hao spat blood, his expression grave. "I cannot keep up..." "No matter. With enough practice, there is hope of keeping up," Di Yao smiled. "Your offensive power is actually not weak. With the origin path gone, the gap between a Saint and an Immortal is no longer insurmountable. Let us try a few more times." He struck again. This time, fist imprints rained down endlessly. Ignoring everything else, Li Hao focused entirely on responding. A sharp light flashed in his eyes as his specialized sword eyes opened. He vanished instantly. *Bang!* A fist grazed his cheek, tearing the flesh open. "Oh... sword eyes..." Di Yao's voice echoed, "Good, very good! You can barely dodge now. You should battle Saints more often to hone yourself. As a genius, you ought to fight above your realm." He attacked repeatedly. Li Hao could only evade, his counterattacks wasting energy in vain. *Boom!* Punch after punch landed, leaving fist imprints across Li Hao's body. With a thunderous crash, Li Hao's chest was torn open. He crashed heavily to the ground. Blood spilled continuously from his mouth. He panted, his expression grim. Di Yao had been toying with him, yet his strength remained terrifying. Li Hao was completely outmatched. Even though Di Yao possessed a physical body and had never lacked energy... He was still far stronger than anticipated. Li Hao had expected that even if he could not defeat Di Yao, he could at least inflict some injuries. Yet he had failed to even graze the man. It was unbelievable—he could track Di Yao's figure, but his body could never keep up. A terrifying entity, a terrifying Saint! Li Hao took a deep breath, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and panted, "Senior... I will step outside to heal for a moment. Later... I hope Senior will continue to instruct me..." Di Yao raised an eyebrow. "You can heal right here..." "I consume too much energy when cultivating; the energy here is insufficient." Di Yao did not press further, smiling and nodding. Li Hao glanced at Zhang An. "Senior Zhang, wait here a moment. I will return shortly." Zhang An frowned and nodded as well. ... Li Hao walked out swiftly and vanished the moment he left the ruins. Inside the Bright Star Realm. Sure enough, the moment he entered, the Bright Star Realm trembled. Countless strands of Great Dao power swept over, and bolts of lightning scoured Li Hao, tearing his flesh and skin to shreds with thunderous roars! Streams of crimson energy were blasted out instantly. Enduring the agonizing pain, Li Hao ignored the wounds, focusing instead on how to keep up with Di Yao. He knew Di Yao was continually infusing Red Moon power into his body, but he did not care; that power was useful to him. Right now, what mattered more was that against a Saint, he could not even meet the bare minimum requirement: his reactions could not keep up. Without that, even with sufficient combat power, he could never land a blow. "Among the myriad Great Daos... is there none that enhances reaction speed? Or... can I only strengthen my force?" Both force and mental energy could improve reaction speed. However, both were exceedingly difficult to enhance. Pondering this, he rapidly devoured the residual Great Dao power. Within his body, the 360 Dao meridians manifested, and acupoints were ignited one after another. His opened meridians remained at twenty-four, restricting the heaven-and-earth Great Dao and capping his battle prowess. Across the other meridians, acupoints lit up in rapid succession. According to Li Hao's plan, he needed to ignite at least one acupoint on each of the other 324 meridians. Added to his original 250 acupoints, he needed to open 574 acupoints to meet the baseline requirement and complete the most fundamental grand circuit! To form the Sword Dao divine ability. Presently, Li Hao had opened over three hundred acupoints, but he was still far from 574. *I must continually absorb Red Moon power... My only fear is that he catches on or decides it's enough and stops infusing it...* That would be a massive loss! Countless thoughts surfaced. Only after opening roughly 340 acupoints did Li Hao exit the Bright Star Realm. ... The Yushan Town ruins. Li Hao reappeared, hale and hearty. Di Yao frowned slightly, his brow soon smoothing out. "The Governor-General... seems to have grown stronger." Li Hao smiled. "It is all thanks to Senior's guidance... I cultivated a bit just now and opened a few more acupoints..." Di Yao nodded slightly. "Shall we continue?" "Of course!" With that, Li Hao struck with full force. A sword slashed out, gleaming even more brilliantly. The sword radiance flashed, no longer focused on aggressive attacks, but primarily on defense. Slightly surprised, Di Yao smiled and grew a bit more earnest. The next instant, Li Hao was struck again with a bang, his flesh splitting open. Di Yao's expression turned slightly grave. This fellow's physical resilience had grown even greater. Perhaps he needed to infuse even more Red Moon power. Furthermore... why did he feel as though he were losing connection to the