Dawn Breaks

The Western Divine Kingdom. The void was torn asunder. Li Hao cast aside every lingering fear and reservation! All things under heaven would bend to his will. At this very moment, he was utterly fearless, unflinching, and without regret! He owed nothing to anyone. Those he had owed were already dead. Who in this world could halt his march now? The firmament cracked wide open. Li Hao materialized in an instant. A god sensed his presence and moved to confront him, only to be struck by thunderous fury. The Dao of the Five Elements persisted, shrouding heaven and earth and enveloping the grand city of the Divine Kingdom. An inhuman roar shattered the clouds! “Slaughter!” *Boom!* The monumental city ruptured. Countless people bled from all seven facial orifices and burst apart in an instant! That demonic shriek reverberated across heaven and earth. He wielded the Dao itself as a sword! “Li Hao!” A shrill scream rang out as the Queen appeared. Li Hao’s eyes were bloodshot as he slashed downward. The firmament shattered, horrifying the Queen. With an ear-splitting crash, she was cleaved in two. She hastily knit her flesh back together, her face draining of all color! “Kill!” Behind Li Hao, formidable figures emerged one after another, unleashing a torrent of slaughter! Qian Wuliang wore a solemn expression. He chanted a low whisper like an incantation, and within an instant, tens of thousands of the million-strong army fell into utter madness. The next moment, they began tearing into each other, spraying blood in every direction. Earth-Overturning Sword uttered not a word. He stepped forth, his blade drawn, and plunged it into the ground. The earth fractured, spreading chasms that tore countless divine soldiers to shreds. The moment a god appeared, sword intent streaked through the air. The surrounding experts unleashed terrifying might, decapitating gods on the spot! At that moment, the Bright Star Realm manifested. As soon as a god perished, Li Hao—towering like a god or demon amid the Great Dao—caught sight of a massive star flickering. He vanished from his spot and reappeared within the Bright Star Realm the next instant. Using the Dao as his blade, he swung with full force! *Boom!* The great star exploded! At that instant, rain of blood began to drift from the heavens. Even when Saints fell, blood rain had never fallen. Yet now, a crimson downpour descended across the entire land of Silver Moon. The Queen stared blankly at the sky, then turned toward the freshly slain Ocean God, completely stunned. *This...* Records of blood rain existed in Silver Moon’s ancient chronicles. Countless years ago, when several gods were slain, blood rain had fallen from the heavens. And none of the gods whose deaths brought blood rain had ever revived. Even today, while numerous gods had awakened, those killed in ancient times who caused the skies to weep blood had never appeared again. Deep within the divine temple, powerful beings were forcibly reviving. The Prophet God looked sorrowful. Mountains of corpses and seas of blood! So it was meant to be today. The sea of blood had not belonged to their previous encounter, but to this one—a true sea of blood under a torrential crimson downpour. The Will of Heaven itself seemed to shudder. A god had fallen; a master of the Great Dao was dead! “Li Hao!” the Queen shrieked, frantically pushing her combat strength to its utmost peak. Li Hao materialized before her in a flash. He looked at her with an eerie calmness, his voice chillingly composed: “Of the four kingdoms, your Divine Kingdom was the strongest, and the one I detested most. If you had obediently yielded last time, how could it have come to this?” “Li Hao, you are mad! Slaying gods will invoke heaven’s wrath! You will be forsaken by Heaven itself—” “Heaven?” A faint smile touched Li Hao’s lips. The next instant, a single sword strike cleaved heaven and earth, shattering the roiling momentum of the Will of Heaven. He barked furiously, “Get lost!” *Rumble! Boom! Boom!* Thunder erupted in all directions. The Will of Heaven seemed incensed, yet at that very moment, the Bright Star Realm churned violently. As heaven’s will shook, the thunderous fury dispersed. Heaven itself seemed to sense a mortal threat and retreated. Li Hao let out a faint laugh. “The Will of Heaven? This so-called heaven’s will is nothing more than a slave to the Great Dao. Since when could heaven suppress the Dao? When I give you face, you are Heaven. When I do not... you are nothing!” With those words, he struck with his blade. In a flash, several gods manifested, each radiating immense auras that bordered on the realm of Saints! Li Hao merely chuckled. “You finally crawled out? How long can you hold on?” The Prophet God looked haggard, his weathered face filled with sorrowful compassion. “Director-General Li, why must you do this? The Divine Kingdom can withdraw. But slaughtering our forces will stabilize heaven and earth and hasten the second resurgence—” “So... you all knew all along!” Li