Star Suppressing City Ruins

The Bright Star Realm. Innumerable stars hung suspended in the cosmos, drifting through starry space. By now, they had begun to cluster in structured formations. Compared to before, Li Hao had grown significantly stronger once again. Within the Five Elements sector, five figures stood upright. They were Liu Yan, Hong Qing, Mu Lin, Wang Ming, and Hao Lianchuan. At this moment, their auras were extraordinarily formidable, far exceeding what they had been in the past. Li Hao's voice echoed beside their ears: "Wang Ming shall command the Metal Dao; Minister Hao, the Fire Dao; Mu Lin, the Earth Dao. Hong Qing and Liu Yan, neither of you have pronounced divine abilities, leaving the Wood and Water Daos..." Liu Yan spoke up, "The Boss used to wield Water divine abilities, so I can oversee the Water Dao!" Hearing that, Hong Qing chimed in, "My father named me Qing—verdant. I have an affinity with the Wood element, so I can take charge of the Wood Dao!" Since neither had any objections and had made their choices, Li Hao did not waste words. He continued, "Wait for me. I will forcibly merge the divine characters into your Dao meridians... These five divine characters are immensely powerful! "They carry not only my power, but also my teacher's. The Five Elements divine abilities are the most fundamental of all abilities, yet they are also the most powerful... "For you, this will undoubtedly be difficult... Merge them if you can; if not, let it go!" The Five Elements divine abilities were the merged culmination of his and Yuan Shuo's Five Animals Secret Art. In the final hour, they had even relied on this to slay a Saint! Li Hao continued, "If you successfully merge the Five Elements divine abilities, then going forward... once you open your meridians, all your strength will flow into the Great Dao under your control. That way, even if you command only a single Dao, you will never be halted here. We have not developed our Dao meridians to their true limit! "Next, the five thousand soldiers of the Demon Hunt Guard Army will be divided into five divisions: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Each division will cultivate the power of one Dao. In the future, the five thousand Demon Hunt guards will become Heavenly Star's fiercest military force!" Nearly all five thousand men had been meticulously selected, almost every one of them at the Thousand-Battler or Mountain-Sea realm. Such a force of five thousand was not a whit weaker than the genuine great legions of the ancient past. Li Hao lacked the time and energy to cultivate hundreds of thousands or millions of elite troops. However, he could easily afford the cultivation resources for five thousand men. Furthermore, many among these five thousand had comprehended force. According to Li Hao, the people of this era were naturally endowed Dao bodies, and their future accomplishments would certainly not be modest. He spoke no further. Instead, the five divine characters transformed into five great stars, hovering before the five individuals. Li Hao's tone grew grave. "Step onto your respective stars and merge them into your Five Elements Dao meridians. This is an arduous ordeal. If you fail, it simply means you lack the fortune and destiny for it... and you will have to give it up." Their expressions turned solemn. Commanding the power of a Great Dao was by no means simple. Just then, Liu Yan asked, "If we succeed and take command of a Dao, how far can our strength rise?" "All of you are currently at the Mountain-Sea realm. Once you succeed... you will reach the Sun-Moon realm at the very least!" Their hearts leaped. Among the five of them, the strongest was currently only at the fourth tier of Mountain-Sea, while the weakest was at the first tier. Breaking through to Sun-Moon was ordinarily as difficult as scaling heaven. Yet success meant an immediate leap into Sun-Moon. This... was an overwhelming temptation. Li Hao continued, "Moreover, once the Demon Hunt Martial Guard Army forms a battle array, a thousand-man formation will be enough to elevate you to the mid-stage of Sun-Moon! And when the Five Elements unite with the power of five thousand men, you might even cross into the late-stage of Sun-Moon!" Five thousand men combining into a complete battle array to produce the combat power of a late-stage Sun-Moon. Their faces flushed with excitement. This was simply too powerful! Yet Li Hao said softly, "Even a late-stage Sun-Moon will struggle against a Saint. In other words, even if you truly succeed and can sweep aside the Immortal Realm, you will most likely still lose if you encounter a Saint! There is no need to think yourselves invincible. In this world, Saints are no longer rare." None of them paid that any mind; they remained thrilled. Soon, all five flew onto their designated great stars. Seeing this, Li Hao said no more. These people had followed him all the way from Silver City, all the way from Silver Moon. Having lost so many companions, he refused to lose them as well. As for