Initiation

With their minds made up, they would throw caution to the wind and stake everything on this gamble. At this moment, no one spoke any further. Those who needed to prepare prepared, and those who needed to sharpen their blades sharpened their blades. Every city-destroying bomb and supernatural bomb in their stockpiles was transported over. Vast quantities of Spring of Life were distributed. Everyone knew that if they won this battle, the Heavenly Star would undoubtedly reach a turning point: the second resurgence would be delayed once more, the traitors suppressed, and the four kingdoms could be eliminated at any time. Whether it was New Martial, the traitors, or Red Moon... When that time came, the Heavenly Star would fear none of them! There would no longer be any need to rely on New Martial or beg for New Martial's aid. Every time they sought New Martial's help, they would likely have to repay far more in the future. As Silver Moon martial masters, they refused to walk that path. If that was the case... then they would rely on their own people and take this gamble! In this battle, there would be no reinforcements. Li Hao had taken away the "Dao" divine character, leaving Zhang An unable to step out even if he wished to; at this moment, Li Hao had cast him into the ruins over by the General Administration Bureau. Meanwhile, Li Hao quietly toyed with the Starry Sky Sword. In his hand, the secondary mirror of the Wind and Cloud Mirror surfaced. These were currently the two strongest divine armaments on his person. One for offense and one for defense, both were immensely powerful. Looking around, keeping the sword for himself was enough, but the secondary mirror of the Wind and Cloud Mirror might save someone's life. At the very least, it could block a blow from an expert in a critical moment. Who should receive it? His teacher was naturally the obvious choice. Yet Li Hao looked around and ultimately beckoned to Zhao Shuguang. Director Zhao stepped forward, somewhat puzzled. "Director Zhao... take this." Receiving the secondary mirror of the Wind and Cloud Mirror, Director Zhao was taken aback. "This... why give it to me?" "Keep it," Li Hao said with a smile. "Its defensive power is quite formidable. As for your other avatar and the Eight Directions Seal, before we enter the ruins, I will help you complete their integration. The Eight Directions Seal will lead in offense, while this mirror will serve for defense. Once your two bodies merge into one, you should be able to step into the fifth tier of Sun and Moon, or perhaps even... the sixth! Of course, breaking past my limit will be very difficult and rather unlikely, but opening twenty-four meridians to reach the peak of the fifth tier of Sun and Moon is well within reach." Director Zhao frowned slightly. He wanted to say more, but Li Hao paid him no further mind. Walking down among the crowd, he suddenly produced a large stash of fine wine and laughed. "I took this wine from the imperial palace back then... Everyone, have a drink—the flavor is superb!" "Hahaha! So that's why I couldn't find it; it was stolen by you!" The crowd roared with laughter and began grabbing wine. Moments later, songs rose above the clinking wine cups in the hall, lively and carefree. Li Hao checked the time and took a small sip. It was already ten in the evening; at midnight, he would set out promptly, taking an hour to reach the vicinity of the Zheng family ruins. Acting as envoys at night might seem abrupt... but once daylight arrived, the complete disappearance of Li Hao's entire group would seem even more conspicuous. There might already be numerous eyes watching them. While communications were severed, the best course was to conclude the battle swiftly. There were still two hours left. As for whether the King of Dali and the others would come, Li Hao did not overly dwell on it. If they came, the future might take a different course. If they did not, it was hard to say whether their choice was right or wrong. …… Time ticked away, minute by minute. The Dali encampment was not far from Li Hao's position. For experts of their caliber, crossing the distance would take only an instant. Inside his command tent, the King of Dali sat in utter silence. From time to time, he cast a glance across the border, remaining motionless. Li Hao... had gathered all his experts tonight and even sent someone inviting him to join... Was he truly going to strike against an ancient city? Was this not an absurd joke? Li Hao had mentioned it once before, but the King of Dali had assumed it would be on some future day, not right now. A Saint was bound to hold down the fort inside the ruins. Could he be... relying on that Zhang An? He weighed the thought in his mind. Was Li Hao truly going to strike against an ancient city? Countless thoughts surged through his head, fraught with struggle and hesitation. Were he an unattached wanderer, an independent powerhouse, he would naturally take part in such a monumental occasion—a collision between the new era and the old, how thrilling that would be! Yet... he was not. He was the King of Dali! Dali had hundreds of millions of subjects. Dali was weak. If they failed, those ancient experts would show Dali no mercy in their pursuit of the second resurgence. Too many considerations rooted his feet to the ground. Presently, among the leaders of various lands, Li Hao likely had it