Hao laughed. Then, with a soft shout, his sword blanketed the sky! Night still reigned, yet daylight returned in an instant. The entire western continent was illuminated by that solitary strike! Five elements converged into one. A ferocious tiger broke free from its cage with a sharp sword clenched in its jaws, using the Dao to kill and suppress heaven and earth! The Prophet God, the Sun God, and another newly awakened mighty god struck out at Li Hao in unison. The void slashed at their bodies and heaven and earth bore down to suppress them, yet they paid it no heed! At this moment, Li Hao’s power was absurdly terrifying! All around them, the slaughter raged on! Massive casualties ripped through the million-strong army. No fewer than a hundred thousand had fallen in the blink of an eye, and the toll mounted swiftly amidst rampant mutiny. Qian Wuliang manipulated the hearts of men, sending the entire Divine Kingdom’s army into an uproar; with his power alone, he drove tens of thousands of soldiers to turn on their comrades, leaving rivers of blood in their wake! In the void, the three gods faced Li Hao. The next moment, the Queen also appeared, her expression grim as she gritted her teeth. “What do you want?” “To exterminate you all!” “Insolent!” *Insolent?* Li Hao smiled. “You are not Neo-Martial!” In a flash, he vanished. Not only did he disappear, but the gods felt as though they had been cast into another world entirely. Stunned by the sight of cosmic stars stretching across the expanse, they froze. The next instant, Li Hao appeared atop a massive star! He brought his sword crashing down! *Boom!* The great star, burning like a sun, was blown to bits by the blow. Li Hao’s cold voice echoed, “Is it so hard to kill Saints of the Divine Kingdom? Slaying Neo-Martial Saints is difficult. Slaying you lot... is it truly hard at all?” *Bang!* The Sun God’s face turned deathly pale. Countless strands of divine power unraveled from his body, his eyes filled with dazed disbelief. Inside him, a colossal Dao meridian shattered, leaking immense power into the void! His gaze turned glassy, overcome with bewilderment and helplessness. Li Hao had merely shattered a great star. Why... why was he suddenly grievously wounded? The Prophet God froze, then shrieked in agony, “Kill him! This is the Great Dao Universe! We are spirits born of the Dao... Kill him, quickly!” This time, he felt absolute doom. So long as the Dao remained, they were immortal. Yet if the Dao collapsed, they would naturally perish along with it. Someone as formidable as the Sun God could endure spatial slicing for a time, yet simply because Li Hao had pierced a great star, he was now mortally wounded. Li Hao was the natural nemesis of all gods! In the past, Li Hao had not yet untangled the Great Dao, nor had he pinpointed the paths belonging to them. But today, he had mapped them out and found the corresponding Dao power that anchored their existence! Li Hao laughed, vanishing into the cosmic sea of stars, while the others stood paralyzed by the turbulence of the starry void. In a flash, Li Hao reappeared beside another great star. The third god’s expression twisted in terror! He was the Darkness God. In the distance, that immense star was pitch-black, as though drenched in ink. He knew it had to be tied to him! Panic surged through him! *Boom!* Li Hao shattered the great star in an instant. Just like the Sun God, the Darkness God coughed up mouthful after mouthful of blood as divine power drained out of him. Li Hao’s chilling voice echoed, “I still can’t find the Prophet God’s Dao. It seems it lies in an unexplored region. What a pity!” He had located the Daos of Darkness and the Sun, crushing their stars and critically wounding them, but he had yet to locate the Prophet God’s. The next second, he vanished again. *Boom!* Another sword strike fell, shattering a fiery star. The Fire God had died in their prior clash, but not truly; he had merely been awaiting his next resurrection. Yet at this moment, an ethereal shriek of agony echoed across heaven and earth! Outside, blood rain poured down with renewed frenzy. Another god had thoroughly perished! The Prophet God was stunned. He rushed toward Li Hao in a frenzy of desperation. “Li Hao, you are making an irreconcilable enemy of the Divine Kingdom!” “Irreconcilable?” Li Hao’s voice carried amusement as he strode through the Bright Star Realm. He chuckled softly. “Then come kill me! If not for you lot, how could it have come to this? Moon God, Prophet God—I have nothing left to fear!” Li Hao’s smile grew radiant. “My teacher is gone. Martial Uncle Southern Fist is gone. Director Hou is gone. Even Boss Liu Long is gone! In this world, how many people do you have left to threaten me with?” The moment those words were spoken, heaven collapsed and the earth splintered! Star after star burst into pieces! The Prophet God froze, and the Queen’s face changed dramatically. What did he mean? Last time, when she wounded Yuan Shuo, Li Hao had gone completely mad. She remembered it vividly and knew that Yuan Shuo was his sorest spot. Yet today... what did this mean? Li Hao’s laughter echoed through the vast universe: “If the four kingdoms hadn’t cornered me, if you hadn't insisted on attacking, if you hadn’t allied with those dogs, why would I have gone this far? Moon God, Prophet, can’t you foresee the future? Did you not foresee this scene? “Hahaha!” With a roaring laugh, Li Hao pierced another great star with his blade! Outside, gods suddenly suffered grievous wounds as their Great Daos crumbled, each of them dumbfounded. Why was this happening? The next instant, fists rained down upon them! *Boom!