himself, his primary focus was opening all 360 Dao meridians. Relinquishing the Five Elements Dao meridians was of no great consequence. In that case... making them stronger naturally took priority. Li Hao quickly unleashed the power of the Five Elements. In an instant, screams of agony tore from their throats. Hao Lianchuan felt as though he had been plunged into a sea of fire, burning alive. Liu Yan felt frozen solid, frost encasing her entire body. Wang Ming screamed even more piercingly, as if ten thousand arrows were piercing his heart simultaneously... Lacking sufficient cultivation, how could they easily endure the Five Elements Dao meridians forged jointly by Li Hao and Yuan Shuo? At that moment, Li Hao hurled forth massive quantities of Spring of Life and copious Immortal power, surging it into them to repair their physical bodies. Though their physical Dao meridians had been opened, they were still far from adequate. Shrieks echoed without pause! Li Hao could only watch in silence. External wounds could be mended, but he could not prevent their agony. Whether they could endure it was something even he did not know. Perhaps they could, perhaps they could not; it all depended on their own destiny. If they could not bear it, they would simply have to give up. "Ah!" Agonized shrieks reverberated continuously through the empty universe. Li Hao stopped watching them and resumed sorting out the Great Dao. All around him, stars were being hauled into place. Ever since he had slain so many deities and cleared away their Dao stars, controlling this space had become far easier. Not only that, but because the power of the Red Moon had stimulated the Great Dao, the energy of the Dao was exceptionally rich here. Some stars even drifted over of their own accord. For now, Li Hao had no other pursuits: sorting out the Dao was one goal, opening the basic thirty-six meridians was another, and following that was initiating a second cycle for his Sword Dao divine ability. To open all 360 Dao meridians required unblocking 3,600 apertures. For Li Hao at present, that remained quite difficult. He could only open them minor cycle by minor cycle. Time trickled past. One day, two days... The screams never ceased. They came not from Li Hao, but from the five over there. Even Liu Yan, who had always possessed immense endurance, shrieked without end as the two days dragged on. Yet none of the five gave up. They were remarkably resilient! Li Hao continued to organize the Daos, hauling stars into position one by one. In addition, he paid special attention to constructing the realm of his Sword Dao divine ability. Near the Sword Dao divine ability, stars were sparse. This domain had been carved out independently from the non-elemental region. At this moment, a faint human silhouette flickered into view, though it remained indistinct. Li Hao's Sword Dao divine ability was still not entirely clear either. Even so, sword intent surged wildly through this sector. Li Hao fell into deep contemplation. The Starry Sky Sword had shattered. It was the personal sword of the Sword Venerable, an artifact not easily destroyed, yet Li Hao had ultimately forced it to self-detonate using his bloodline power. Now, several fragments materialized in his palm. They were the shards left behind after the Starry Sky Sword's explosion. They looked extraordinarily dim. Gazing at the fragments, Li Hao pondered for a while. Now that he had lost the Starry Sky Sword, could he reforge it? Lacking a handy weapon... was undeniably detrimental to his combat prowess. Moreover, the Starry Sky Sword had accompanied him for years and saved his life on countless occasions. If he could reforge it, perhaps... it would also serve as a keepsake. He looked toward the Sword Dao region, hesitated briefly, and tossed the fragments inside, letting them fall onto the largest star—the core domain formed by his Sword Dao divine ability. As his Sword Dao divine ability grew stronger, perhaps the Starry Sky Sword might one day recover. As for forging it anew, Li Hao lacked the skill. It had been crafted by the Human King of old. Knowing nothing of weaponsmithing, any reckless attempt of his might simply ruin the fragments. *** Time slipped away. In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed in the outside world. Over these ten days, the entire world had been eerily quiet—a quietness that applied to supreme experts. To the common folk of Heavenly Star, however, these ten days had been a dazzling whirlwind. Martial arts academies everywhere swiftly began enrollment and commenced operations. Spring plowing resumed, and vast quantities of divine sacred rice were distributed in every direction. Demon plant clones began appearing in several martial arts academies, drawing energy from all sides to establish cultivation sanctuaries. Not only that, but unrest stirred across the four surrounding continents. Although Li Hao's faction was immensely powerful, some individuals still refused to yield their authority. Consequently, what met