Wisdom of the Demon Race

The North Sea. Li Fuhai was still fast asleep. It could not even be bothered to send out its avatar; apart from venturing out twice to meet Li Hao, it had remained in slumber the entire time. Until heaven and earth revived, going out offered nothing to do anyway. At that very moment, a massive golden bovine eye snapped open. In the next breath, the stars shifted and the world inverted; Li Fuhai vanished from the spot. When it reappeared, it stood before the gates of a mansion. Right before the entrance, what looked like a sea eye churned. A whirlpool swirled. Li Fuhai did not assume human form, remaining in the shape of an ox. Suspicion flickered in its eyes, and its voice soon rumbled like thunder: "Descendant of the Li family, have you come seeking me?" Outside the whirlpool... Li Hao's figure manifested. Li Hao's voice drifted through: "Junior has come specially to pay a visit. Forgive the intrusion, Senior!" "Is it not a delight to have friends coming from afar?" Li Fuhai quoted the classics. Soon, the whirlpool revolved, and Li Hao strode through the air with a bright smile. "Forgive my intrusion, Senior!" "Not at all. Your presence brings light to my humble abode!" This Demon Saint was exceptionally courteous. Eyeing Li Hao up and down, the bovine head nodded. "Not bad, not bad! You have the bearing of your ancestor! Sword Venerable awed the realm with peerless sword intent. Your sword intent is no slouch either. Sooner or later, your fame will shake heaven and earth. The name of the Demon Sword holds great promise for the future—you may not necessarily fall short of your ancestor, the Longevity Sword Venerable!" Li Hao smiled. This ox demon was quite amusing. Was this flattery? The creature was a Saint, after all! Previously, Li Hao had thought it was merely an Immortal, truly underestimating it. Looking closely at its dazzling golden body, Li Hao drew a slight breath. "Senior... your Saint physique seems entirely intact. This..." Had it not suffered from erosion and interference? Li Fuhai chuckled sonorously. "I am stationed here. Across the four seas, energy is naturally denser. Furthermore, this place is linked to the Taboo Sea. Once the Taboo Sea began reviving, energy poured in from there as well. The mineral veins in the seabed are richer in energy, and no one competes with me for them..." In other words, its combat power had remained at its peak all along. Li Hao was rather surprised! Li Fuhai was surprised as well. Why had Li Hao come here all of a sudden? They had interacted twice before. Though Li Hao had been polite enough, he had also been somewhat perfunctory. Why visit today? Li Hao actually felt a bit awkward. The two of them truly were not well acquainted. Just as he hesitated over how to broach the subject, Li Fuhai took the initiative: "Descendant of the Li family, Sword Venerable is absent today, but I am the Silver Moon Sea Suppressing Emissary, tasked with consolidating peace across this domain. Did you come here because something threatens heaven and earth?" "..." It had even laid down the steps for him to descend! Li Hao was genuinely astonished now. Since the demon was so direct and courteous, Li Hao hesitated no longer and spoke: "Senior Sea Suppressing Emissary, here is the matter: I have discovered someone who betrayed Neo-Martial back in the day..." "Deserves to die!" Before Li Hao could even finish, Li Fuhai cut in. "Is the opponent strong?" "Well... Heavenly King Realm..." "That presents some difficulty. I fear I am no match. Do you have reinforcements?" "Yes... Guardian Turtle and General Locust of Battle Heaven City, as well as Ninth Division Commander Li Daozong. The commander of the Reserve Guard Army has not yet fully revived..." "A Heavenly King?" Li Fuhai hesitated for an instant, then said, "Even a Heavenly King is nothing to fear. Even if the traitor retains peak combat power, without an origin source, their physical body might not match mine! We demon beasts possess peerless, indomitable physiques. However, those figures in Battle Heaven City... aside from Li Daozong, none excel at offense! They have defense in abundance, but lack striking power! Can you... match a Saint?" "I can!" Li Fuhai seemed a little surprised, yet not overly so. It quickly said, "Then that will do! You command Heavenly Will. Can you bring my true body out of the ruins?" "I can!" Li Hao nodded, still somewhat astonished. It... agreed just like that? He had only brought it up casually. No excessive preamble, no conditions negotiated... wasn't it being a bit too easy to talk to? This was the first time he had ever met an expert so agreeable. He even began to worry that something might be wrong with the creature! There was no helping it; none of the powerhouses he had encountered before had ever been this accommodating. It was truly baffling. Li Fuhai also realized it might have appeared overly eager. Swishing its tail, it quickly added, "Descendant of the Li family, I have one request. Would you agree?" "What is it, Senior? Please speak freely." Li Fuhai swayed its head from side to side. "If you take control