* Gods burst apart! The blood rain fell even harder, dyeing heaven and earth crimson as it swept across the land. The gods were truly dying. One after another, their Dao meridians shattered. Though they did not perish instantly, a pack of demons was slaughtering them with abandon. Once an opening appeared, there was only death! Slaughter! This was an outright slaughter! At that moment, countless voices wailed in despair. “Water God... Wood God... Goddess of Life...” As long as their great stars were crushed, those gods were swiftly butchered by the Silver Moon martial masters, left without even an intact corpse! *** Within the Bright Star Realm. The Queen’s face was pale. Beside her, the Sun God and Darkness God were not yet dead, but their divine power continued to leak away. At this rate, they would not last long. Though the Prophet God was formidable, he was utterly unfamiliar with this realm. Li Hao drifted through the void, flashing into view to crush star after star before vanishing again. The Prophet God was powerless to stop him! What induced even greater despair was that no one could deter Li Hao or talk him down, because everyone who could have reasoned with him was dead. In the distance, the Queen’s voice turned grim and heavy. “Li Hao, if I die, Silver Moon’s resurgence will spiral out of control, and the seal holding back the Red Moon Sovereign will shatter...” Li Hao let out a soft laugh. “I can hide within the Bright Star Universe—what can he do to me? Once my divine abilities reach completion, I’ll step outside and cut him down! Moon God, since you say so, why don't you just detonate yourself?” The Queen’s expression turned utterly hideous. At this moment, all the leverage and threats of the past had lost their power. She could not help but curse furiously in her heart! Why? Who killed Yuan Shuo and the others? Killing them was tantamount to unleashing a devil! If Li Hao was not dead, why touch those people? She was seething with rage! Having shattered nearly every great star he could find, Li Hao shifted the heavens and turned the earth. The group of five materialized back in the mortal realm. Blood rain poured down, soaking everyone. The Queen glanced around, her heart heavy with grief. In this brief span, more than ten gods had died. True, final death! At their peak, these gods had been Saints. But currently, they had not fully recovered, and with their Dao meridians shattered, they were cut down like livestock. Even those whose Dao meridians remained intact faced an onslaught of unprecedented savagery! Slaughter! Every Silver Moon fighter had blood-red eyes. Gods were surrounded and hacked to death; even without the blood rain, their divine forms were torn to ribbons, leaving nothing behind! Of several dozen gods, barely a dozen remained in the blink of an eye. Within the city, the million divine soldiers had long lost their devout reverence. Only terror, helplessness, and panic remained! Gods fell like raindrops! When Li Hao attacked previously, the Divine Kingdom had been strong, and the soldiers fearless. But this time, as gods were slaughtered one after another, neither the Queen nor the Prophet God could do a thing, leaving Li Hao’s forces free to butcher them at will. When the soldiers saw their leaders reappear, hope had flared within their chests—only to plummet into bottomless despair! The Queen seemed entirely powerless! The Prophet God was suppressed by Li Hao’s relentless sword strikes. The Darkness God and Sun God were in even more miserable straits, fleeing desperately under the Queen’s protection; with their divine power bleeding away, remaining meant certain death! Amidst the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the Prophet God coughed up blood continuously, his flesh sliced by spatial fissures. At this moment, he finally understood what his vision had foretold. It was today! He had thought it referred to their previous battle, but he had been wrong. The Fortune God saw Heavenly Star’s fortune wax and wane, yet the Goddess of Fortune had failed to see that the same fate awaited their own side. In that single moment of distraction, Li Hao thrust his sword with flawless, supernatural grace. *Crack!