them now was a thunderous crackdown! The armies were being downsized, yet those who remained were the genuine elites. A host of Thousand-Battler martial masters, accompanied by hordes of Mountain-Sea masters, swept across every region. Hegemons who had once seemed untouchable were reduced to trembling cowards. *** On the twelfth day of Li Hao's disappearance. Heavenly Star City. The Governor-General's Office. The current Governor-General of Heavenly Star was Lin Hongyu. At this moment, the Bright Sword, who still served as the Eastern Commander, stood before her, reeking of bloodlust. She said in a deep voice, "For some unknown reason, the Xu family of the Eastern Continent suddenly saw an explosive surge in strength. Although we easily secured the other regions of the Eastern Continent, the Xu family continues to resist tenaciously!" Right now, everyone in the Governor-General's Office seemed brimming with murderous intent. Lin Hongyu frowned. "With your strength, you still couldn't bring down the Xu family?" The Xu family of the Duke of Dingguo's estate barely had any notable figures left. Both the current and former family heads had already been slain. Those who remained were mere deadweight. The Bright Sword had now reached the peak of the third tier of Sun-Moon. While she might not compare to the top echelon, in this current era, outside of Li Hao's faction and a few kings, she could hold her own even against someone like Jiang Li. Under such circumstances, she still could not suppress the Xu family? What a joke! Furthermore, the Eastern Commander commanded a force of a hundred thousand, with a singular mission: execute anyone who resisted tenaciously. With an army of a hundred thousand, including at least ten thousand Thousand-Battlers, that strength was more than enough to flatten any faction! The Bright Sword said grimly, "The current head of the Xu family is Xu Qing's younger brother, Xu Huan. Originally, he was just a Rising Light supernatural, utterly weak. Along with the two surviving generals of Heaven and Earth, they only had three peak Rising Light experts, on par with the peak Thousand-Battler realm today..." Such strength could be considered negligible. Lin Hongyu's frown deepened. If that were the case, sweeping away the Xu family should have been effortless. The Eastern Continent directly faced the Great Desolation. Now that Li Hao had stepped back from these administrative matters, she, as the former city master of the City of Supernaturals and not one of Li Hao's original confidants, had been appointed Governor-General of Heavenly Star. Whether she handled this properly mattered immensely. She had assumed that purging the rebels across the four continents would be simple and straightforward. Who would have guessed that trouble would erupt in the east? Lin Hongyu demanded in a heavy tone, "Tell me the specifics." The Bright Sword felt somewhat stifled and helpless. "Originally, the major factions in the Huoming Province of the Eastern Continent were all very cooperative. Only the Xu family remained silent. I secured the other territories first and prepared to deliver a thunderous strike against the Xu family. But just as I entered their territory, trouble arose! "For reasons unknown, that Xu Huan experienced an explosion of strength, becoming even stronger than me! I exchanged several moves with him, only to be suppressed directly by a divine character he summoned... Fortunately, Director Zhao was replacing local officials nearby and rushed over in time to help drive Xu Huan back. But then the Generals of Heaven and Earth showed up, and both possessed combat strength around the mid-stage of Sun-Moon." Lin Hongyu was stunned. The Bright Sword had sent back some brief messages earlier, but they had been vague. Hearing mention of a divine character now left her bewildered. How could it be a divine character? Divine characters were the Marquis's unique creation! Reaching a sudden realization, Lin Hongyu frowned. "A divine character? Are you certain? The origin of the Marquis's divine characters lies in the supreme secret arts of Star Suppressing City. Could you have mistaken a Star Suppressing City art for a divine character?" The Bright Sword froze, silent for a moment before replying, "It's possible... The Xu family did claim earlier that the ruins in their possession belong to Star Suppressing City. But... Director Wang and the others stated clearly that Star Suppressing City was a martial holy land of the ancient civilization! Multiple Sovereigns emerged from there, and they never established any branch here in the Silver Moon land. "Jiang Yingli and the others hail from Star Suppressing City. Among the eight great primary cities, the Liu, Zhou, and Zheng families all originated from Star Suppressing City as well..." Xu Qing's two sons, Xu Zhen and Xu Xing, had rather peculiar names that combined to mean 'Suppressing the Stars'. Later, however, everyone concluded that the Xu family was merely flattering themselves. Star Suppressing City? An utter