The Yushan Town ruins.
Li Hao stepped inside once again.
At his return, Di Yao's expression shifted slightly. He cast a glance at Li Hao, his brows knitting into a faint frown.
That dense Red Moon power from earlier seemed to have slipped out of his connection once more.
Why was this happening?
Even if the Starry Sky Sword and the Li family bloodline could dispel the corruption, it should not have vanished so instantaneously.
His countenance flickered uncertainly. Glancing at Li Hao, then over at Zhang An, he felt increasingly that something was amiss.
At that moment, Li Hao smiled warmly. "Senior... this will be our final spar. Once it is concluded, all the benefits I promised Senior will be delivered in full."
He walked toward Di Yao step by step.
Truth be told, Di Yao was truly a good person. Without him, Li Hao would have had to take enormous risks to open those Dao meridians. But now... perhaps he no longer needed to take such colossal gambles.
This was a Saint.
Over multiple bouts, Li Hao had failed to scratch him in the slightest. The sheer pressure had been suffocating, and the frustration immense.
Now, he wanted to test whether he could finally wound his opponent.
As for slaying him... Li Hao had no certainty. A Saint—and one whose physical body was still intact—was nowhere near that easy to kill.
In his grasp, the Starry Sky Sword hummed faintly.
Di Yao's expression shifted as he murmured softly, "It appears... Governor Li has grown stronger once more. It is truly astonishing. After a single battle, even a mid-fight breakthrough would not grant an advancement as vast as yours, Governor."
"Many thanks for Senior's assistance!"
With those words, Li Hao smiled. "Senior, come!"
The moment he finished speaking, a single sword strike tore heaven and earth asunder!
Sword light blazed in all directions!
The surroundings dissolved into chaos in an instant.
Di Yao's face tightened, and he vanished on the spot. But this time, the sword beam was unimaginably swift. With a sharp rip, Di Yao flicked his arm, and his sleeve shredded into fragments. Caught by surprise, he wheeled around and countered with a punch.
The chaos shattered, yet sword beams surged forward once more—ten thousand rays of sword light enveloping his entire form.
Di Yao barked softly, "Form!"
Boom!
Layer upon layer of luminous shields seemed to materialize before him, crashing against the myriad sword beams and shattering one after another.
Just then, Li Hao closed his eyes.
When he reopened them, sword radiance flickered in his gaze. At this moment, Di Yao was no longer an ordinary man in his eyes, but a swirling confluence of countless energy masses, displaying strong points and weak flaws alike.
The Sword Eye!
He abandoned all flashy maneuvers, aiming solely for the points of vulnerability. In this instant, he finally understood why the Sword Venerable's strikes had seemed so entirely traceless: the Sword Venerable had never relied on specific forms or stances. He had simply struck at every flaw!
The sword thrust out!
Utterly soundless!
With a sharp crack, the blade pierced straight through a light shield. Di Yao vanished instantly. Li Hao saw it, yet his reflexes still lagged behind by half a beat. He jerked his head aside. With a deafening boom, an explosion detonated beside his ear.
The void burst apart!
A spatial rift slashed across Li Hao's ear, shredding the flesh, yet a smile touched his lips.
He had perceived it!
Yes, his reaction speed was still a fraction too slow, but he could now track the trajectory of his opponent's movements.
Bang!
Another thunderous crash rang out. Li Hao tilted his head again, narrowly evading another fist.
"Eh?"
Di Yao was taken aback. Li Hao had actually dodged it. Though the young man's reflexes remained somewhat slow, there were clear signs that he was beginning to predict the strikes.
In an instant, Di Yao unleashed countless punches, reducing the void to churning chaos.
Li Hao did not merely dodge. The Starry Sky Sword swirled around him in relentless defense. As blow after blow rained down, he stopped trying to attack and focused entirely on guarding!
Indeed, pure defense.
Li Hao executed his sword art: the Earth-Overturning Sword.
Guarding all four directions.
He remained utterly silent, his eyes sweeping across his surroundings. He knew his reflexes and mental awareness were inferior to his opponent's, so... he had to wait. He had to wait until he could anticipate where Di Yao would materialize next, and only then unleash a decisive strike.
That moment would be his only chance at a lethal blow!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Starry Sky Sword vibrated violently under the barrage of a Saint's fists. Blood seeped from the corners of Li Hao's mouth, though his injuries were nowhere near as severe as in their previous bouts. Dazzling sword light coiled continuously around him, turning aside each punch.
His defensive fortitude was vastly superior to before.
Di Yao could only sense that Li Hao had grown stronger, but attempting to contend against a Saint like this was still pure folly. Li Hao could not land a clean hit; at best, he merely grazed past.
Di Yao could not help marveling at the young man's sheer tenacity. Moreover... the Red Moon power really seemed to have dissipated. What in the world was going on?
Punch after punch crashed down.
From beginning to end, Li Hao took a relentless beating. Even with his defense holding, wounds accumulated across his body.
***
A short distance away, Zhang An watched in silence, his brow slightly furrowed.
Li Hao was actually vastly more powerful than when he had first begun.
Though he still appeared to be at the fifth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm with the same number of open Dao meridians, Li Hao had initially possessed the combat strength of an upper-tier Immortal at best. Now, under the sustained assault of a Saint, he was consistently deflecting lethal strikes.
Such progress was beyond imagination.