the hardest, followed by Shuiyun, and then Dali. The Great Desolation had a desolate beast holding the fort, allowing them to advance on offense or hold on defense. The West had deities awakening; once the second resurgence occurred, a vast host of formidable gods would restore their combat prowess. Only Dali and Shuiyun lacked substantial foundation. As for Dali's God of Primal Martial... whether that entity was dead or alive remained uncertain. Even if the god lived, it had little to do with the King of Dali. He was not part of the Divine Temple hierarchy; he maintained a polite distance from that God of Primal Martial and actively suppressed the Divine Temple. If that entity emerged, the first thing it might do was cause him trouble. Shuiyun was in a similar predicament—in fact, even weaker, relying entirely on Empress Dowager Shuiyun, who possessed a measure of strength. Agitation churned within his chest. Beside him, Jiang Li was also distracted and uneasy. After a long while, the King of Dali stood up. Jiang Li's expression shifted slightly as the King of Dali strode out of the command tent and looked toward Silver City across the way. Countless tents stood outside Silver City, brightly illuminated with torches. Yet he did not spare them a second glance, his gaze seeming to pierce through the encampment straight into Silver City itself. "Jiang Li." "Your Majesty!" Jiang Li answered softly. The King of Dali remained silent for a moment. "Dali has been dominated by the Divine Temple since ancient times, governed by the divine right of kings! Only when it reached my generation did I refuse to submit. Combined with the resurgence of Heaven and Earth, which granted me the opportunity... I broke that tradition and seized authority from the Divine Temple. Do you hate me?" "Your Majesty... overthinks it." "Perhaps." The King of Dali smiled faintly. "In that case... this king is going out. If I do not return, authority will revert to the Divine Temple, and the God of Primal Martial will once again be Dali's faith! You, Jiang Li, will remain the Chief Priest of the Divine Temple, the foremost figure beneath the gods. You may simply pick anyone to serve as the new King of Dali." "Your Majesty... you..." "Let it be so." The King of Dali looked into the distance and said calmly, "This king will also take a gamble! However... this is purely my personal choice, not Dali's! Without a king, Dali is still Dali! But Dali cannot be without the Divine Temple and its Chief Priest. You stay behind! If I have not returned by tomorrow evening, go to the Great Desolation to attend the five-party conference!" "Of course... that might not even be necessary." He sneered. "The five-party conference... might not be needed at all." If Li Hao's assault on the ancient city failed... what need would there be for a five-party conference? By then, Li Hao's bones would likely have been ground to ash. "Your Majesty, let... let me go!" Jiang Li said in a deep voice. "Upon entering the ruins, I can use the divine bone to break through restrictions!" He looked toward the King of Dali, but the King shook his head. "You cannot!" Jiang Li froze slightly. The King of Dali scoffed. "If you perish... I can never get along with that Primal Martial fellow. If he pisses this king off, I might just tear down his Divine Temple!" At these words, Jiang Li's heart trembled faintly. Without another word, the King of Dali tossed the royal seal casually to him. Then, a gauntlet surfaced over his own hand as he added, "The other gauntlet is suppressed beneath the Dali royal palace. I cannot wield the pair. If this one does not return, the next King of Dali may retrieve it once his strength is sufficient." "Your Majesty!" "Enough!" the King of Dali said coldly. "A Chief Priest of the Divine Temple, a full-grown man, fussing like a petty maiden—it is sickening!" With those words, he vanished instantly. Jiang Li's expression flickered as he watched the King of Dali depart, his heart overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. This was the King of Dali. A man who had suppressed the Divine Temple, executed a succession of royal power, and transcended the authority of the gods. Even knowing this venture was perilously dangerous, he was still willing to gamble, yet remained unwilling to let the Divine Temple—which he clashed with daily—take the risk. If the Chief Priest died, Dali might lose the protection of the God of Primal Martial. Taking a deep breath, Jiang Li stood silently in place, waiting for the King of Dali's return. …… Silver City. Eleven at night. The King of Dali's figure materialized. He cast a glance at Li Hao without a word. The others were somewhat surprised, but Li Hao showed no shock, merely nodding faintly. The King of Dali said nothing, waiting in silence. After half an hour had passed, he finally spoke: "Who does this king need to face?" He did not ask about any of the operational details. Li Hao pondered briefly. "A peak Immortal—can you match that?" A peak Immortal possessed combat power of at least the sixth or even seventh tier of Sun and Moon. If slightly stronger, reaching half-step Saint, their prowess might reach the eighth or ninth tier. The King of Dali was only at the fourth tier of Sun and Moon, nearing the fifth, and that was with the blessing of Heaven's Will; otherwise, under ordinary circumstances, his combat power hovered around the fourth