impossibility. Yet now, after thinking it over, the Bright Sword grew uncertain. "Could it... truly be that holy land? But that holy land was in the primary world. How could it appear in Silver Moon?" The Xu family members had suddenly grown so powerful. There had to be something peculiar behind this. Ordinary ruins could not easily manufacture mid-stage Sun-Moon experts. One had to realize that among many ruins, the surviving masters might not even possess mid-stage Sun-Moon combat strength—which represented the threshold of the Immortal Realm! Though the guardian demon plants in many ruins were also Immortals, not all had fully recovered by now, let alone possessed the means to manufacture several mid-stage Sun-Moon combatants. Lin Hongyu's eyes flickered. "Whether it is or not, their massive leap in strength is undeniable, and it is tied to the legendary ruins of Star Suppressing City. In that case... it is worth investigating! If we can claim it, it might provide tremendous assistance." The Bright Sword hesitated slightly. "Since the ruins could produce several mid-stage Sun-Moon combatants for the Xu family, my main concern is that a Saint might dwell within! Otherwise, I could take them down even with a frontal assault!" She looked at Lin Hongyu. "The Marquis entered seclusion only because he knew there were no severe threats looming. If we suffer heavy casualties against the Xu family... I worry he will be displeased upon emerging." She added, "Moreover, Star Suppressing City... whether genuine or a branch, is linked to Jiang Yingli and the others. We can ignore the others, but moving against Star Suppressing City might require the Marquis's awareness." Lin Hongyu took note of this and nodded. "True!" If they could conquer it smoothly, well and good. But if they suffered devastating losses and an actual Saint emerged, no one besides Li Hao could handle it. Even though Director Zhao had reached the sixth tier of Sun-Moon and was pushing toward the seventh, could a seventh-tier Sun-Moon rival a Saint? Furthermore, the implications of Star Suppressing City were simply too vast... After considering the matter, she nodded. "Then let us do this: capture the Xu family first. The figures inside the ruins cannot emerge right now, and even if they do, their power will be limited. First, blockade the ruins and await the Marquis's emergence before making a final decision!" "Understood!" The Bright Sword nodded. Lin Hongyu pondered briefly, then said, "Have Heaven Sword and Tyrant Saber temporarily put aside their duties to accompany you. If that is still not enough, have Empress Dowager Qiao accompany you as well!" The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office was currently well-staffed with fierce warriors; it lacked no experts. Other regions had virtually surrendered at the mere sight of their banners! Who dared disobey them now? Since the Xu family was seeking death, then deploy experts to suppress them! *** Dingbian Province. The Xu family. The Marquess of Dingguo Mansion. By now, almost the entirety of the Eastern Continent had fallen, with only Dingbian, controlled by the Xu family, still in their hands. Inside the mansion. The family head, Xu Huan, wore an unsightly expression. He had thought that this gamble had yielded immense advancement, allowing him to emerge from seclusion not to conquer the world, but at least to stand without an equal in the Eastern Continent! Yet, leaving aside the Great Desolation which had not made a move, Li Hao himself had not even shown up. Merely his former estate steward, the Bright Sword, had forced Xu Huan to take the field personally. Not only that, but when he planned to have the Generals of Heaven and Earth join the fray, a man named Zhao Shuguang had suddenly appeared. Even with the three of them joining forces, one of them had nearly been slain! Though the enemy had eventually pulled back, all three Xu combatants had suffered severe injuries. This left Xu Huan thoroughly depressed! One could only say the world had changed too fast. They had remained inside the ruins for too long and missed far too much news. When they finally came out, communication networks had collapsed, and transmissions could not be sent. Even now, they remained ignorant of the true situation, possessing only scattered hearsay. Inside the residence, people whispered anxiously among themselves, filled with dread. Originally, Xu Huan and the others had emerged brimming with high hopes. Yet now... After a period of silence, Xu Huan spoke: "Back inside the ruins, that venerable master told us that our current strength would not be considered weak even in the Neo-Martial era, and in an era without the source, we could even fight an Immortal! "Even under Li Hao's system, we are at the mid-stage of Sun-Moon. "With such strength... forget Li Hao, we could barely overcome the Bright Sword. And when that Zhao Shuguang struck, he was even stronger than us. Terrifyingly so..." Sighing, Xu Huan continued, "I've thought it over. It hasn't been long