At this point, unless he ran into a Saint, virtually no one at the Immortal tier could easily threaten him.
His growth was breathtakingly fast!
Zhang An could not help recalling the first time he had met Li Hao. Back then, these people struggled against even a seven-element divine ability user. In fact, a formidable six-element Mountain-Sea cultivator at the sixth tier could have subdued Li Hao.
How much time had passed since then?
From the sixth tier of the Mountain-Sea Realm to the fifth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm, his actual combat prowess had surpassed the sixth and even the seventh tier of the Sun and Moon Realm.
Incredible!
Of course, Zhang An knew that a Saint was even more terrifying than Li Hao imagined. Di Yao before them had not gone all out; he was holding back, keeping an eye on Zhang An.
This Di Yao was likely an early-stage Saint.
Yet his physical body remained intact, and he had not endured a period of severe enervation. Such a Saint was unlike the Sun God or the Prophet, who were thoroughly enfeebled. Nor was he like Zhang An, who currently possessed only spiritual power and lacked a physical form.
Zhang An was confident he could kill Di Yao... but it would take time and require paying a modest price. If his own physical body still existed, slaying such a Saint would have been trivial.
With his physical body, he was a Quasi-Heavenly King. Without it, and with scarce energy reserves, he hovered only around the early to mid stages of a Saint.
Furthermore, the disappearance of the origin path prevented them from utilizing its grand techniques, which narrowed the gap between them even further.
*He has already done remarkably well,* Zhang An thought to himself. Facing an unawakened Saint in this state, Li Hao could not guarantee victory, but at least he would not be in mortal peril; he could preserve his life.
Of course, slaying a Saint... that was as difficult as ascending to the heavens!
Zhang An watched intently. Li Hao was presently absorbed entirely in defense, as though attempting to wear down his opponent through endurance alone.
Zhang An found this strategy questionable.
When a weaker combatant competed against a stronger one in a war of attrition... the weaker one would invariably lose.
Yet Zhang An reconsidered. Doing this much was already astonishing; could anyone truly expect Li Hao to defeat him?
At that thought, he chuckled inwardly.
Fighting above one's tier—at this level, who wasn't a prodigy? Between geniuses, surmounting tiers was virtually impossible.
Moreover, Li Hao was fundamentally only at the fifth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm. A Saint was no longer considered within the Sun and Moon Realm at all; it was a level beyond. Perhaps only after opening all 36 Dao meridians could Li Hao truly challenge a Saint on equal footing.
***
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fist after fist slammed forward, too swift for the naked eye to track.
Li Hao could only defend.
Yet there was not the slightest hint of panic in his eyes, only solemn focus. Divine light flickered in his gaze as he scrutinized the trajectory of every strike.
Every individual had a logic to their movements.
A fixed, underlying pattern.
Even if their strikes appeared wild and unconstrained, they would ultimately repeat that pattern.
During his year in the Inspectorate, Li Hao had reviewed countless case dossiers. He had studied innumerable crimes and killers. Whether their deeds were committed in blind fury, reckless impulse, or meticulous premeditation... they always operated under a fixed logic in the end. It might take a long cycle to repeat, but almost invariably, disorder resolved back into an orderly loop.
Countless thoughts flashed through Li Hao's mind.
Having exchanged blows with Di Yao numerous times, he mentally reviewed every single technique the Saint had deployed. The next moment, his gaze locked onto a patch of space to his left, and he silently counted: *Here!*
Boom!
Sure enough, at that exact instant, a fist tore through the void. Li Hao did not evade; he raised his sword to block.
His eyes shifted again, fixing on another point. *Here!*
Bang!
The void detonated once more.
Li Hao stumbled backward as a blow grazed him, yet a faint smile curled on his lips. As long as he did not alter his defensive routine, his opponent would continue following the established logic.
Each cycle did not repeat in a matter of moments; it took an extended sequence before completing a full loop.
A Saint was elusive and inscrutable.
Yet... who said they were utterly unpredictable?
Di Yao had grown accustomed to this style of combat over endless ages; breaking such habits was far from easy.
Li Hao stopped looking. He simply adhered to his own pattern and maintained his defense.
One strike, ten strikes, a hundred strikes...
He was battered until blood covered his body!
Di Yao dared not kill him rashly, but he noticed that Li Hao's defensive capability had improved substantially. A hint of solemnity crept into his thoughts. This young man... no wonder he was one of the leaders of this era. He genuinely had some skill.
Although Di Yao had not exerted his full might, Li Hao ought to have collapsed by now.
A touch of impatience began to stir within him.
In truth, Li Hao could not harm him. The greatest disparity between them lay in Li Hao's inability to track him. No matter how fierce Li Hao's striking power was, it was meaningless. In a battle of the weak against the strong, the deciding factor was reaction speed. And that was Li Hao's inherent shortcoming.
At this moment, Li Hao began drawing his power inward, gathering momentum. Acupoint after acupoint blazed to life across his body, radiating an increasingly dazzling brilliance.
Di Yao's tone remained gentle and measured. "Governor Li is indeed a peerless genius of this generation, a paragon among men. However... we have sparred for quite some time, and the Governor has exhausted much of his strength. Why not call it a day?"
He maintained his facade of a transcendent master, composed and completely unfazed.