Red Moon power he had infused? He was somewhat puzzled. At that moment, Li Hao abruptly stimulated his bloodline power. A dazzling burst of sword intent erupted, shredding a portion of the Red Moon power. Di Yao understood immediately. The bloodline of the Eight Great Families! The Li family bloodline! Indeed, the Sword Venerable's bloodline power—or rather, the power of the Sword Dao—had destroyed a portion of the Red Moon power. No wonder he had struggled to sense it. He was reminded of Ying Hongyue, who had also used the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families to eradicate significant amounts of Red Moon power. In that case, he had to be harsher with Li Hao, infusing even more power to suppress his bloodline. With that thought, Di Yao moved even faster. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Two silhouettes continually clashed in the void. Li Hao sustained injury after injury, yet fought with increasing ferocity, almost crazed and completely reckless of life and death. He cast aside all stray thoughts. His sole objective was to wound his opponent. Yes, merely wound him. If once was not enough, then ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times... He paid no heed to the passage of time! *Boom!* With a massive collision, Li Hao's skull was dented. Spitting blood madly, he coughed and gasped, "Senior... wait for me a moment. I will go... heal for a bit!" Di Yao raised an eyebrow. "The Governor-General still wishes to continue?" "Yes!" Di Yao frowned. After a long pause, he nodded. "Very well." Li Hao was beginning to seem ridiculously stubborn. Di Yao felt that the Red Moon power he had infused should already be sufficient. Continuing the spar had little meaning. Yet since Li Hao insisted and Zhang An was glaring from the side, he raised no objection. Li Hao vanished once more. ... Inside the Bright Star Realm, thunder struck again. Li Hao convulsed violently as strands of crimson energy were blasted out, swept away by the myriad Daos and shattered into pieces, which Li Hao devoured. Acupoints opened in rapid succession. 360, 370, 390... His opened meridians remained at twenty-four. Yet his acupoints multiplied. Only when he reached 400 acupoints did Li Hao exit the Bright Star Realm and re-enter the ruins. ... This scene repeated multiple times. Outside, the onlookers were utterly dumbfounded. Only Yuan Shuo understood what Li Hao was doing, breaking into a cold sweat for his disciple! After so many rounds, had Di Yao still not noticed that the Red Moon power he infused was vanishing? ... Di Yao had, in fact, begun to notice. He frowned. He realized that within Li Hao's body, there was barely any Red Moon power. It was strange. He had already infused an immense amount—enough to cause a Saint of the past to lose their composure. Yet Li Hao showed no such reaction! Why? Frowning, he struck Li Hao with another vicious punch, infusing another wave of energy. Li Hao, realizing he had likely aroused suspicion, suddenly unleashed a brilliant burst of power from the Starry Sky Sword, which shattered a portion of the Red Moon power with a resounding boom. Li Hao felt a twinge of reluctance, while Di Yao was taken aback. Was it because of the Starry Sky Sword? Had the Starry Sky Sword eradicated all of his Red Moon power? If so... that was troublesome! He had a headache. Influencing Li Hao alone had already drained far too much of his power. Red Moon power was fundamentally similar to origin power; under the current conditions, origin power could not penetrate, and neither could Red Moon power. Once exhausted, it was hard to recover. He could recover some because a Sovereign still existed in this world. Yet spending so much to influence Li Hao alone might not be worthwhile. Stranger still, Li Hao's strength was growing steadily, and his physical defense was becoming terrifying. Right then, with a tearing sound, Di Yao's sleeve ripped. Di Yao frowned. From being unable to touch him at the start, to now being able to make contact, to tearing his sleeve—this was a horrifying rate of improvement. Growing far more serious, he let out a low shout, shifting from fist to palm. This time, he slapped aside the Starry Sky Sword and clawed directly into Li Hao's skull, channeling Red Moon power straight into his head. "Li Hao!" Zhang An barked. Gritting his teeth, Li Hao replied, "I'm fine!" Power surged through his body as he slashed his sword toward the hand! Di Yao retreated, raising an eyebrow at the five bloody holes in Li Hao's head. He smiled. "You grow stronger and stronger; it is becoming difficult for me to pull my punches. Do you need to heal again?" "No need, let us continue!" Li Hao shook his head. This time, he needed to absorb more; otherwise, who knew if this fellow would be willing to keep going? He knew Di Yao would not dare fully control him with Zhang An present; the Saint would exercise restraint. The battle resumed. Li Hao stopped leaving to heal, instead madly devouring the Spring of Life on the spot to open acupoints. Now, Di Yao vaguely understood what this fellow was doing: opening other acupoints without opening complete meridians. A bizarre fellow with bizarre choices! Opening a hundred such acupoints might not be as useful as opening a few Dao meridians. Wasn't this an exercise in futility? Fortunately, he noticed that Red Moon power had accumulated considerably within Li Hao's body; otherwise, he would have suspected Li Hao could purge it entirely. Li Hao consumed vast quantities of the Spring of Life provided by the demon plants, his acupoints multiplying steadily. However, it was not as fast as opening them with Great Dao power. 