tier. Of course, he possessed the Tyrant Emperor's gauntlet, which set him apart. The King of Dali asked calmly, "Where is Zhang An?" "In the ruins. This is a matter for the people of Silver Moon." The King of Dali's brow furrowed instantly. "A suicide mission?" "I will slay the Saint!" "Arrogance!" The King of Dali's gaze turned icy cold; he thought Li Hao had lost his mind. He had initially assumed Zhang An would take part to deal with the enemy Saint, only to find it was Li Hao... Did this fellow truly take himself so seriously? Li Hao remained placid. "Why not?" "Are you asking this king to come here and die?" "You may leave!" Li Hao looked at him, his voice steady. "We will not be short one person!" The King of Dali drew a deep breath to settle his temper. He looked around at the martial masters, seeing their provocative, swaggering expressions—the quintessential demeanor of Silver Moon martial masters. In this world, we, the Silver Moon martial masters, reign supreme! Insolent and utterly arrogant! The King of Dali suppressed the fire in his chest and said nothing more. If Li Hao dared... why shouldn't this king dare? He fell silent, waiting alongside Li Hao and the others. Waiting for whom? He did not know. Perhaps... Empress Dowager Shuiyun? It could only be her. Among the four-kingdom coalition, the Great Desolation would not emerge, and the Western Queen would never cooperate with Li Hao. Even if a second resurgence occurred, it would cause little loss to the Western Kingdom of the Gods; once their deities recovered to the Saint rank, they would not fear anyone. Thus, the Western Kingdom of the Gods shared no common interests with Li Hao. That left only Empress Dowager Shuiyun! Would she come? She was just a woman! If she truly had such courage, she would have crowned herself emperor long ago rather than propping up a puppet emperor. In the King of Dali's eyes, women were simply incapable of achieving greatness. As the foremost figure in the country, what was the point of having a child sit on the throne? It was nothing more than taking off one's pants to fart! Time ticked away once more. Soon, midnight arrived. Li Hao waited no longer. A battleship materialized. "Board the vessel! Set out! One hundred li from the ruins, Qian Wuliang will take the lead!" "Understood!" The crowd boarded the ship one after another. The King of Dali also appeared on the deck in an instant, sneering, "To think you would count on a woman... laughable! The day after tomorrow—no, tomorrow, the five parties will convene in the Great Desolation! Empress Dowager Shuiyun has likely already departed for the Great Desolation!" "It does not matter," Li Hao replied with utter calm. "It was merely an attempt. Didn't you come after all?" The King of Dali frowned slightly and paid him no further heed. The battleship sliced through the void. No one uttered a word; the deck was eerily silent. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts. After an unknown interval, Li Hao's eyes shifted, and the King of Dali's heart stirred as well. The void suddenly cracked open, and a figure emerged, accompanied by a soft, gentle laugh: "I have waited long. Governor-General, your speed... seems a bit slow." Li Hao raised an eyebrow slightly. The King of Dali was also taken aback, glancing at this woman who held sway over the southern realm of Shuiyun. One was in the north and the other in the south; as the hegemon of the north, he had always looked down on Shuiyun. Yet... he had not expected this ruler of Shuiyun to truly have the courage to come. Across from him, Empress Dowager Shuiyun noticed the King of Dali as well. Curtsying slightly, she smiled. "This concubine greets Your Majesty, the King of Dali. I have long heard of your renowned name!" The King of Dali looked at her and gave a slight nod without speaking. Seeing this, Empress Dowager Shuiyun paid it no mind. Turning her gaze back to Li Hao and the people around him, she asked softly, "Is it only... us?" "Yes." At that moment, Empress Dowager Shuiyun shared the exact same thought as the King of Dali: Li Hao had gone mad. Before coming, they had assumed Zhang An would take part, which was what gave Li Hao his confidence. Aside from Zhang An, there were hundreds of puppets comparable to the Peak Realm, and Battle Heaven City would likely provide full support. Yet... A single sweep of her gaze revealed that aside from Director Wang, whose strength was decent, the rest were all familiar faces, along with a few unfamiliar individuals possessing frail auras. This... was the entire force? There was no one capable of standing against a Saint! Empress Dowager Shuiyun felt rather helpless, suddenly feeling as though she had boarded a pirate ship. With a touch of bitterness, she said, "Governor-General... your courage is truly commendable!" "Courage is commendable" was putting it politely. What she wanted to say was that he had no idea how the word "death" was written. Had I known, I would not have come. Li Hao, however, smiled. "I did not expect the Empress Dowager to come. Along with the King of Dali... it matches my expectations." Both had arrived. Although Jiang Li had not come, Li Hao had a general sense of the King of Dali's reasoning and did not press the matter. At this point, their forces were assembled. And this place was not far from the ruins of Boundless City. Li Hao smiled. "Would the two of you