*You cannot defeat me, nor can you even touch me. Even if you gather your strength... what use is striking empty air?*
Burst power was not everything.
At this level of cultivation, what good was immense burst power on its own? Unless the sheer shockwave could crush him to death, landing no hits meant the greatest burst of power was entirely useless.
Li Hao said nothing. One acupoint after another ignited in rapid succession.
The aura radiating from him grew increasingly formidable.
Now, even Di Yao grew solemn. He even contemplated whether he should find an opening to kill Li Hao in a single instant. This man posed an immense threat, and judging by the momentum he was gathering, his burst would be terrifying.
Right at that breath, Li Hao illuminated every ignited acupoint across his body.
Within him, a sword-shaped Dao meridian circulation formed a complete circuit.
In an instant, an overwhelming, terrifying aura erupted from the Starry Sky Sword.
Not far off, Zhang An's expression changed. He snapped his attention toward them, preparing to intervene. Li Hao was about to unleash everything; he would almost certainly miss, leaving himself in a state of utter exhaustion, vulnerable to Di Yao's counter-kill.
Just as Zhang An anticipated this, Di Yao's thoughts mirrored his. Relying on his ingrained habits, he took a subtle step back, vanishing into the void. *Li Hao is going to unleash his burst? All I need to do is dodge!*
At that exact instant, Li Hao let out a furious roar! His aura erupted, his sword intent surging to its absolute pinnacle, and he slashed his blade toward an empty expanse of the void!
All his patient endurance had been for this single strike!
If Di Yao evaded elsewhere, or failed to appear according to his established pattern... this blow would completely drain Li Hao's reserves, and he would lose the battle without question!
Li Hao's eyes were icy and resolute. *It has to be here. It must be here. Di Yao will appear right here! Absolutely!*
Heaven and earth seemed cleaved in two by this strike!
At this moment, Li Hao seemed to embody the Sword Venerable himself. The strike was soundless, yet terrifyingly fierce as it descended from the heavens. Zhang An was momentarily stunned. *He missed! He struck in the wrong direction!*
In the very next second, however, shock seized Zhang An's face.
Not just him—at that exact breath, Di Yao emerged from the void. His expression warped into sheer disbelief. Even he had not known where he would emerge next; he certainly had not deliberately followed a rigid set of movements.
How... how could Li Hao have known?
Foresight? Predicting the future?
Impossible!
Was he like the Prophet God among the deities?
The thought flashed through his mind, but all that met his eyes was a sword—a terrifyingly mighty blade cleaving toward him. It was already too late to change positions.
He had no time to ponder. Stunned that Li Hao's strike had landed squarely where he materialized, he unleashed a furious roar and threw a punch!
Boom!
The sword descended!
Everything occurred in a fraction of an instant. The sword radiance erupted, annihilating everything before it. With his reserves thoroughly depleted, Li Hao plummeted toward the ground, but the blade smashed directly through Di Yao's fist, shattering it to pieces.
Di Yao's face twisted in horror. An even greater surge of power erupted from within him, yet having unwittingly walked into Li Hao's full-force strike, even a Saint with a formidable physical body could not react in time.
Crack! Bang! Boom!
Explosions resounded ceaselessly as both of his fists were pulverized, energy blasting outward in all directions. At this moment, it felt as though an entire cosmos were bearing down upon him. Sword light shattered everything in its path, grinding along his arms toward his torso. Di Yao roared in fury, "Break!"
Boom!
A surge of crimson Red Moon power erupted from his body, colliding violently against the sword light with a sound like shattering space.
Di Yao was thoroughly shaken.
It was not merely Li Hao's strength—even at his peak, Li Hao had barely touched the threshold of a Saint. What truly terrified him was whether Li Hao had struck him by sheer coincidence, or through some incomprehensible ability. Why had he never revealed such a capability before?
A deafening explosion rang out!
Half of his physical body was blown apart. Drenched in blood and pale-faced, Di Yao let out another furious roar, spewing forth power to obliterate the remaining sword light!
His aura was enfeebled to the extreme.
Terror lingered in his eyes, yet a sneer twisted his lips. The remaining half of his body vanished, lunging directly for Li Hao.
He had known—he had known all along that Li Hao bringing Zhang An here under the guise of sparring was merely a deception.
Li Hao had intended to kill him from the very start!
He had simply never expected to actually be struck by Li Hao's sword at the final moment. This was far worse than he had anticipated, but if Li Hao thought he could kill a Saint in peak condition with a single strike... it was impossible!
At that moment, Zhang An materialized, shock lingering in his gaze.
Li Hao had failed to kill Di Yao, but a single strike had shredded a Saint's physical body. This was... simply unbelievable. If Li Hao could unleash a second strike, he might genuinely be able to slay a Saint.
This was utterly incredible!
"Suppress!"
Zhang An bellowed, and the previously shattered Book of the Great Dao materialized once more, locking down heaven and earth. The void solidified, pinning Di Yao in place.
A short distance away, Li Hao crashed heavily to the ground, shaking the earth.
Yet he showed no panic.
He merely stared at Di Yao. A single strike, unleashed with all his might, catching his opponent off guard with deliberate calculation—every shred of that blow's power had landed squarely on the target. And yet... it had failed to kill a Saint.
It had only gravely wounded him.
This proved only one thing: the sheer disparity in absolute strength and vitality. It was not a flaw in Li Hao's perception or reaction speed; his offensive power simply wasn't enough.