* The Sun God, who had been scrambling to evade the sword intent, was run through. His eyes widened in disbelief and indignation! He was a Saint! Yet at this moment, he died more pathetically than a useless wretch. With his divine power drained and his Great Dao severed, he had been helpless, fleeing like a dog. Yet he still could not evade this strike, which shattered his physical form to pieces. The Sun God looked at the Queen with a tragic, feeble gaze, his voice barely a rasp: “Flee...” The next instant, like an exploding sun, a shrill roar shook heaven and earth: “Flee!” Run! Even though the Prophet God remained and his Dao meridian was undiscovered, heaven and earth could not support a Saint for long. Once the Prophet God was crushed, everyone would perish! “Flee!” Knowing there was no way out, the Darkness God erupted with the last dregs of his darkness power. In an instant, the world plunged into pitch-black night without a single ray of light. He roared, “Go! Escort the Moon God away!” The Queen stood in a daze. Just as Li Hao had been overwhelmed in their last battle, she too fell into a momentary stupor. At the same time, several gods charged frantically, grabbed her, and roared, “Prophet... cover the retreat!” With that, the gods fled into the distance, carrying the Queen between them! Pursuers gave chase almost immediately. Meanwhile, Li Hao unleashed strike after strike upon the Prophet God. The Prophet God held nothing back, exploding with full power as his divine form ruptured. He let out a sigh: “Why must it come to this... Why must it be so... The Divine Kingdom never sought to eradicate Heavenly Star, only to take vengeance upon Neo-Martial. Li Hao...” “Don’t you think it’s a bit too late for that?” Li Hao laughed softly, seemingly unbothered by the fleeing remnants. Of several dozen gods, nearly two-thirds were dead. Only about a dozen had escaped, and with Sky Sword and the others in pursuit, how many could truly make it out alive? Of the three powerhouses capable of unleashing Saint-level might, two were dead on the spot. As for the Prophet God... once his divine form was severed, even if Li Hao had yet to find his corresponding star, his revival would take ages. Li Hao’s strikes forced the Prophet God back step by step. Here, the god was severely constrained; spatial fissures continued to lacerate his flesh, and compounded by the heavy wounds from the previous battle, his divine form finally gave way! With a sigh carrying helplessness, regret, and myriad unnamed emotions, he took one last deep look at Li Hao. This man... could destroy their roots! He could kill the very essence of a god! He posed an even greater threat than the Neo-Martial Sovereigns. Nearly half of the gods slain today would never have another chance at revival. The Sun God and Darkness God, for instance, were gone forever. “Li Hao... slaying gods... heaven and earth will not forgive you...” *Boom!* A deafening explosion rang out across the world. A colossal blast engulfed the Divine Kingdom’s great city. With a tremendous rumble, the suspended metropolis began to crumble, instantly disintegrating countless soldiers! The massive shockwave forced even Li Hao back several steps, while others were blown far into the distance. The army of one million was utterly wiped out! Rain of blood blanketed heaven and earth, crimson liquid spreading in all directions. The Prophet God was dead, though he still had hope of reviving, unlike the others. In the distance, the sounds of battle gradually faded. Li Hao’s voice resonated across the world: “Do not pursue a cornered foe!” Some gods were fighting a rearguard action. A moment later, the pursuers returned. Hong Yitang reported calmly, “Seventeen gods fled, eighteen including the Moon God. Six chose to stay behind and were slain on the spot. The remaining twelve escaped...” Out of at least fifty gods, at most a quarter had gotten away. The power of the Divine Kingdom was thoroughly broken. All three Saints had fallen, two never to return. The King of Dali flew back, drenched in blood, his voice low: “Why didn’t you keep chasing?” Li Hao said placidly, “The Moon God cannot be killed. Slay her, and the Silver City seal will completely shatter. Although I claimed not to care... in truth, I still do. Didn't my teacher and the others pay the price of falling into slumber just so peace could return to the world? Even if I don't care about myself... if I push the Moon God to the brink and she truly detonates Silver Moon, unleashing the Sovereign... wouldn't their falling into slumber be in vain?” He looked around, a radiant smile on his face. “In a single battle, we slew dozens of gods and crushed an army of a million... The Divine Kingdom’s elite has been eradicated. What does it matter if the Moon God escaped?” Everyone remained silent. Someone asked in a heavy voice, “Do we... breach Dahuang now?” “No!” Li Hao looked at them, speaking earnestly: “Isn’t it good to stay alive? There are Saint-level wild beasts in Dahuang. We could fight them, but... it isn’t necessary! With the Divine Kingdom destroyed, Dali and Shuiyun will withdraw their troops, and Dahuang will not dare show its face. Heavenly Star is safe!” *Isn’t it good to stay alive?