mind staying in the Bright Star Realm for a short time with me?" Hearing this, both of their eyes flickered with faint brightness. Neither of them cultivated the New Martial path in the conventional sense: Empress Dowager Shuiyun walked the New Martial path, while the King of Dali leaned more toward the Primal Martial path, both prioritizing a formidable physique, blood vitality, and spirit. In the absence of the origin path today, the fact that they could break through limits and reach their current stage was already extraordinary. Li Hao added, "The King of Dali should be fine, but the Empress Dowager seems to have absorbed a considerable amount of origin power... Let us test it." Aside from Empress Dowager Shuiyun, Di Wei had also accompanied them this time. These were practitioners of the origin path. Though little origin remained within them, it was still present. Li Hao wished to see whether the Bright Star Universe strongly repelled origin power, or if its hostility was solely directed at Red Moon power. Director Zhou also walked the origin path, but his cultivation was far below theirs. "It is better to obey than be polite!" Empress Dowager Shuiyun offered a slight smile. "Then... excuse the intrusion!" To behold a Great Dao universe was indeed a stroke of fortune. As for the peril of Li Hao's venture, both had already prepared themselves. Since Li Hao showed no fear, there was no need to say anything more. "Wuliang." Li Hao looked at Qian Wuliang. "You, along with my teacher and Director Zhou... the three of you will continue as envoys to Boundless City!" "Target location: right next to the guardian monster plant!" "You will decide the timing and opportunity. Once you feel the moment has arrived, trigger the Starry Sky Sword, and I will strike!" Qian Wuliang assumed a solemn expression. "I shall do my utmost!" "I trust you." Smiling, Li Hao nodded slightly. With a slash of his sword, he tore open the void, and the battleship surged directly into the Bright Star Universe. The Starry Sky Sword, however, was left behind in the real world. Taking a deep breath, Qian Wuliang reached out and took hold of the Starry Sky Sword. The sword trembled faintly, as if reluctant, but ultimately fell still. Qian Wuliang exhaled once more. "Seniors, this mission carries tremendous weight, so please forgive my presumption! For this operation, you must follow my command." Yuan Shuo and Director Zhou exchanged a glance and nodded without objection. "Furthermore, our cultivation has progressed by leaps and bounds... It will be easily detected by the other side!" Qian Wuliang continued, "Therefore, Professor Yuan must be cautious, whereas Director Zhou should be relatively safe... In addition, our pretext for entering will be the five-party conference: we need the ancient city's aid. We will use that as an opportunity to gain entry!" The two nodded again. Qian Wuliang rubbed his cheeks. "Both of you are my seniors and far better at managing your emotions than I am. Right now, we must appear fearful, anxious, and eager—panicked over the five-party conference, restless with anxiety, and desperate for their support..." As he spoke, their expressions and demeanor shifted instantly. One was an old demon who had roamed the martial arts world for decades, and the other was an official seasoned by decades in politics; such role-playing was second nature to them. Qian Wuliang marveled inwardly. Silver Moon martial masters truly possessed extraordinary traits; with a single prompt, they acted as convincingly as if it were real. "Faster pace, show urgency... travel-worn and hurried..." As he gave the instructions, the three figures flew out swiftly. Qian Wuliang kept briefing them, while the other two offered no unsolicited opinions, content as long as Qian Wuliang made no mistakes. …… Meanwhile, within the Bright Star Realm. Upon entering, Empress Dowager Shuiyun felt a slight pressure, but the Great Dao universe did not violently suppress her. Witnessing this, Li Hao felt a trace of curiosity. Was it because... the Silver Moon world and New Martial were originally one, meaning their Great Dao universes shared some underlying connection? The King of Dali experienced the same. In that case, the Bright Star Realm was solely targeted against the Red Moon universe, because the gulf between their Great Daos was immense, whereas the origin path and the Bright Star Dao shared fundamental similarities? Earlier, when Director Zhou entered, he had faced no suppression either, and Li Hao had assumed it was because Director Zhou possessed too little origin power. Now it seemed... that was not necessarily the case. He recalled how, during the earlier grafting of the origin path, the Bright Star Realm had not displayed intense resistance, allowing Director Wang and the others to succeed with ease. Clearly, the Bright Star Realm possessed high tolerance for the origin path. At this moment, not just the King of Dali and Empress Dowager Shuiyun, but many others were entering the Bright Star Universe for the first time, all experiencing an ethereal, dreamlike sensation. A starry sky, a river of stars! Countless brilliant celestial bodies! The universe seemed grouped into distinct domains. They did not know this was Li Hao's doing; entering for the first time, they assumed it was naturally arranged this way. Someone murmured, "I feel as though... I can sense the starry sky