A strike unleashed with all his might, embodying the initial formation of his Sword Dao divine ability, had only shredded half of his opponent's body.
Though Li Hao had anticipated this, disappointment still lingered in his chest.
A Saint was truly too formidable.
Even a second strike might not finish him off. It would take three.
Yes, at least three strikes.
Two strikes to obliterate the physical body, and a third to extinguish the spiritual consciousness. As for the origin path, whether Di Yao possessed one or not, once his mind and flesh were obliterated and his connection to the origin severed, he would have no means of fighting back.
*Three strikes...*
Li Hao contemplated this silently. Mobilizing all his strength allowed him to unleash one strike. For a second strike, he could forcibly rupture his Dao meridians to draw in an instant surge of energy, unleashing another blow before his flesh collapsed.
But what about the third strike?
To slay a Saint, he needed at least three.
His thoughts raced. Perhaps the Saints slumbering in the ancient cities were not as recovered as Di Yao. The guardian demonic plants might only have just awakened and might not possess Di Yao's level of strength; against them, two strikes, or perhaps even one, might suffice.
Still... to be safe, only being capable of unleashing three strikes could guarantee the death of a Saint.
He did not even bother watching the battle between Zhang An and Di Yao.
If Zhang An could not even handle a crippled Saint, then this Quasi-Heavenly King was far too hollow and incompetent.
To Li Hao, Di Yao was merely a training partner.
Trapped here alone with no way out, his death was already sealed.
*How do I unleash a third strike?*
Li Hao pondered. Two strikes were feasible; he was simply unwilling to act right now, because another strike would require forcibly rupturing Dao meridians, which would produce a blow even more ferocious than the first.
*The third strike... the Bright Star Realm!*
Li Hao thought to himself: perhaps he could try it.
With that, he hurled the Starry Sky Sword outward. The void shattered, and the Bright Star Realm seemed to descend upon the world.
Could he draw upon the power of the Sword Dao region to execute a strike across dimensions?
He did not know!
He could test it.
With Zhang An present, what harm was there in trying?
"Sword Dao, converge upon me!"
Li Hao let out a low cry. Within the Bright Star Realm, the "Sword" Dao divine character instantly gathered energy from all directions, drawing upon the power of the Great Dao. A formidable force radiated from the Bright Star Realm, surging down along the Starry Sky Sword.
Li Hao vaulted into the air and gripped the hilt. The sword trembled violently; even Li Hao struggled to rein in the chaotic Sword Dao energy.
Yet... all he needed to do was unleash it!
Over on the other side, Zhang An had completely suppressed his opponent. Di Yao screamed in fury, "Li Hao, Zhang An! You treacherous dogs! I helped you advance, and you repay kindness with enmity..."
Despair crept into his voice as he roared again. With a thunderous boom, his mangled physical body detonated, sending Zhang An stumbling back and cracking the Book of the Great Dao.
A powerful surge of spiritual energy escaped instantly, tinged with crimson light as it bolted straight for Li Hao.
Seeing this, Zhang An grew incensed. With a cold snort, he transformed the Book of the Great Dao into a colossal saber and slashed down toward the fleeing spirit.
A battered Saint still dared to attempt a reversal?
At that exact moment, Li Hao roared. A fierce tiger leaped from the Starry Sky Sword, roaring as the blade slashed forward, while the "Dao" divine character stabilized the overflowing Sword Dao power.
Boom!
Heaven and earth were cleaved in two!
As the strike descended, the charging spirit of Di Yao trembled in absolute terror. "How... how can you still strike..."
Boom!
The sword fell!
The deafening crash, the explosion, the curses—all coalesced into a single earth-shattering roar as an immense wave of spiritual power burst apart!
Blood gushed from Li Hao's seven facial orifices, and the tiger was instantly torn to shreds.
The Starry Sky Sword seemed to dim as well.
The blade dropped back into Li Hao's hand.
Utterly exhausted in mind and spirit, Li Hao silently watched the colossal, detonating cloud of energy. Everything seemed to dissipate into smoke. His opponent was completely dead, yet no origin path had manifested.
This Di Yao had not been an origin cultivator, but a genuine practitioner of the Red Moon.
Dead!
A Saint had fallen just like that.
Zhang An was caught off guard, a look of profound astonishment on his face as he looked at Li Hao. The young man had unleashed a second strike! The first strike had already left him deeply shaken, but this second one... was inconceivable.
Just as Zhang An was about to speak, Li Hao's voice carried over: "I am heading out first. I will borrow the 'Dao' divine character for a moment. Senior, please wait a little before departing..."
With that, his figure vanished.
Zhang An frowned slightly.
***
Outside, Li Hao materialized in an instant.
His aura was in utter disarray.
The crowd waiting outside turned their heads toward him, rushing forward in alarm.
"Governor..."
Li Hao uttered not a word. In an instant, he forcibly opened several Dao meridians, causing his flesh to fracture. The Starry Sky Sword flared with radiant brilliance once more as a strike slashed open the heavens. He reached out with an enormous hand and bellowed, "Do not move!"
Everyone was startled. At that moment, Qian Wuliang, Director Zhao, and Lin Hongyu shifted restlessly, while Kong Jie swayed as though preparing to flee. Yet they all seemed to forcibly suppress the impulse.