of heaven and earth, become the lord of the world, and confer titles upon the demon race across the realm, could you preserve my position as the Silver Moon Sea Suppressing Emissary?" Li Hao stared blankly. What did that mean? Was this an investment, or a demand for future returns? Wait... with which eye did you see that I would take charge of heaven and earth? You barely even know me! He was utterly taken aback! Little did he know, this was the Li family tradition. Li Fuhai's earliest ancestor had been the mount of the Southern Emperor, one of the Nine Emperors during the Early Martial and Origin eras. In that era, the ox demon clan had attached itself to the Southern Emperor, becoming a hegemonic faction among the demon race. When the Neo-Martial era arrived, the Human King and the Supreme slaughtered countless defiant demons, yet the ox demon clan remained one of the overlords. Why? Because the second talent of their ox demon clan emerged: Li Wuqi, the Neo-Martial Sea Suppressing Emissary! And now came Li Fuhai. It had originally come here hoping to become the leader of the demon race in the Silver Moon lands, the third peerless demon prodigy of the Li family, and the demon leader of a new world and new era. Unfortunately... Sword Venerable had neither swallowed the world nor done anything else; the minor world remained just a minor world. Now, however, this minor world seemed different. It showed signs of becoming a major world! As an opportunist whose entire clan spent generations seeking breakthroughs and taking gambles, Li Fuhai had long prepared for how to stake its claim. Its ox demon clan was not like the locust trees—a bunch of fence-sitters swaying with the wind. The ox demon clan was renowned for its discernment! Every era produced heroes specific to that era. On this basis alone, it had ruled out anyone who was not a figure of the new era. And it understood this current era very well—far better than Li Hao imagined. In the world today, only a handful possessed the capability to vie for dominion over heaven and earth: Ying Hongyue, the King of Dali, Empress Dowager Shuiyun, the Lord of Dahuang, Zhao Shuguang, Li Hao... And Li Hao was surging ahead from behind! Looking at the situation now, he could even match a Saint. With such progress and speed, while spreading martial arts throughout the realm, if not opportunistically invest now, then when? It had actually been fretting over Li Hao's cold and detached attitude toward it! As for dealing with a Heavenly King... it was not as though it had to duel the enemy alone; they were attacking together. Speculation and gambling naturally required a price. Win and take all; lose, and that was that. It was executing its family ethos to the utmost! Their lineage had flourished from the dawn of creation down to the present day—that was no empty boast. In every era, the ox clan's Li family was unequivocally one of the hegemonic factions among demons. This standing had been fought for and secured step by step by countless ancestors. The opportunity was right before its eyes; why stand on ceremony? Yet Li Hao knew none of this! This was the first time he had ever faced such a situation. He was considered a hegemon now, and people had submitted to him before—such as Lin Hongyu. However, for an ancient expert from the Neo-Martial era to voluntarily defect to him, and a Saint at that... it actually frightened him a little. Could this creature... harbor ill intentions? A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. Li Hao said hesitantly, "Senior, the situation in heaven and earth right now is very complicated..." Li Fuhai was not worried in the slightest and spoke plainly: "When a world is reborn and an era begins anew, the old must perish so the new may rule! This is the will of heaven, and an inevitability of time. True geniuses, heroes, and hegemons would have already succeeded during these hundred thousand years of sealing! Old-timers who dragged their feet into the new era without accomplishing anything—not a single one of them can command the world! "To a hegemon, a lord of heaven and earth, a hundred thousand years—even with heaven and earth sealed, energy depleted, and falling into slumber—they would still seek survival from death! You must remember one thing: anyone who accomplished nothing in a hundred thousand years lacks the makings of a hegemon! They are merely dragging out their feeble existence. They can serve as soldiers or generals, but never as masters!" This was the very first time Li Hao had ever heard such a doctrine, and it felt as though daylight had suddenly broken through! He looked at Li Fuhai with a strange expression. A Demon Saint was standing here telling him that figures from the old era who failed to turn the tables in a hundred thousand years were all useless trash. That... even included the ox itself! This discourse was completely different from anything Li Hao usually heard. Everyone else spoke of how mighty Neo-Martial had been; no one ever called them useless or incompetent. For a moment, Li Hao had no idea what to say. Seeing this, Li Fuhai continued, "Descendant