* Those words struck everyone like a hammer. No one spoke another word. Could Dahuang be breached? Perhaps there was hope, but wild beasts dwelled within its wastes. In their current battered state, it would be another gamble with their lives. Dealing with the Divine Kingdom had been relatively simple: once Li Hao mapped out the Great Dao and found their foundations, he brought the might of a Saint-slayer to shatter their Daos. Those people had been powerless against Heavenly Star! Li Hao laughed, his expression exceedingly bright, and yelled, “Heavenly Star is safe!” The Divine Kingdom, one of the four foreign realms, had lost countless gods, and its million-strong host had been eradicated. The rulers of Dali and Shuiyun stood right here; even if they had not surrendered, they would never dare march to war! Dahuang was trapped in its vast desert, terrified to emerge. With the fall of so many gods, heaven and earth were destabilized. Its foundation was far weaker than before; forget a second resurgence, it would be lucky not to regress. Under such circumstances... every strategic objective of this campaign had been achieved! Yet Li Hao thought to himself... *Were they truly all achieved?* *I had thought... that perhaps... not many would have to die.* He looked up at the sky and smiled. *Teacher and the others are merely asleep. Sooner or later, I will wake them.* *In ancient times, when the Human King held sway over heaven and earth, didn't he also resurrect those who died in battle?* *They say that back then, even the Supreme perished in battle, yet was he not revived as well?* *If he could do it, why can't I?* *Ruling over heaven and earth... mastering the Dao of Life and Death—can I not do it?* *I can!* At this moment, clarity washed over Li Hao. *Yes, I will become the master of this world! I will become the master of the Great Dao, the master of life and death! And if even that fails... then I will reverse time itself!* *I will drag them back from the past!* *Why can’t time be reversed?* *I will do it!* Li Hao laughed aloud. Under the pouring blood rain, his laughter was immensely hearty as he shouted, “Why are you all looking like that? We won! We destroyed an ancient city and crushed the Divine Kingdom! “Everyone who died, everyone who sleeps, will return! I, Li Hao, will dedicate my entire life to mastering this world, perfecting life and death, and reversing time! They will all return!” A tremendous jolt ran through everyone’s hearts! At that moment, heaven and earth shuddered violently. The Will of Heaven roared! A cold light flickered in Li Hao’s eyes. “If you obey, I will yield three paces to you. But if you stand in my way... even the Will of Heaven can be slain!” The Will of Heaven continued to roar as thunder surged across the sky. Slaying the gods had damaged the stability of the world. The next instant, sword intent pierced the firmament. Li Hao leaped into the air, unleashing strike after strike to obliterate the lightning. A moment later, heaven and earth fell silent, leaving only the endless rain of blood. Li Hao turned toward Empress Dowager Shuiyun. “How shall the soldiers of Shuiyun be handled?” Her expression shifted, and she soon replied in a soft voice, “The Director-General possesses divine might. Shuiyun is weak, and was previously coerced into joining the four kingdoms’ encirclement... Shuiyun is willing to merge into Heavenly Star. The south is indeed no place to live.” Li Hao gave a slight nod. He then looked at the King of Dali, whose expression flickered before he said in a low voice, “Dali... will withdraw! We shall return beyond Mount Cang! There are countless tribes in our land; this king... cannot surrender!” Li Hao looked at him for a long while before murmuring softly, “Heavenly Star... can wait for you to think it through! King of Dali, take care of yourself!” The King of Dali said nothing more. He merely cupped his fists. “Then I shall take my leave!” “I will not see you off. Of the spoils from today’s battle, I will designate a tenth to be sent to Dali as a reward for your contribution!” “Many thanks!” Without another word, the King of Dali vanished. The second resurgence had been thwarted, the Divine Kingdom routed, Dahuang dared not emerge, and Shuiyun had submitted... Who in this world could stop Li Hao now? Dali simply wanted to go home. They had been deeply fearful before, but now that the second resurgence was halted, let the Red Dust faction come if they wished. Besides, killing people could no longer accelerate the world’s resurgence, so Red Dust’s forces likely wouldn't bother targeting Dali. This single battle... had thoroughly shattered the blockade on Heavenly Star. Who could still restrain Li Hao? *** Rain of blood continued to fall across heaven and earth. In the land of Silver Moon. Outside the Liu Family Ancient City, Hurricane City. Heaven fell and the earth cracked. Red Dust’s form manifested, as if tearing the firmament apart. The spatial slicing merely caused