Li Hao roared, his colossal hand blanketing the sky to engulf everyone present, including Director Wang and Director Zhou.
His shout rang out again: "Nobody move! Whoever moves dies!"
At those words, cold terror gripped their hearts.
The next instant, they felt as though they were traversing the cosmos, entering the Bright Star Realm in a single breath.
Right then, several faces twisted in horror. They spun around, attempting to flee back toward the entrance—not just one person, but Director Zhao, Qian Wuliang, and the others. Crimson light flashed in their eyes as they roared and bolted for the exit!
Li Hao snorted coldly. "When you died, you appeared desperate, yet you lacked genuine emotion. I knew you had a backup plan!"
Di Yao had known that Li Hao might not let him go this time, and with Zhang An present, how could he have made no preparations?
The ten who had entered seemed to have undergone no major changes, making it difficult even for Li Hao to distinguish anything amiss. Yet Li Hao knew that someone had certainly been deeply corrupted, intended to serve as a vessel for rebirth.
He simply had not expected that it wouldn't be just one person, but several. Qian Wuliang, Director Zhao, Lin Hongyu, Kong Jie—a full four individuals had been thoroughly infiltrated!
Just as Li Hao thought it was limited to those four, not far away, Director Zhou's eyes suddenly flared crimson. His golden body manifested as he sent Yuan Shuo flying with a punch, letting out a savage roar as he streaked forward, overtaking the others in an instant.
Li Hao was shocked!
Director Zhou had never entered the ruins!
He had actually been corrupted too!
Among the group, the others were understandable, but Director Zhou and Director Wang had stayed outside the entire time. Even Li Hao was caught completely off guard.
When had Di Yao done this? How had he accomplished it?
Unbelievable!
At that moment, Director Wang reacted. With a low growl, he threw a punch, the thunderous impact cutting off Director Zhou's escape route.
Li Hao sneered coldly. "In here... do you truly think you can escape?"
"Di Yao, where do you think you can run?"
Crimson light radiated from all five individuals, and Di Yao's voice echoed from their lips, filled with fury and roars: "Li Hao, do you intend to slaughter your own people? They have already fused with me! To kill me is to kill them!"
Li Hao said nothing. Suddenly, countless bolts of lightning gathered across the cosmos.
At this sight, their expressions changed simultaneously!
"So that's how it is!"
"The Great Dao Universe... actually targets the power of the Red Moon..."
They muttered in realization. No wonder Li Hao had been able to purge the Red Moon's corruption.
Di Yao swiftly recognized the lethal danger, understanding that true doom was upon him. He roared, "Send me out! Otherwise, if I die, all five of them will die with me!"
Had it not been for Yuan Shuo's fusion of the five elements and his formidable force making possession excessively perilous, Di Yao would have targeted him instead. But now, including Director Zhou, a full five core pillars of Li Hao's forces were under his grasp.
Red light flickered from all five, the terror of the Great Dao Universe pressing down on them. They roared in unison, "Let us go! No, release just one... and I will spare the other four! Li Hao, do not force my hand!"
The energy within them grew wildly unstable, showing signs of imminent self-detonation.
Di Yao grew increasingly frantic!
He had known this encounter would be treacherous, so he had long prepared to abandon his original body. As long as any one of these vessels escaped, he could revive.
Yet he had never anticipated that Li Hao would drag them all into the Bright Star Realm.
Now, boundless Dao power converged from all directions, surrounding them completely. Streaks of heavenly lightning materialized in the void, held back for the moment only because the "Dao" divine character was restraining them.
Li Hao's expression remained tranquil. "Di Yao, do you truly believe you can escape?"
All five spoke simultaneously: "Release one, and I spare the other four! Li Hao, otherwise... even if you destroy me, you will not escape unscathed!"
They stood on high alert, the volatile energy inside them churning violently, ready to detonate at any moment.
Li Hao fell silent for a brief moment, then nodded. "Very well. Enter Director Zhao's body, and I will let you go... The others stay!"
With a slash of his sword, a spatial rift opened, revealing the Silver Moon world beyond.
"No..."
All five spoke at once, Di Yao's voice resounding through heaven and earth: "Zhao Shuguang possesses a clone! Do you take me for a fool?"
Scanning his options, he swiftly declared, "I want Qian Wuliang's body!"
Li Hao frowned slightly. "Qian Wuliang is the weakest, while Director Zhao is the strongest. I am offering you an opportunity; do not waste it..."
Di Yao's voice boomed across the realm: "No, I only want him!"
Qian Wuliang's Dao meridians were peculiar and seemed exceptionally compatible with him. Given a choice among the five, he would naturally choose Qian Wuliang.
As for Director Zhao, formidable though he was, he possessed an identical clone of the same origin. That would be immensely troublesome, making it trivial for Li Hao to track him through the clone and hunt him down at any moment.
Li Hao frowned. After a long pause, he nodded. "Very well. Be quick about it... Otherwise, all of you will be subjected to the baptism of lightning, and I will not be able to hold it back."
"Fine, take them!"
At that moment, the other four bodies lunged toward Li Hao, unleashing their full power in a joint strike against his group. The potent crimson energy illuminated heaven and earth, causing the Great Dao lightning to erupt violently.
Li Hao's "Dao" divine character could no longer suppress it.
In an instant, countless lightning bolts crashed down.