since we entered the ruins; heaven simply refused to stand with us... Under these circumstances, our best course of action is to reenter the ruins." At these words, the others turned pale. They had originally possessed combat power barely approaching divine abilities at the Rising Light realm, yet they had suddenly attained mid-stage Sun-Moon power. One could only imagine what an agonizing price they had paid. Many had entered the ruins that day, but in the end, only the three of them had walked out alive. The others had not been executed by the entity within the ruins. Rather... they had been unable to endure the sudden inflation of power and exploded on their own. Moreover, the three had emerged tasked with specific missions. Yet now... not only were their missions unfulfilled, but they had run into immediate disaster upon stepping outside. Hearing that they had to return, the General of Heaven said gravely, "My Lord, we have accomplished nothing. We have just left the ruins; returning now... would hardly be wise! That lord warned us previously not to disturb him without good reason. If we return now, before we even fall to Li Hao's hands, we might..." Xu Huan felt utterly helpless. "Then tell me, what should we do?" Everyone fell silent. What to do? They had no idea either. "Then... could we negotiate with Li Hao?" The General of Earth asked tentatively, "Li Hao had conflicts with our Xu family in the past, but he didn't pursue them later. This time, Li Hao hasn't appeared in person either. The Duke's estate possesses considerable combat strength now; perhaps Li Hao would be willing to negotiate." "Negotiate?" Xu Huan fell into deep thought. After a long while, he nodded. "True. We wield powerful combat strength now. Though they are not weak, the Great Desolation is lurking nearby, watching greedily. I have already sent scouts; word is that the princess of the Great Desolation is leading a massive host of elite cavalry, roaming along the fringes of the Eastern Continent! Going to war with our Xu family poses a threat to them as well..." Even as he spoke, a sudden rumble tore through the sky! Thunderous roars shook the heavens and the earth. The entire Duke's estate violently shuddered. Xu Huan's expression shifted drastically! In the next instant, the three flew out just as a deafening blast tore the Duke's estate to pieces, shattering it completely. Countless servants were obliterated on the spot! Xu Huan's face warped in horror. Suddenly, a divine character manifested over his body—or rather, not a divine character, but the Battle Character Art of Star Suppressing City! A glowing character surged forth, suppressing heaven and earth! At that very moment, silhouettes flickered across the void. The Bright Sword reappeared. Beside her stood Director Zhao. In truth, with his strength, he could have handled these foes alone, but Director Zhao had worried about provoking a desperate counterattack that might allow one to escape, or drawing out the formidable entity who had empowered them. Even if that entity's true body could not emerge, vigilance was necessary. As the two appeared, Heaven Sword and Tyrant Saber emerged from the other two directions. Xu Huan's expression fluctuated wildly as he called out in a deep voice, "What is the meaning of this? We were just discussing a resolution! Opposing the Governor-General's Office was never our intention. Perhaps there is another way for us to reach an agreement..." The newcomers stared at him coldly. The Bright Sword wore an icy expression. "I will ask you once, and only once: do you surrender or not?" Xu Huan was infuriated! Suppressing his temper, he said, "We are no weaklings! If it comes to a fight, it's anyone's guess who lives and who dies. When Li Hao unified the realm, he didn't execute everyone! Does it have to be unconditional surrender? We can sit down and talk—" "Kill them!" As the Eastern Commander, the Bright Sword held absolute authority. In an instant, she struck. In the past, they might have inquired whether to negotiate with the Xu family. Now, however... Li Hao had issued a standing order: anyone who defied them was to be executed without mercy! Since Heaven Sword and Tyrant Saber were here, why bother with empty words? Among the four, Director Zhao was nearing the seventh tier, and Heaven Sword was approaching the fifth tier. Tyrant Saber and the Bright Sword were slightly weaker, at the peak of the third tier, yet both approached the fourth tier as well. All four had battled Neo-Martial experts. The moment battle erupted, an agonizing scream shook the heavens. Heaven Sword fought with a ferocity far surpassing his former self. With a single strike, sword qi pierced the firmament. With a resounding crack, the void shattered, severing the General of Heaven's arm. He declared chillingly, "You dare call yourself the General of Heaven?" The General of Heaven turned deathly pale. Just as he tried to flee, another sword slash arrived! This strike was even more devastating than the first. Both were at the fourth