that belongs to me..." Those were the reflections of their Dao meridians, stars within the Great Dao. However, they were still very distant. "Is this a Great Dao universe?" Many of the martial masters were setting foot inside for the first time, utterly awestruck. The overwhelming sense of insignificance left them momentarily disoriented. Suddenly, small bolts of lightning swept toward them. The King of Dali's expression shifted, but Li Hao spoke softly: "It is fine, do not worry. This is the baptism of Heaven and Earth—it will do you good!" Hearing this, everyone relaxed. On the battleship, at least a dozen people were struck by the lightning. Some were confused, while others were surprised... Why was it not everyone? Li Hao cast his gaze over them. Quite a few had been struck. Among them, Liu Long of the Demon Hunt Army endured a tremendous amount of lightning power. Li Hao's gaze flickered and his brow furrowed slightly. Silver City... had likely suffered some degree of infiltration. That Sovereign might have seeped his influence into it; the rain in Silver City... Realization dawned upon him, accompanied by a chill. The rain in Silver City was unnatural—it was not ordinary rain, but water mingled with Red Moon power. The rain could stimulate the bloodline power of the eight families precisely because their bloodline naturally resisted the rain's corruption, repelling the intrusion of Red Moon power. In other words... the million residents who had lived in Silver City for generations had very likely suffered immense corruption. Almost everyone carried a trace of Red Moon power. Most had likely acquired it from staying in Silver City for an extended period, and a martial master like Liu Long, who had lived there for many years, had suffered an especially severe degree of infiltration. Li Hao felt a lingering sense of terror! If that Sovereign had infiltrated all of Silver City, the moment the seal broke, a million people would instantly become his subordinates, his puppets—a terrifying prospect. However, right now, it was a blessing in disguise. The encroaching Red Moon power was obliterated by the Great Dao's power, leaving behind traces of pure Dao energy, which served as a rare boost for these people. Li Hao then turned his gaze toward Director Zhao. Ignoring those struck by the lightning, since the strikes were not meant to kill them but to help eradicate the Red Moon power, he focused ahead. This also carried a benefit: if anyone had truly been thoroughly compromised, they could be identified immediately, keeping the ranks pure! Seeing Li Hao's attention, Director Zhao said nothing. From his robes, a seal surfaced and rapidly transformed into a humanoid form identical to Director Zhao. That seal was none other than the Eight Directions Seal of the Silver City Martial Arts University. Li Hao sensed it; it indeed contained the bloodline power of the eight families. With a light probe, he recognized familiar fluctuations. This avatar had clearly been modified and possessed formidable strength. Roughly at the third tier of Sun and Moon! Director Zhao himself was currently at the fourth tier of Sun and Moon with twenty open meridians. By merging his two bodies, there was an extremely high probability he could step into the peak of the fifth tier, opening twenty-four meridians to match Li Hao. The King of Dali and Empress Dowager Shuiyun watched with peculiar expressions. An avatar? Avatars were not unheard of—who had never seen an origin avatar? Yet Zhao Shuguang's avatar... was somewhat unusual. Manifested so completely, it was almost impossible to tell the real body from the false. Director Zhao offered a faint smile. "In past years, the avatar was not particularly strong. It was only when the Governor-General's Dao of divine characters spread back that I reorganized it using Dao meridian arts and divine character arts, making it far more formidable." "Taking the Eight Directions Seal as the foundation, aided by divine characters, I also severed several Dao meridians and transplanted them into it..." Li Hao's eyes flickered. "You... severed your Dao meridians? What do you mean?" "I simply moved several Dao meridians from my body into it..." Seeing Li Hao's curiosity, he explained, "The human body has many Dao meridians, but an individual's energy is limited; one cannot cultivate them all. So, I severed certain Dao meridians individually and transplanted them into it. Unlike the Governor-General, who creates them out of thin air, my avatar's Dao meridians came from my own body. However... once the two bodies merge, my physical body will be relatively weak, so some Dao meridians will likely close automatically." Li Hao's expression changed slightly. "Dao meridians are formless—how did you transplant them?" When he forged physical bodies for Director Wang and the others, he had fashioned Dao meridians from scratch using energy and vitality, rather than transplanting someone else's. Transplanting Dao meridians was something he had truly never considered. Director Zhao added, "I only transplanted between my own body and avatar, not to someone else. Doing that to another person would be far too difficult, practically impossible!" He explained, "I used my own flesh and blood, treating it like recovering from an injury with Spring of Life. For instance, if I severed an arm... I would use Spring of Life to regenerate my own arm, then use