him mild discomfort, though the bombardment of countless bolts of lightning made him furrow his brows. Opposite him stood a stern-faced young man holding a book, who spoke softly: “Go back. I cannot defeat you... but you... cannot walk out of here!” Red Dust looked at him with an impassive expression, allowing his flesh to crack, thoroughly indifferent: “He killed Zheng Gong!” “Should he not have?” The young man watched him and sighed after a long pause. “Alas... I cannot subdue you. I thought it was your father, but to think it was you... Zheng Yu. So the folk ballads from back then were indeed spread by you... How regrettable that, in trying to be too clever, you exposed the Zheng family’s true situation!” Red Dust looked up at the sky and said flatly, “If not for the fear of tearing the void and annihilating heaven and earth, allowing that Sovereign to return, do you truly believe... this world could restrain me?” “Then tear it open!” Zhang An remained entirely composed. “Zheng Yu, it seems... you have walked a fair distance along the path of Heavenly Kings. But in this era, can you truly step into the Sovereign realm?” “My chances are better than yours!” Red Dust suddenly laughed. “Zhang An, among the martial artists of the late Neo-Martial era, I stand as number one under heaven!” “With betrayal as your foundation?” Zhang An’s tone remained tranquil. “Traitors... all die in the end.” “I fear you won't live to see that day!” Red Dust sneered. “Even if I die, it won’t be at your hands. Zhang An, fate can be changed! The future is forged through one’s own struggle! If I didn't fight for it, what hope would I have had of reaching Sovereign in this lifetime? Neo-Martial produced countless geniuses, but aside from those early figures, how many latecomers ever advanced to Sovereign? Immortals, Saints, Heavenly Kings—anyone could reach those! Only the Sovereign realm is formidable, consuming far too much of the universe’s energy. The Human King took one third of all creation, the Cang Emperor took another third, and the other Sovereigns claimed two-thirds of the remaining third... Only the scraps left behind were split among everyone else! If I hadn't gambled, the Heavenly King realm would have been my absolute ceiling!” Zhang An said nothing, merely watching him in silence. He did not know this man well. He had only seen him once when Yuanping Martial Arts University was established, tagging along behind his father. Back then, this man had been utterly unremarkable. Of the Zheng family’s three sons, the eldest was a peak Saint, a true genius. The second son, Zheng Gong, was also at the peak of the Immortal realm. Only this man had appeared slack and weak. Looking back now, it had likely all been an act. For someone to step into the peak of the Heavenly King realm—even half a step into the Sovereign realm—in this era after the source origin had vanished was truly terrifying! Yet... he dared not leave the ruins recklessly either. Even though he could tear the void and crack the firmament, damaging this fragile world and rupturing the seal would only lead to his own demise—there was still a Sovereign trapped within that seal! “Zheng Yu, if you refuse to retreat... all the pressure of heaven and earth will converge here. Perhaps... the Silver City seal will shatter immediately,” Zhang An said calmly. “It will not be easy for you to step outside!” Red Dust, Zheng Yu, merely stared at him, paying no heed to the trembling world around them. After a long while, he said coldly, “Zhang An, you can stop me for a moment, but you cannot stop me for a lifetime! Sooner or later, heaven and earth will fully stabilize. When that time comes... I will surely kill you!” Zhang An sighed softly. “Then I shall wait. My only fear... is that you won’t live to see that day.” “Hmph!” With a cold snort, Zheng Yu stared at him a moment longer, then looked up at the sky. The rain of blood vanished in an instant. He turned toward Silver City, where a colossal Bagua diagram trembled violently. His brow furrowed slightly! Infuriating! If Zhang An hadn't blocked him, even a momentary foray outside would have given him a chance to enter Boundless City and stop Li Hao and his allies. Outside, he could not maintain his full combat strength; the suppression of heaven and earth was one thing, but more importantly, unleashing excessive power in this fragile world risked breaking the seal! For now, the seal could not be broken. With a grim expression, he said nothing more and retreated instantly into Hurricane City behind him. The next moment, deep beneath the earth, the ancient city shuddered, as if preparing to tunnel away. Zhang An did not stop it, nor could he. That was a supreme entity! Outside the city, he could offer some resistance. But stepping inside, at his current strength, would be certain death. Zheng Yu’s voice drifted from within, laced with chilling malice: “Though Zheng Gong is dead, Li Hao’s side won’t have fared any better. Zhang An, you stopped me from going out, but if Li Hao’s