tier of Sun-Moon, and while Heaven Sword might have been slightly stronger, it was not enough for total suppression. Yet their spirit and will were entirely different. Heaven Sword's strike no longer carried the majestic breadth of the past, but it brimmed with world-shaking bloodlust! A single sword blow pinned his opponent down; a follow-up slash cracked through, severing both of the man's legs cleanly! To the other side, Tyrant Saber and the Bright Sword assaulted the General of Earth together. The General of Earth turned white with terror. He was individually stronger than either of them, but under their coordinated assault, he stood completely outmatched, his life hanging by a thread! Xu Huan fared even worse. Director Zhao kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, yet remained peerlessly formidable. The Eight Directions Seal crashed down with a thunderous roar, battering Xu Huan until he vomited blood incessantly! Only at this moment did the three realize the sheer disparity between them. Just as Xu Huan tried to speak, a miserable shriek rang out. With a thunderous boom, Heaven Sword cleanly severed the General of Heaven's head. Frowning slightly, Heaven Sword snorted, "Bizarre!" Though he had smashed the head to pieces and the man appeared dead, it felt as though he had not been completely killed! The next instant proved his suspicion. A phantom figure coalesced. Heaven Sword paused, his brow lifting slightly. "Spiritual power? We Silver Moon martial artists do not specialize in spiritual power. How strange—this resembles the Neo-Martial method of cultivation. Were you transformed like Zhou Chuan?" Director Zhou's body had been inverted, converting him into a Neo-Martial cultivator, but word was that a supreme expert had exhausted all his strength just to succeed, and Zhou Chuan had not been as strong as these men. If these individuals had also been forcibly converted, how terrifying was the expert who transformed them? As the General of Heaven's spiritual phantom emerged, Xu Huan screamed frantically, "You cannot kill us! Behind us stands a supreme expert—" Crack! Before he could finish, Heaven Sword's blade tore through the firmament, shattering the General of Heaven's spiritual power into dust! He let out a cold snort! What supreme expert? In the past, they might have worried about offending the Neo-Martial people, but who cared now? Though Southern Fist was dead and no one brought it up anymore, a knot of fury remained lodged in everyone's chest. They felt that had Zhang An stepped in, things would never have ended that way. And Zhang An's ability to walk freely, even reviving his students, was entirely due to Li Hao's help. Yet Zhang An had shown not an ounce of gratitude! Toward these Neo-Martial survivors, apart from Director Wang and those in Battle Heaven City, everyone harbored intense hostility! Heaven Sword paid no heed to threats, slaying the General of Heaven on the spot. Nearby, the Bright Sword and Tyrant Saber let out simultaneous roars. Saber and sword combined in a thunderous detonation, tearing the General of Earth to pieces. The moment his spiritual power manifested, the two shredded it instantly! Xu Huan's face twisted in sheer terror! These people were completely different from what he had imagined. There was no holding back, no hesitation, and no intention to absorb them into their ranks. Without even discussing terms, they had slain two of them immediately! Before he could process the thought, a resounding boom exploded as Director Zhao's seal cracked his physical body. Director Zhao frowned slightly. "Nothing? Then die!" At that exact moment, the winds howled and clouds churned. A faint wisp of spiritual power seeped from Xu Huan's body, illusory at first before rapidly swelling in strength, faintly outlining a human figure. The moment the phantom appeared, Director Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. "It came out after all. It seems you had plans of your own!" Just as the phantom opened its mouth to speak, Director Zhao slammed the seal down with an earth-shattering boom! This blow shattered heaven and earth! The phantom let out a cold sneer: "The Eight Directions Seal? What insolence—" Boom! Heaven Sword charged in! The Eight Directions Seal crashed down! Deafening detonations rang out in rapid succession. In the blink of an eye, the phantom was battered into pieces. Director Zhao chuckled softly. "The Marquis has ordered: anyone who resists, anyone who opposes us, shall be executed without mercy! "It seems you are not weak. In the past, we might have talked, but now... by manipulating the Xu family to oppose our Heavenly Star and splinter our realm, you have committed a capital offense!" With those words, the Eight Directions Seal erupted once more. Before the figure could utter another word, it was blown to smithereens. Director Zhao reached out and hauled the mangled Xu Huan into his grip. By now, Xu Huan was terrified out of his wits. He had never imagined that a strand of that expert's spiritual