Meanwhile, Di Yao, possessing Qian Wuliang, darted swiftly out of the Bright Star Realm, a cold gleam in his eyes. The Great Dao Universe possessed such targeted malice toward Red Moon power; unless someone had come into contact with both Great Dao Universes, no one could have known this.
Behind him, boundless lightning erupted, engulfing everyone. Sensing that the other fragments of Red Moon power were being rapidly obliterated, Di Yao dared not linger, intending to flee the moment he emerged from the Bright Star Realm.
Right then, his body suddenly resisted his control.
Qian Wuliang—who should have been completely suppressed, his consciousness extinguished—suddenly resurfaced. Two wills clashed fiercely within the mind.
"The Governor is truly wise... though... the Governor truly thinks highly of me!"
A sigh carried a mix of helplessness and wry humor: "Every time there is a perilous gamble, he always picks me. The Governor... truly values Qian!"
Di Yao was horror-struck!
Infiltrated by Red Moon power, with his main consciousness presiding, how could there possibly be a reversal?
"Red Moon power draws upon desire... and desire... is precisely what I am!"
Qian Wuliang's laughter rang out. Suddenly, he forced the physical body to turn back toward the void universe behind him. Di Yao was beside himself with shock and disbelief, roaring as he desperately fought for control of the body!
In that breath, the two wills tore at each other, the body jerking forward one moment and backward the next.
Di Yao found it utterly incomprehensible!
This man... had actually disregarded the corruption of Red Moon power. It was absurd!
Just then, Qian Wuliang's voice echoed again, laced with fervent yearning: "Stop struggling. Once your consciousness is wiped out and your power remains for me, I have a chance to step into the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm, becoming the foremost figure beneath the Governor... I yearn to grow stronger. Senior Di Yao... fulfill my wish!"
That yearning, that raw desire, that insatiable greed... was equal to, if not fiercer than, Di Yao's own!
Di Yao was terrified!
How could this be?
Within Qian Wuliang's body, several faint Dao meridians emerged, brimming with every manner of desire: joy, anger, sorrow, delight, greed, lust, ambition for power, hunger for strength, the drive to dominate...
Every form of emotion swirled around Di Yao.
"Senior... fulfill my wish!"
Qian Wuliang spoke with earnest pleading. "I beg of Senior, stop resisting and grant me this one favor... Once I grow strong, I will give Senior a proper burial... and erect a cenotaph in Senior's honor!"
"No..."
Di Yao was consumed by sheer terror. Could there truly be someone greedier than the denizens of the Red Moon Great World?
How was that possible?!
Yet that overwhelming greed overpowered him. The next moment, Qian Wuliang's avarice triumphed, dragging the physical body back into the Great Dao Universe.
Boom!
Innumerable bolts of lightning crashed down upon him. Di Yao's voice echoed with desperate indignation and boundless fury: "Li Hao... you are weaving your own shroud! This man is greedier than all the experts of the Red Moon... Sooner or later, you will die by his hand..."
Boom! Rumble!
The Great Dao lightning detonated, purging the Red Moon power. Di Yao's consciousness was blasted out of the body, reduced to a crimson phantom. Qian Wuliang was also subjected to the baptism of the lightning, which washed violently through his entire frame.
Di Yao wailed in agony, howling repeatedly, "Li Hao... you will die!"
Li Hao's expression remained calm as he watched the Great Dao lightning strike each combatant. In a deep voice, he commanded, "Absorb the power of the Great Dao! This is your opportunity; fortune favors the bold! Those at the third tier of the Sun and Moon Realm, do your utmost to open more Dao meridians and step into the fourth tier!"
Boom!
Endless lightning erupted as Dao power converged, and everyone began devouring it ravenously. Those who had previously been controlled regained their senses, drenched in cold sweat from lingering dread. Director Zhao cast a deeply aggrieved glance at Li Hao before swiftly beginning to absorb the energy.
Now clear-headed, he had not forgotten what had just transpired: Li Hao had told Di Yao to take him instead...
Though he now realized it was likely a deliberate ploy, what if Di Yao had actually taken his body?
Inhuman!
Li Hao, reading his thoughts, offered a faint smile. "Director Zhao still has a clone. Even if the worst had happened and your primary consciousness were destroyed, your clone would become your primary self, and you would still be alive... Taking a risk to thoroughly eliminate a Saint was well worth it! If successful, the rewards are immense. Besides, I was ninety percent certain he would choose Qian Wuliang."
Director Zhao was left speechless and said nothing.
Over on the other side, Qian Wuliang wailed in agony. Having absorbed an excessive amount of Red Moon power, the surging Dao energy tore through his body as though intent on grinding him to dust. Along his frame, Dao meridians surfaced one after another—every single one previously undiscovered!
Li Hao's eyes flickered. Looking at him, his voice rang out: "Absorb the Dao power and open those special Dao meridians... They are the foundation of your divine ability..."
With a wave of Li Hao's hand, the "Dao" divine character swept across the realm, channeling vast amounts of Dao power toward him.
Writhing in excruciating pain, his features twisted in agony, Qian Wuliang still remembered his manners: "Many thanks for the Governor's grace..."
"No, you fought for it yourself!"
"I must still thank the Governor..."
Li Hao fell silent.
Qian Wuliang had faced the greatest danger and had actively reclaimed control of his body. Even though Li Hao had calculated that it was possible, witnessing it was still astounding.