friends and family died in battle... I suspect you and Li Hao will part ways! I'd love to see... if your bond can withstand the test of the human heart! If you tell him you did it to stop me... even if Li Hao believes you, I will take the opportunity to invade the other ancient cities and wipe them out... Of the eight ancient cities, Sword City is missing, Boundless has been seized, and I have placements in all the others. Zhang An, let us see how you handle that!” “You need not trouble yourself!” Zhang An’s expression remained indifferent. “You had best consider whether that Red Moon Sovereign will kill you first, or kill others first, once the seal breaks.” “I return those very words to you! A mere Saint has no right to threaten me! A student of Mowu from the early Neo-Martial era, whose grandfather is the Supreme, whose father is a meritorious hero of humanity, who was close with the Human King and the Human King’s sister, yet ended up as nothing more than a Saint... A piece of trash like you has no right to judge me!” A cold sneer shook the soul. The earth trembled as though mountains were collapsing, and in an instant, the ancient city vanished without a trace. Zhang An did not give chase, merely watching in silence. He turned toward the west, lingered in quiet contemplation for a long time, then vanished from the spot, quickly returning to the ruins. The Western Divine Kingdom was broken, Zheng Gong was dead, and both Boundless and the Divine Kingdom had been taken. The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office was safe for now. With heaven and earth so fragile, Zheng Yu would not dare emerge repeatedly. By taking the risk of appearing to rescue his brother, he had already stretched this portion of the world to its limit. With the seal rattled so many times, Zheng Yu likely wouldn't even dare dispatch a clone anytime soon. Still... how heavy had Li Hao’s losses been? He pondered it, but felt reluctant to dwell on the thought. Engaging multiple Saints—at least two or three—without Saint-level combat power of their own... this battle could not have been easy. Zhang An returned to the ruins, dispersed the power of the new Dao from his body, and reverted once more to a spiritual entity, sitting quietly in meditation without uttering a word. *A piece of trash?* *Perhaps so!* Even a scion of a collateral branch of the Zheng family had stepped into the quasi-Sovereign realm, while he had previously lingered merely at the quasi-Heavenly King level—an entire major realm apart. *Am I... truly that useless?* A trace of self-mockery welled up in his heart. Perhaps he was! If he weren't so useless, why would he fear unrest in the other ancient cities right now? He could have sent word to all the ancient cities to mobilize their armies; perhaps there would still have been a glimmer of hope. “And yet...” Countless thoughts swirled in his mind. Aside from Boundless and Hurricane, how many of the ancient cities had truly fallen into enemy hands? *** At the same time. A warship flew silently toward Silver Moon. It headed straight for Boundless City. Soon, the vessel entered Boundless City once more, and Li Hao stepped inside. At this moment, Boundless City was sweeping across the world, swallowing energy greedily. Dozens of gods had died, and an army of a million had been eradicated; the energy of heaven and earth should have surged into resurgence. Yet precisely because Boundless City was devouring it, the world grew even more fragile. And it was because the world was so fragile that Zheng Yu had dared make no further moves, forced to let Zhang An seal the city. One by one, the others disembarked from the warship. Every single one was covered in wounds. Their emotions were in turmoil. The battlefield remained as it was, blood soaking the ancient city. The army of tens of thousands was wiped out; the living were gone, and the dead were left adrift. The remnant spirits of the soldiers seemed on the verge of collapse, many dissipating of their own accord. Not all of the Boundless Army were traitors. A portion had perished in the early era, leaving only remnants of will that followed orders from above. Now that their commanders were dead, their vitality vanished in an instant. Li Hao stepped onto the ground, looking around in long, heavy silence. In this battle, Southern Fist, Hou Xiaochen, Jade Rakshasa, Golden Spear, Yuan Shuo, Thunderbolt Leg, Liu Long, Kong Jie, Northern Fist’s martial uncle Thundering Fist, Mad Saber’s master Mad Demon Saber, the previous generation’s Iron Cloth Armor, and even Yao Si—the old man Li Hao had once pointed a finger at and berated—had all died. Li Hao stared at his surroundings, his thoughts inscrutable. In a single battle, half of the Silver Moon martial arts world was gone. Was it worth it? The nine students from Neo-Martial who had pledged their service had all fallen dormant, leaving only their weapons behind. Even if Li Hao wished to revive them, it would be exceedingly difficult, for even their spiritual wills