of the Li family... or should I call you Commander Li. As a hegemon and hero of the new era, you need to remember only one thing: those who accomplished nothing in a hundred thousand years are not worth your worry! When the boat reaches the bridge, it straightens out naturally. Back then, the Human King rose in three years, becoming invincible throughout heaven and earth! In the era of the Nine Emperors and Four Sovereigns, the Heavenly Emperor was likewise invincible all the way, rising swiftly to become the overlord of the realm! "My Li family has surveyed ancient and modern history. Anyone who achieves grand hegemony must satisfy one condition: it must be done in a short time! If it takes too long, one's spirit and vitality will have long been worn away. The old cannot match the new! Old-timers have rigid mindsets; they pride themselves on scheming and calculating, yet in truth, they have lost both courage and spirit, devoid of a hegemon's bearing!" Li Hao listened, feeling in a daze. These words came from a Saint-level Great Demon of the Neo-Martial era, the former leader of the demons across Silver Moon's four seas—perhaps even the leader of all demons in Silver Moon. In this era, this demon's status was perhaps second only to Zhang An! Among the city lords of the eight ancient main cities, excluding Sword City, the lords of the other seven might not hold higher status than this creature. Feeling somewhat bewildered, Li Hao could not help asking, "Senior... the Neo-Martial Sea Suppressing Emissary and you..." "That's my grandfather!" A direct descendant of a Sovereign! The grandson of the Neo-Martial Sea Suppressing Emissary! This was a genuine, pure-blooded direct descendant. People like Jiang Yingli were somewhat further removed; they were not third-generation descendants, but separated by many generations, even if they were still direct line. This demon, just like Zhang An, was a direct third-generation descendant of a Sovereign! Of course, the Sea Suppressing Emissary's status was lower than that of Supreme Zhang. Seeing Li Hao still pondering, Li Fuhai added, "My Li family has quite a few Sovereigns! My grandfather, the Neo-Martial Sea Suppressing Emissary, was a Sovereign expert! And my ancestor, fellow Daoist of the Southern Emperor, Ancestor Shui Li, also attained the Sovereign Realm! The Southern Emperor had close ties with my ancestor and was a Sovereign as well—a veteran Sovereign at that... My Li family's glory is unprecedented. I, Li Fuhai, possess deep family heritage. Having surveyed antiquity and modernity, the words I speak cannot be wrong!" Li Hao gasped. "You... all Sovereigns?" Wasn't becoming a Sovereign supposed to be extremely difficult? Your family had that many? Though there were only two, counting the Southern Emperor—one of the ancient Nine Emperors who had close ties—that made three! A proud expression appeared on the ox's face. "In the Neo-Martial era, two seniors of my Li family campaigned across the realm for the Human King! When merit was rewarded afterward, my Li family naturally received an extra share of glory. Even the Demon Suppressing Emissary..." At this point, it paused, then murmured, "Actually... the Demon Suppressing Emissary wasn't as strong as my grandfather. Publicly, he was proclaimed a Sovereign, but in reality... cough, cough... he was in the Half-Sovereign realm!" The Demon Suppressing Emissary wasn't actually a Sovereign? Li Hao almost wanted to gossip about it! On second thought, he let it go. Now Li Hao's interest was thoroughly piqued, and a smile broke out. "So what the Sea Suppressing Emissary means is that you are willing to leave seclusion and lend me a hand, and once heaven and earth belong to me, I only need to preserve your title as Sea Suppressing Emissary?" "Exactly!" Li Fuhai could not have been more forthright! Bestowing favors without expecting immediate repayment! Of course, that was to reap a far greater reward later. Generations of the Li family had served the mighty. The first ancestor, Shui Li, had been the Southern Emperor's mount. The second ancestor to carry forward their glory, Li Wuqi, had served as mount to the Human King—the Human King had disdained the mixed-blood Heavenly Dog, the Demon Suppressing Emissary, whose body had too many scales, finding riding an ox demon far more comfortable. A third generation had yet to emerge. Li Fuhai thought: if I don't serve as a mount, could I still secure a bright future? As for Locust King, that Sovereign frequently cited in opportunist circles, Li Fuhai held only contempt for him. What kind of opportunism was it when the whole world knew you were an opportunist? His reputation was completely ruined! Look at the ox clan's Li family: from the splitting of heaven and earth down to the present day, no one had ever spoken ill of them. Everyone called the Li family honest and simple! If Li Hao succeeded, would anyone in the world call Li Fuhai an opportunist? Not at all! They would only say Li Fuhai possessed keen insight. With the dignity of a Saint, it had agreed to everything on the spot without raising demands. If not for