Nearby, Di Yao was bombarded by endless lightning.
His Saintly consciousness had yet to be entirely extinguished. Laced with despair, he suddenly sneered, "Li Hao... I..."
Before he could finish, a single sword strike cleaved the sky!
Boom!
The crimson shadow was shattered into fragments. Li Hao reached out and grasped the remnants. As the lightning crashed down upon him, he allowed it to wash over his body, sealing back the acupoints he had forcibly opened earlier.
He chuckled softly. "No need to tell me you'll be waiting for me, or anything else of the sort... When you die, you die. A single dead Saint is nothing to a Great World... Do not flatter yourself so much!"
Boom!
The final wisp of crimson energy was utterly extinguished, and Di Yao's voice vanished completely.
At that moment, Dao power surged into everyone present, including Director Zhou. Li Hao glanced at Director Zhou, his curiosity piqued. Lacking origin power and unable to connect to the origin path, Director Zhou had remarkably avoided being targeted by the Great Dao Universe.
This indicated that unless one possessed origin power or Red Moon power, entering the Great Dao Universe would not draw deliberate hostility.
Everyone was busily absorbing the Dao power.
Even Director Wang was somewhat shaken. "When was I even slightly affected... Truly terrifying!"
Just moments ago, a wisp of red light had surfaced from his own body. It was minuscule and had been extinguished in an instant, yet the fact that he had been infected silently was chilling.
Director Zhou opened his eyes and sighed. "I was likely tainted by Old Zhao. Old Zhao spoke to me earlier; I never imagined it could spread from person to person..."
Director Zhao, still absorbing energy, remarked helplessly, "I didn't expect it either. Before he took control, I thought the influence on me was negligible..."
At this point, his tone grew grave. "Do you think the people he infected were truly just us? What about Ying Hongyue and the others from back then? Were they thoroughly corrupted as well? If so... this man might not be entirely dead. He might revive through them."
During the initial revival, Director Zhao had not been the only one present. Of course, they had all been far weaker back then, had never ventured inside again, and had not allowed Di Yao to modify them as this group had. Still, was Di Yao truly gone for good? Perhaps there was still hope for him to revive in someone else.
Li Hao smiled. "Rest assured, he is dead beyond a shadow of a doubt. Don't forget that Ying Hongyue is over there! Would he allow the people by his side to turn into Di Yao at any moment and claim his life? Without a doubt, he purged the Red Moon power from them long ago. With the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families converging, eliminating a trace of Red Moon power is hardly a challenge."
He felt there was no need to worry. Even if trouble arose, it would be Ying Hongyue's problem. And given Ying Hongyue's cunning, he had likely eradicated any trace of Red Moon power from his companions long ago.
The others nodded in agreement.
Ying Hongyue was indeed not to be underestimated. He had come into contact with Red Moon power early on without ever being subjugated by it. A cunning figure, one of the former Thirty-Six Heroes of Silver Moon, founder of the Red Moon organization, and the man who had turned the tables to slay the Red Robe sent to monitor him.
Li Hao's reasoning sounded entirely plausible.
Meanwhile, the auras of the crowd continued to surge.
Delight was written on every face.
Previously, they had all reached the third tier of the Sun and Moon Realm, but generally with the strength of only sixteen meridians; the peak of the third tier required eighteen meridians. Now, having absorbed the Dao power, nearly all of them had crossed the threshold of eighteen meridians.
More importantly, Qian Wuliang had come from behind. Having absorbed the most Red Moon power, the Dao power converging around him had been the most concentrated. In the blink of an eye, he had finished opening eighteen meridians and then unlocked several special Dao meridians beyond that.
He had truly stepped into the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm!
He was the second contemporary expert to reach the fourth tier, right after Director Zhao.
As for Director Wang, who had opened eighteen meridians long ago, he gained a modest boost as well, opening one more meridian to reach nineteen meridians—the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm. This matched his strength from the early Immortal stage of the Neo-Martial era; excluding the origin path, his combat prowess was now equivalent.
Everyone was thrilled!
All of them had reaped substantial rewards from this excursion. Yuan Shuo and the others were now at the eighteen-meridian level, merely half a step away from the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm.
Yuan Shuo, however, was filled with regret: "That bastard... I thought he would possess me, seize my body... Damn it all, why didn't he pick me!"
He was thoroughly vexed!
The moment he had entered, he had proclaimed that he was Li Hao's teacher, hoping to use that identity as bait. Yet Di Yao hadn't chosen him!
It was infuriating!
He knew that the more Red Moon power one took in, the greater the gains, and he had wanted to take the gamble. Yet he hadn't been given the chance.
Di Yao had chosen five candidates: the weaker Kong Jie, the formidable Zhao Shuguang, Director Zhou who did not practice the new system, Qian Wuliang who had high compatibility, and Lin Hongyu, the only woman... Why had he passed over Yuan Shuo? If he had been chosen, he would definitely have stepped into the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm by now.
Li Hao chuckled. "Master has unified the five elements and five forces, possessing immense spiritual power and overwhelming force. Most people attempting possession avoid those whose force is too formidable, as it easily triggers violent conflicts. It is only natural."
Yuan Shuo sighed helplessly. "True enough. I was simply too strong, so he didn't dare... Still better than those who have no defining traits at all."