more Spring of Life to nurture the severed arm, experimenting bit by bit... to duplicate it!" The surrounding onlookers gasped softly. This man was truly ruthless toward himself. Even the King of Dali gave him an odd look. Dali and Silver Moon had clashed numerous times in the past; of course, that was long ago, and Silver Moon people had always been ruthless. Yet... this Zhao Shuguang, a mere scholar, was this ruthless as well. "Then... what about your head?" the King of Dali could not help but ask. "Did you sever your own head and duplicate another? Doing that... wouldn't it be a near-certain death?" Back then, there had not been so much Spring of Life or immense spiritual power; severing one's head carried an extraordinarily high probability of death. Director Zhao smiled. "There was danger, naturally... but once you survive it, it is not as dangerous as it sounds." Evidently, he had indeed done just that. Kong Jie could not help but blurt out, "You really are ruthless! You even chopped off your own head... You absolute madman! Old Zhao, after all these years, I never realized you could be so vicious toward yourself. You must have used all the Spring of Life on yourself back then—no wonder whenever we asked for some, you were stingy and only gave us a tiny drop!" Back then, times had been different. Spring of Life was scarce, force had not grown strong, and Dao meridians had not yet been discovered, commonly regarded as supernatural locks. Director Zhao had evidently wanted his avatar and true body to cultivate the martial and supernatural paths separately, so he had deliberately duplicated the Dao meridians—or rather, the supernatural locks. Only later did he convert to cultivating Dao meridians. Director Zhao chuckled. "There was no other choice. Besides... one needs some backing. My avatar primarily cultivated the supernatural path back then, breaking supernatural locks to train, which was why its combat strength was never weak." Li Hao nodded without saying more. That Director Zhao was this ruthless toward himself was not entirely surprising. For this man to hold down Silver Moon for forty years, dealing with all factions while maintaining balance across the province, was already incredible. His only lapse had been nearly falling to Di Yao's infiltration. Of course, at that time, Director Zhao might not have cared much about that either. "Then... let us begin the fusion!" Li Hao said, ending the discussion. Taking advantage of the fact that they were in the Bright Star Realm where suppression was almost nonexistent, merging the two might produce another expert at the fifth tier of Sun and Moon. The two figures did not delay, quickly stepping toward one another. However, a slight mutual repulsion manifested. The Eight Directions Seal within the avatar seemed somewhat unwilling to merge. Li Hao spotted the problem immediately. With a low snort, he spat out a jet of blood as a surge of sword intent rippled forth. A sword beam erupted from the Eight Directions Seal, and the two collided. With a booming crash, the seal's sword beam shattered, instantly infiltrated by Li Hao's blood. Within the Eight Directions Seal, an indistinct, miniature Eight Trigrams diagram faintly materialized, accompanied by eight faint phantoms, exceptionally weak. These had likely been used in the past to suppress students from the eight families! Soon, as Li Hao's blood seeped in, the phantoms shattered one after another with rumbling cracks, counter-suppressed by him. The Eight Directions Seal had no power to suppress the current Li Hao. The Li family bloodline was one of the eight families' bloodlines, the most noble and formidable among them. In just a moment, the Eight Directions Seal grew docile. All previous resistance vanished. Director Zhao was slightly surprised, though it made sense. He simply sighed at the sheer dominance of the Li family bloodline; otherwise, merging the avatar would have been extraordinarily difficult. This time, the two figures fused without further repulsion. The Eight Directions Seal avatar slowly sank into the body, overlapping with Director Zhao's flesh. For a fleeting instant, the number of open Dao meridians surged wildly, reaching thirty in the blink of an eye. Yet in the very next instant, his physical body began to fracture. Not only that, but the Great Dao seemed to intervene as well, refusing to allow him to break past the limit! Within moments, several Dao meridians began to close. Director Zhao's physical body gradually stabilized. His internal Dao meridians were more numerous than before, unlocking one by one until they reached twenty-three, steadily advancing toward twenty-four. After several minutes... the twenty-fourth Dao meridian opened. At this moment, Director Zhao formally stepped into the peak of the fifth tier of Sun and Moon. However... upon reaching this stage, he could open no more meridians. Because Li Hao had only opened twenty-four meridians himself. Within Li Hao's body, the "Dao" divine character trembled slightly, seemingly growing stronger, though the change was subtle. At that moment, a seal surfaced in Director Zhao's hand. Opening his eyes, divine light flashed within them as he looked at Li Hao: "Thank you, Governor-General, for helping me achieve this!" Li Hao smiled. "Director Zhao cultivated this yourself; what does it have to do with me?" The King of Dali and Empress Dowager Shuiyun