power had been concealed inside his body, nor that Zhao Shuguang and the others would pulverize it without hesitation. "Who was he?" Director Zhao demanded. Xu Huan's face was deathly white. "I... I don't know... An ancient expert... from Star Suppressing City..." "How did you reach this level?" "We... we were modified by him..." "Did he give you any instructions?" Xu Huan's expression flickered. Just as he tried to bargain, a sharp crack sounded, and both of his arms vanished instantly, following his severed legs. He was completely engulfed in sheer terror. He was neither his brother nor his father; they had been cunning old foxes. He was merely a sheltered heir! Under overwhelming terror, he stammered frantically, "Yes... yes... He told us to search... search for the inheritance left behind by Star Suppressing City once we got out... It's said that among the eight ancient cities, three are descendants of Star Suppressing City..." Director Zhao frowned slightly. "What else?" "No... nothing else... Only that once we found any of those three families... we were to say... to say..." "Say what?" Director Zhao's brow tightened. Xu Huan looked tormented and agonized as sudden flames erupted over his body, burning him from within. Director Zhao's expression shifted, and he barked coldly, "The outside world is not your domain!" Boom! The secondary mirror of the Records of Wind and Cloud levitated into the air, isolating heaven and earth. A crisp snap sounded, as if some invisible tether had snapped. By now, Xu Huan was drawing his last breath. Director Zhao frowned. "He actually placed a restriction on you. I have isolated it now. Speak, what else?" "He... he said..." Only sheer dread remained in Xu Huan's eyes. Terrified to his core, he stammered, "When we saw anyone from those three cities, tell them that he discovered it, and have them come find him!" "Discovered what?" "I... I don't know..." Director Zhao scowled deeply. Useless trash! "Is that all?" "That's... that's all..." Before he could finish, Director Zhao retracted the mirror. Xu Huan shrieked as his body detonated, blowing apart into ashes. Director Zhao shook his head. "He was probably telling the truth; that's all there was. Such useless trash is pointless to keep. The Marquis wouldn't care to see anyone from the Xu family anyway; killing him settles it. This matter must be reported to the Marquis! The ruins of Star Suppressing City may be connected to the three ancient cities, or perhaps to the traitors!" This matter was no longer something they could resolve on their own. Director Zhao added, "I will lead men immediately to blockade the Xu family's ruins. They must be nearby, and someone in the Xu family is bound to know the location! Additionally, the Great Desolation has been acting unusually of late. If the Marquis can come, that would be ideal; if he cannot... we will have to halt operations elsewhere and redeploy troops to the east. If push comes to shove, we will suppress the Great Desolation directly!" The others nodded. Compared to before, all of them had developed an unyielding edge. In the past, they would never have wiped out the Xu family so decisively. *** Word was quickly sent back. Before long, the message reached Silver Moon Province. With Director Zhao away, the Jade Light Sword oversaw the north. The Martial Guard Army base. The Jade Light Sword arrived in haste, but finding no trace of Li Hao, she furrowed her brow. She currently served as the Northern Commander, responsible for clearing rebels in the north. However, the prominent troublemakers had already been eliminated by Li Hao personally. Moreover, with Silver Moon right here, no one in the north dared cause unrest. Her post was quite peaceful. Yet that was not what she sought. Just as she hesitated over whether to wait, the void suddenly trembled. Heaven and earth seemed to split as six silhouettes emerged. Li Hao's depth was unfathomable. Yet the auras of the other five surged violently. The Jade Light Sword's expression shifted. These people... had all crossed into the Sun-Moon realm! How could it be so fast? Even she had only barely crossed the threshold into Sun-Moon. She had followed Yuan Shuo previously and reaped immense benefits, participating in every advancement except for the mission of the ten, yet she had still only just reached Sun-Moon. "Martial Aunt Wu." Li Hao smiled faintly, looking at Wu Hongshan. "What brings you here today?" He was relatively courteous toward Wu Hongshan. His teacher had constantly taken Wu Hongshan with him everywhere in the past; his intentions had been clear to all. Yet before anything could be formalized, his teacher was gone. Now, Li Hao could not speak of it openly. However, appointing Wu Hongshan as the Northern Commander signified a great deal. Wu Hongshan did not dwell on why the five had grown so powerful—it was likely tied to the Five Elements Dao meridians Li Hao had mentioned previously. She said hurriedly, "A message arrived from the east. Three mid-stage Sun-Moon combatants appeared in the Xu family. All were slain, but they are linked to the ruins of Star Suppressing City! "Furthermore, a formidable expert seems to reside within the ruins. Director Zhao suspects he might be connected to the Zheng family. His strength is formidable, having elevated three people directly to the fourth tier of Sun-Moon..." In the past, only Li Hao could have matched such strength. And there were three of them! Had the world not changed so rapidly, the Xu family might truly have staged a resurgence. Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "The Xu family... Star Suppressing City..." He had nearly forgotten the Xu family. As for Star Suppressing City, the Xu family head had mentioned it to him before. Back then, he knew nothing of it and paid it no mind. Later, when he learned the truth, he assumed it was mere nonsense. Star Suppressing City was a holy land that produced multiple Sovereigns. How could it possibly be here? Yet now, the Xu family had abruptly produced several mid-stage Sun-Moon combatants. Li Hao knew all too well how many benefits his own mid-stage Sun-Moon subordinates had consumed to reach that level. They had either absorbed vast amounts of Red Moon power or undergone personal modification by a Saint—and Di Yao had held nothing back during that modification. To produce three mid-stage Sun-Moon combatants... the entity inside the Star Suppressing City ruins was very likely a Saint, or perhaps even stronger! Li Hao frowned slightly. Soon, he spoke: "Tell them not to enter. Await my arrangements; I will handle this personally!" Connected to the Zheng family? A chill flickered through Li Hao's eyes, and he frowned again. Were the ruins of Star Suppressing City... connected to the genuine Star Suppressing City? The Jade Light Sword nodded. Seeing this, Li Hao said, "Martial Aunt, you have also crossed into Sun-Moon... You specialize in the Jade Light Sword Dao. The Sword Dao is arduous to cultivate; have you considered switching to..." "I will not consider it!" She refused flatly, leaving Li Hao with a wry, helpless smile. The Sword Dao was truly difficult to cultivate! Many cultivated the Sword Dao now, but its difficulty was staggering. Li Hao did not force the issue. He nodded. "Very well. Later, I will impart the method of the Sword Dao divine ability to you. Opening all 360 Dao meridians is extraordinarily difficult!" The Jade Light Sword hesitated, but said nothing in the end. She wanted to decline, but after second thoughts, she accepted. Li Hao said no more and turned to the five beside him. "Before we have dealt with the other ancient cities, Star Suppressing City has cropped up instead. That is fine as well... Take the Demon Hunt Martial Guard Army. Perhaps your first all-out battle will take place there. I, too, wish to see how formidable five Sun-Moons commanding the Five Elements alongside five thousand Thousand-Battlers and above can be!" At these words, all five grew excited. Li Hao merely smiled without elaborating. If the adversary proved too strong... these people should refrain from taking the field. At this stage, he could not bear losing any more of them. As for Star Suppressing City... The Zheng family! A sharp glint flashed through his eyes, and he thought of the Great Desolation bordering that region. Perhaps it truly was time to visit the Eastern Continent. As for Li Hao himself, having relinquished the Great Dao of the Five Elements, he had lost the power of five meridians, dropping slightly below his previous thirty-eight. Yet over these past days, organizing the Dao had not been without its rewards. At this moment, Li Hao had opened thirty-two of the thirty-six basic Dao meridians. Combined with the five meridians outside the Five Elements, he had opened thirty-seven meridians in total, barely weaker than before. If this Star Suppressing City was truly colluding with the Zheng family, he would inevitably have to take action. Without wasting words, Li Hao launched the warship into the sky, streaking straight toward the east. He had plans of his own: if the expert inside Star Suppressing City proved too formidable, he would not attack recklessly. Perhaps... he would summon Battle Heaven City! If Battle Heaven City was still unwilling to deploy troops this time, and the two Saints remained hindered by reservations, then going forward, he could leave Battle Heaven City out of his plans entirely. He had already proven that the Zheng family were traitors. It all depended on how the two Saints of Battle Heaven City chose to act, including the Ninth Division Commander. As for Zhang An, he no longer concerned himself with him. However, in the Heavenly Star Town ruins, a battered Heavenly King body remained. Perhaps... it could be put to use. If Zhang An would not use it, Li Hao would bring it out; if the Ninth Division Commander was willing, perhaps he could make use of it. Even if it was beaten into scrap, it could simply be recycled to revive the people of Battle Heaven City and Yuanping Martial Arts University.