Such as the Earth-Overturning Sword, Sky Sword, Chen Zhongtian, Huang Yu, Hou Xiaochen...
All five of them turned their gazes upon him simultaneously.
Hurling veiled insults and passive-aggressive jabs—this Old Demon Yuan grew more shameless with every passing year!
None of them bothered engaging him.
Instead, their eyes drifted toward Qian Wuliang, though none of them spoke.
This man had managed to contend against the various desires manipulated by the Saint. Everyone harbored a degree of wariness toward him. Di Yao's warning that Qian Wuliang might one day kill Li Hao might not have been entirely unfounded.
Was Li Hao not worried in the slightest?
Even having reached the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm, Qian Wuliang maintained a thoroughly humble demeanor. Sensing the sideways glances, his heart skipped a beat, but he quickly offered a warm smile. "The Governor's foresight is divine. Even a Saint is utterly fragile before the Governor!"
"Merely a trapped beast," Li Hao replied, shaking his head. "Unable to leave, unable to flee, and with Senior Zhang An lending his aid—he should have known from the moment we arrived that there was no way out!"
Declining the flattery, Li Hao smiled broadly. "The important thing is... our gamble paid off!"
He then addressed the group, "Let us head out. Senior Zhang An is still waiting for us! Di Yao was merely an appetizer; a trapped Saint with no backing is nothing to fear!"
Di Yao was not the first Saint Li Hao had slain. He had previously killed the red shadow in Heavenly Star Town, though that had involved numerous unforeseen factors.
What truly pleased Li Hao was the realization that he could likely execute that third strike!
If so, as long as an opponent was not fully revived and remained at the early Saint stage, he was entirely confident in his ability to kill them.
The group stepped out of the Bright Star Universe.
As long as he did not venture too far, Li Hao could enter and exit the Bright Star Universe at will using the Starry Sky Sword as a realm-breaching weapon.
Soon, Li Hao brought Zhang An out.
At this moment, Zhang An was filled with complex emotions. He looked at the group: three individuals at the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm!
Director Zhao, Director Wang, Qian Wuliang...
He knew something significant must have transpired just now. Beyond those three, the others had all made strides in their cultivation, reaching the peak of the third tier.
In the end, Li Hao had not revealed the entirety of his plan to him.
Di Yao might not have been completely dead earlier. And Li Hao himself... was perhaps truly capable of slaying a Saint now.
Zhang An's heart was a tempest of conflicting feelings. He knew that the day Li Hao could slay Saints with certainty would likely be the day their paths diverged.
His emotions were tangled, yet he remained silent.
He had already made a partial choice, but... he was still a teacher, responsible for hundreds of students who had yet to decide. He could not abandon them. Thus, he could only watch helplessly as the distance between them grew wider and wider.
Li Hao, on the other hand, was in high spirits. "To have everyone advance to this level before the great battle... excellent! Director Zhao, summon your clone soon so I can help you fuse them. Perhaps you will become the second cultivator to reach the fifth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm after me. Director Zhao is truly formidable!"
Director Zhao was silent for a long moment before saying, "I still underestimated the ancients. That Di Yao... was indeed terrifying."
Li Hao nodded. Director Zhao had been corrupted without even realizing it. The power of the Red Moon was truly insidious.
Yet Li Hao remembered something and added, "Wait a while. Once we open more Dao meridians in the future, the influence will be negligible. Qian Wuliang has rendered a great service today. Wuliang, would you be willing to share the locations of those Dao meridians?"
"Of course!"
Qian Wuliang replied with utmost solemnity, "The Governor's kindness to me is as weighty as a mountain. From a mere Rising Light to the fourth tier of the Sun and Moon Realm today, the Governor and everyone else have kept no secrets from me. How could I possibly conceal the locations of a few Dao meridians?"
The others rolled their eyes in unison. This fellow never missed a single chance to flatter his superior—it was truly nauseating!
Yet recalling those unique Dao meridians, they felt a surge of emotion and refrained from speaking.
Li Hao smiled and nodded. "Then I shall trouble you. Together, we shall perfect the Great Dao. Sooner or later, we will forge a glorious era! A tiny minor world should never be the ultimate boundary of our lives!"
The crowd nodded one after another, their spirits stirred with excitement.
From the third tier of the Sun and Moon Realm, the next step was the fourth tier—the Immortal stage. Presently, the experts surviving within the ancient cities were merely at this level, with Saints being a rare exception.
Only today had they truly caught up to those ancient Neo-Martial experts, reaching the level of fully awakened Immortals rather than the battered, incomplete ones of before.
And achieving all this had not taken very long at all.
Everyone turned their eyes toward Li Hao standing at the front. Though he appeared as he always did—his aura concealed and utterly unassuming—when they looked from Zhang An beside him back to Li Hao, a realization dawned on them:
Li Hao was no longer necessarily inferior to the current Zhang An.
Even Director Wang quietly studied Li Hao before glancing over at Zhang An, sighing softly to himself. Zhang An was the grandson of the Supreme, a figure who had lived through the great wars of the early Neo-Martial era, yet now the halo of his past glory was gradually fading.
Was it because of those students?
Director Wang felt a glimmer of understanding, tinged with pity and regret. Did Zhang An truly intend to hold out until every single student had made their choice? If so, it might simply be too late.
Chapter 337