had sunk into slumber. Winning this battle... could only be considered a stroke of luck. Perhaps... it was worth it! Li Hao looked up at the sky and suddenly spoke: “Teacher and the others should know... dawn has broken. Even if... only a little, it is no longer pitch-black!” Dawn had broken! Outside, the sun of a new day was rising. With this battle concluded, the threat of the four kingdoms was gone. What followed would likely be a period of unbridled development, including... the other ancient cities! *I think I might know how to handle them now,* Li Hao thought. Behind him, Qian Wuliang spoke cautiously in a hushed voice: “Director-General... what of... the funerals for the seniors...?” Li Hao turned to look at him, speaking only after a long pause: “They aren't dead. What funerals?” Qian Wuliang nodded hastily, daring not utter another word. The Li Hao before him felt like an abyss staring back, suffocating him! At this moment, Qian Wuliang felt a shiver of mortal dread. He knew that calm as Li Hao appeared, his heart was anything but serene. “Clear the battlefield. Claiming an ancient city brings endless benefits!” Li Hao regained his composure as though nothing had happened. He looked into the distance, a faint smile returning to his face. “Breathing in the energy of heaven and earth, this place will soon become the next sacred land. As for the second resurgence... what does it have to do with us? Let heaven and earth be fragile!” Everyone remained silent. Many in the crowd looked utterly dejected. Li Hao’s voice rang out again: “Cultivate, grow stronger, and master the Dao! If you still cannot see the disparity after this battle, how will you take your revenge hereafter? When has the Silver Moon martial arts world ever been butchered by outsiders like this?” At those words, the battered Northern Fist gritted his teeth and let out a low roar: “Grow stronger!” In this battle, Southern Fist had died, and his martial uncle had died as well; of their fist lineage, only he remained. He would have died too, but Yao Si had suddenly charged into the fray. That former head of the Night Patrollers had also been skilled in fist arts, and in the end, it was Yao Si who fell while Northern Fist survived. Perhaps in Yao Si’s eyes, Northern Fist had the greatest talent in fist arts, and with Southern Fist dead, Northern Fist was the one who had to be preserved. At that moment, blazing fire ignited in everyone’s eyes! One after another, they opened Dao meridians outside the thirty-six-meridian system. That predatory, ravenous look in their eyes filled Empress Dowager Shuiyun with terror. These people... were like burning gunpowder. A single spark would ignite a conflagration across the entire world. Ahead of them, Li Hao walked with his back turned, striding step by step toward the central City Lord’s Manor. He did not look back, nor did he turn around, nor did he hold a memorial for anyone, because in his eyes, none of them were dead. Those who would die were the ones he had yet to track down. Silver Moon did not belong to them; it belonged to us. The peace forged with our lives and our blood would not be stolen by anyone! Behind him, everyone followed in complete silence. The colossal ancient city was as dead and quiet as a tomb. *** At this moment, dawn had arrived, the blood rain had ceased, and clear skies returned. Yet countless people were left bewildered. Why... was the ground dyed red? And at this very moment. At the far edge of the eastern continent. Dahuang. The Lord of Dahuang felt utterly lost, staring into the distance, his mind wandering. Last night, blood rain had fallen, staining the earth red. The weak were ignorant, but he knew that heaven and earth had changed. Disaster had struck the Divine Kingdom, and gods... had fallen one after another. Who had killed them? Li Hao? Tomorrow was the Five-Party Conference, yet he felt uneasy and fearful. Could the conference truly proceed? With communications severed, he couldn't receive the slightest shred of news. Dahuang had become like a cage, trapping them within. *** On this day, the other ancient cities were similarly shaken. Boundless City had undergone a bizarre transformation, ravenously swallowing the energy of heaven and earth as if deliberately obstructing the resurgence. Why... was it doing this? Without a resurgence, they could absorb no energy, and trouble would arise sooner or later. Of course, a resurgence was not entirely a good thing either, but the eight ancient cities had previously shared an unspoken consensus, drawing energy in a balanced, measured manner. Draining the pond to catch the fish like this made no sense! Only Battle Heaven City vaguely guessed at something, yet the entire city remained silent, with no one speaking a word. Was the Zheng family... truly a traitor? And... had Li Hao’s side won, or lost? The deaths of the gods might not have been Li Hao’s doing; it could well have been the Red Moon faction. With all communications cut off, everyone was left completely at sea.