also sensed the transformation in his aura, both visibly shaken. For an instant, Zhao Shuguang's aura had seemingly surpassed their own—truly unbelievable! However... seeing that his advancement halted there without rising further, both secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The others looked on with envy. This Haha Monster truly hid deep. The former Grand Commander of the Martial Guard Army was indeed extraordinary. Southern Fist asked curiously, "Old Zhao, the Haha Monster has been famous in the Silver Moon martial arts world for years, but none of us knew what you actually specialize in. Could it be laughing out loud? The Cannibal Huang Yu specializes in spear arts! The Bedridden Ghost Hou Xiaochen also specializes in spear arts... what about you?" Among the three commanders of the Martial Guard Army, the Haha Monster was the most enigmatic. Had Huang Yu and the others not revealed their identities one after another, and had Director Zhao not exposed his own combat strength, it would have been hard to connect him to the Haha Monster. Back then, many had suspected Yuan Shuo was the one! What did the Haha Monster actually excel in? Saber, spear, sword, halberd, or the Zhao family fist? Or something else? Director Zhao smiled faintly. "You will find out in time." Southern Fist sneered, scoffing at the secrecy... Who cared! With that, everyone's combat strength had been elevated to their current peak. …… Meanwhile, in Boundless City. A golden-armored guard materialized beside the guardian monster plant, his voice cold: "How strange. Those Silver Moon individuals have returned..." "Shall we let them in?" "Let them in!" The golden-armored guard spoke indifferently, showing no fear. Indeed, there was no reason to fear anyone. Inside the ancient city... if nothing else, the awakened Saint-level monster plant alone was not something anyone in Silver Moon could currently withstand. At that moment, three figures appeared, looking somewhat disheveled. Qian Wuliang quickly patted down his clothes, his eyes flickering with restless anxiety that was swiftly suppressed beneath a forced smile: "Senior, our apologies for disturbing you in the dead of night!" "No matter. What is the issue?" Qian Wuliang said hurriedly, "It is like this: I relayed Senior's words from earlier. The Governor-General stated that someone is most likely framing the Zheng family, so he hopes to have a thorough discussion with the Zheng family, inviting Senior Zhang An and Senior Wang Ye along to clear the Zheng family's name! However, he also hopes the Zheng family can sign a non-aggression pact with the Governor-General's Office..." He smiled deferentially. "In addition... the true traitor from back then has surfaced, calling himself Hongchen! Now, he is convening a meeting between the four kingdoms and the traitors in the Great Desolation, preparing to jointly invade the Heavenly Star to eliminate the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office and deal with all our New Martial seniors..." "The Governor-General sent us here hoping to join forces with all factions to resist our common enemy. Whether it is the Western Kingdom of the Gods or the traitors, all are great adversaries of New Martial!" He spoke rapidly, as if terrified of being interrupted, pouring out everything he wanted to say in a single breath. Then he added hastily, "If Senior cannot make the decision, could we speak with the Guardian Senior? This time, among the monster plants, the Imperial Palace Guard, the Base Station Guard, General Locust, and other formidable monster plants are participating, all willing to act to halt the five-party conference..." The golden-armored guard's heart stirred faintly. A five-party conference to join forces and wipe out Li Hao's faction? No wonder these men were in such a frantic rush in the middle of the night. Qian Wuliang pressed on: "This time, we suspect... we suspect the traitors are gathered in the Hong family's Thunderstorm City. That is the only primary city we have been unable to contact so far; Sword City has already vanished, reportedly near the Star Gate." "Senior Wang Ye said that the patriarch of the Hong family was not a figure from the early New Martial era, but rose in the later stages. Thus, we deduce that this individual may have framed the Zheng family patriarch. Regardless... I believe it is imperative to disrupt their alliance!" "Senior... to demonstrate our sincerity, the Governor-General instructed me to present one hundred million divine energy stones to aid the Guardian Lord's resurgence!" With an attitude of utmost reverence, he hurriedly presented a storage ring to the golden-armored guard. The golden armor probed inside and was secretly astonished. It was genuine! This was no small offering. Then Qian Wuliang continued, "Additionally, this junior wishes to speak directly with the Guardian..." He appeared fraught with urgency. "According to General Locust, the guardian monster plants of the eight primary cities share a combined-attack formation. General Locust wishes to discuss with the Guardian Senior whether two families can be excluded, allowing them to rehearse the formation anew using avatars..." The golden armor said flatly, "The Hong family betrayed us? You people always love making wild guesses! Naturally, anything is possible. Guardian Peach only awakened recently and remains very weak..." At that