450, 500... Eventually, the Spring of Life was completely exhausted, and Di Yao had grown impatient. Genuinely impatient! This Li Hao was endless! *Boom!* Another punch sent Li Hao flying. By now, Li Hao's eyes had subtly shifted, showing traces of greed, coldness, and disgust. Di Yao's heart stirred. He could not infuse any more. Any more, and Li Hao would lose control. Too much Red Moon power had accumulated. Moreover, the special energy within his own body was largely drained. He cursed inwardly—corrupting this fellow was far harder than corrupting a Saint. Did having the Li family bloodline make him that special? Meanwhile, Li Hao vaguely sensed his own emotional changes. He looked at Di Yao with greed, disgust, and a burning urge to slaughter him. Li Hao knew he had reached his limit. Yet throughout the battle, he had still failed to wound his opponent. Wounding him would mark a true metamorphosis. "Senior... my Spring of Life is spent. I will step outside... and then engage in one final spar... how about it?" Di Yao breathed a sigh of relief. Damn it, he had finally called for the last round. He nodded. "Very well!" It was finally ending! He would rather fight Zhang An than continue dealing with this nuisance; the boy was infuriating. ... Li Hao vanished. This time, he went straight into the Bright Star Realm. A massive bolt of lightning startled him. *Boom!* Li Hao was blasted until flesh and blood flew. It seemed that carrying so much Red Moon power had enraged the Great Dao universe. Thunderous roars erupted as countless distinct lightning bolts struck him, driving blood-red energy from his body. Li Hao devoured it madly. 510, 520... As long as he reached 574 acupoints, 360 of them could form a grand circuit! Li Hao absorbed energy relentlessly. After a long time, with a deafening rumble, the 574th acupoint ignited! In that instant, 360 non-attribute Dao meridians manifested, and the shape of a sword appeared within Li Hao's body! At that moment, a divine character slowly surfaced. It condensed with agonizing slowness. It formed a faint, ethereal divine character: "Sword." The moment this divine character materialized, the Bright Star Realm shook violently. From the non-attribute region, a massive greatsword suddenly flew forth, repelling all non-attribute energy with world-shattering rumbles! A thread of sword intent surfaced within the Great Dao universe. In this instant, sword cultivators across the realm sensed something extraordinary! A terrifying sword intent emanated from Li Hao's body! Beside him, the Starry Sky Sword trembled violently, buzzing with sheer delight! Li Hao's physical body began to undergo a metamorphosis. Strands of white energy swept over from the Bright Star Realm, enveloping him like a cocoon. Joy filled Li Hao's eyes. This was... the Sword Dao divine ability! Though only the first rotation—theoretically requiring nine rotations before becoming a complete Sword Dao divine ability—this initial stage already felt transformative. The change was even more profound than opening the physical Dao. *Rumble!* Heaven and earth seemed to overturn within his body. In the Great Dao universe, the Sword Dao region instantly pushed back the surrounding domains, even surpassing the Five Elements region. Within Li Hao's body, the other divine characters—even the "Dao" character—seemed to yield ground. Li Hao was ecstatic! This was incredible! The next instant, he let out a roar. The 360 acupoints formed a sword, and the faint "Sword" divine character emerged, fusing directly into the Starry Sky Sword. *Boom!* A sword slashed out! Within the Great Dao universe, a thunderous roar echoed. The slash cleaved through countless stars ahead, frightening Li Hao into hurriedly reeling in his power to avoid accidentally striking down an ally. At this moment, Li Hao was wild with joy. His strength had grown immensely. He felt it was no weaker than when he had opened all thirty-six meridians before. Perhaps it was an illusion... but his power had undeniably leaped upward. "Di Yao... I'll test my sword on you!" Li Hao laughed heartily and vanished from the Bright Star Realm. A Saint... he would test his sword against a Saint! He had never expected that while preparing to shatter his physical body to forcibly open meridians, he would encounter such a generous benefactor like Di Yao. It was delightful! To repay him... Li Hao would let him see what a true Sword Dao divine ability looked like.