moment, the ancient, gentle voice of the peach tree drifted from behind: "No matter, let them come over. General Locust... I have not seen him in many years. Since he has awakened, why did he not send an avatar?" "General Locust's avatar is currently absorbing the power of the mineral vein within the Heavenly Star Town ruins," Qian Wuliang answered rapidly as he walked forward respectfully, his tongue never ceasing. "This time, we also hope Senior can sever an avatar to go to the Heavenly Star Town ruins to absorb mineral energy, accelerate recovery, and strengthen the avatar to resist the gods of the Western Kingdom of the Gods... We also hope Boundless City can deploy a portion of the Boundless Army to fight alongside us; if the seniors sever avatars, our Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office will provide the energy for their recovery!" Seeing his endless stream of chatter, the golden-armored guard wanted to interject with questions but could not find an opening. In the distance, an aged face formed upon the trunk of the massive tree, looking down at Qian Wuliang and interrupting softly, "General Qian seems far stronger than when you visited earlier..." Qian Wuliang nodded. "The Governor-General has mobilized for war, sparing no expense to forcibly elevate everyone's strength. Our foundations are still somewhat unstable, having consumed countless drops of Spring of Life and divine energy stones. This time, we burn our boats solely to eradicate the traitors!" At this point, he gritted his teeth. "The Governor-General also knows there have always been misunderstandings between him and the Zheng family seniors, which previously damaged the Zheng family's reputation. Thus, there is one more matter: he instructed us to offer an apology on his behalf to the seniors, along with a lavish gift!" "A lavish gift?" The golden-armored guard caught up, curious. Beyond the hundred million divine energy stones, what other lavish gift could there be? "Yes!" Qian Wuliang's face twisted with pain and reluctance, but he ultimately ground his teeth: "The Starry Sky Sword!" At these words, both the tree and the golden-armored guard froze. What? "What?" "The Starry Sky Sword!" Qian Wuliang said with helpless resignation. "The Governor-General knows the misunderstanding with the Zheng family runs too deep, and he fears the seniors still harbor resentment. Therefore... he specially offers the Starry Sky Sword! He only asks... that Boundless City, in consideration of the Governor-General being the descendant of the Sword Venerable, will... lend a helping hand!" With that, he drew a small, initially lackluster sword from his robes. The next instant, he stepped toward the great tree, clutching the sword and gritting his teeth. "This is the Starry Sky Sword. The Guardian is knowledgeable and has likely seen it before, able to discern true from false. This time, the Governor-General's sincerity is absolute, without the slightest deception!" At this moment, both the tree and the golden-armored guard stared blankly at the Starry Sky Sword. A surge of greed welled up within the hearts of both man and tree. The Li family's sword! This was the Starry Sky Sword—the Sword Venerable's personal weapon, forged by the Human King, the key to the Star Gate, an artifact of supreme authority capable of controlling vital zones within the primary cities... Could they... truly obtain the Starry Sky Sword? They stood in disbelief, completely stunned. No one in their position could suppress the excitement and covetousness surging within. The peach tree was shaken, its voice wavering slightly yet still maintaining a gentle tone: "How could this be? This object is the Sword Venerable's heritage... We cannot accept this..." Its mental power surged outward, and an ethereal phantom condensed before stepping forward, seemingly gesturing to refuse the gift. Yet its mental power clung tightly to the Starry Sky Sword, desperate to verify its authenticity. Unbelievable! Li Hao had actually offered the Starry Sky Sword just to resolve the misunderstanding with the Zheng family... This was utterly astonishing! Meanwhile, Qian Wuliang felt tense to the extreme. Ignoring the polite refusal, he pushed the Starry Sky Sword forward insistently. "Senior, please do not refuse—this is the Governor-General's sincere intention... If Senior suspects it is counterfeit, Wuliang shall prove it to you..." Saying so, he channeled a burst of energy into the weapon, explaining as he did, "Those not of the Li bloodline cannot activate the Starry Sky Sword... However, there are alternative methods. By applying the current Aperture Breaking Art, one can actually trigger a portion of its power..." The Starry Sky Sword emitted a faint, shimmering radiance, vibrating softly. Both the peach tree and the golden-armored guard stared unblinkingly, their greed so palpable it terrified Qian Wuliang. Indeed... no one could suppress the greed in their hearts! …… At that exact moment, within the Bright Star Realm. Li Hao and his companions were on edge. In the Bright Star Universe, a fissure seemed to rip open, and through the haze, they faintly glimpsed a towering tree! They were positioned right next to the enemy's guardian monster plant! Suffocating tension seized everyone present. The next instant, the rift tore completely open. Qian Wuliang had initiated the coordinates. The great battle had begun!