fear of scaring Li Hao, it would not even have mentioned keeping the Sea Suppressing Emissary title. As a hegemon rewarding merit after victory, could Li Hao possibly overlook it? Meeting a strong foe was a good thing! The stronger, the better! A Heavenly King was magnificent. If the enemy were merely a Saint, Li Hao could handle it alone—why would he need help? Only against a Heavenly King was assistance required. The more tragic the battle, the better... provided its life was not forfeit, of course! The more bitter the fight, the more it would prove how crucial its alignment was, and how heavy a price it had paid! Moreover, Li Hao seemed to have a dog by his side! A descendant of the Demon Suppressing Emissary separated by countless generations of mixed blood! It despised that lineage. That line had also enjoyed unbroken glory: the first ancestor was a Heavenly Dog born of heaven and earth, illustrious during the era of the Nine Emperors and Four Sovereigns; the second ancestor, the Demon Suppressing Emissary, was equally illustrious during the Human King's era. Yet in this era... there was another mixed-blood descendant. The Demon Suppressing Emissary himself had been mixed-blood, and by the time it reached Black Panther, it was mixed blood among mixed blood, somehow degenerating all the way back into an ordinary dog. The Demon Suppressing Emissary had not even been a dog; he had a single horn on his head! Among the demon beast lineages, none except that one had been more glorious than the Li family! At this moment, Li Fuhai mused: in my generation, am I still to be suppressed by them? Impossible! The Heavenly Dog suppressed Ancestor Shui Li; the Demon Suppressing Emissary suppressed the Sea Suppressing Emissary Li Wuqi—my grandfather. Could it be that as a Great Saint, I can't suppress a tiny mixed-blood dog? While Li Fuhai entertained thousands of thoughts, Li Hao was also turning over many ideas. After a long pause, he finally said, "Then... would Senior be willing to accompany me on a trip into the new Dao Universe?" "The new Dao Universe?" Li Fuhai's eyes widened. It cheered inwardly: so generous? I've only just offered my allegiance, and you trust me enough to bring me into the new Dao Universe? My Li family's reputation for honesty truly precedes us! The Dao Universe! It feigned hesitation: "Would that be inappropriate?" Li Hao frowned slightly, wondering: Does it know something? Has it... been infected by Red Moon power? No wonder it agreed so readily! Li Hao hesitated, but Li Fuhai immediately added, "However, since Commander Li has extended the invitation... I shall defer to your wishes! Rest assured, Commander, a Dao universe is far too remote for my reach; I harbor no thoughts of seizing it! In a hundred thousand years of slumber, not a single person had the audacity to command a Dao universe. Not just me—even half-step Sovereigns or true Sovereigns couldn't achieve it! A Dao universe also awaits its fated master... Clearly, having remained hidden for a hundred thousand years only to appear now, you are its sole fated master!" That really was not the case! Li Hao chuckled. The first person to enter had not been him, but his teacher. Naturally, there was no need to bring that up now. Since this senior agreed to enter... so much the better. In the next moment, Li Hao tore open the sky. Li Fuhai stood on no ceremony and followed him inside, treading through the void. A colossal golden ox stepped directly into the Dao Universe. In an instant, streaks of Dao lightning flared. Li Hao's expression changed drastically! Li Fuhai, however, looked bewildered. It allowed the faint bolts of lightning to strike its body and gave Li Hao a puzzled look. Li Hao looked back at it. At that moment, the feeble wisp of Red Moon power was shattered by the lightning, causing Li Fuhai no harm whatsoever. Li Hao grew curious. It was an extremely weak trace of Red Moon power. Faint and negligible. It looked like something contracted inadvertently, exerting no real influence on Li Fuhai. But... where had Red Moon power come from? Li Fuhai had remained inside its dwelling, never leaving for a hundred thousand years. It had been guarding the Taboo Sea the entire time... The Taboo Sea... Li Hao's heart stirred. Ying Hongyue! Earlier in Dali, Ying Hongyue seemed to have discovered the source of the Taboo Sea and had been stirring up trouble, though Li Hao did not know the specifics. And now, Li Fuhai showed faint traces of Red Moon power. It was likely the Red Moon power within Ying Hongyue! Within Ying Hongyue resided the power of the Eight Great Families alongside Red Moon power, the two constantly contending with one another... Why would his Red Moon power be in the Taboo Sea? As for the Red Moon Sovereign... that was unlikely; that entity probably could not reach here yet. Only Ying Hongyue could have influenced Li Fuhai through the Taboo Sea. Li Hao explained, "That was Dao lightning, meant to cleanse evil forces. It is a boon from the Great Dao..." "I see!" Li Fuhai absorbed a trace of Dao power and nodded. "No wonder it felt tingly and numb, like a massage. Quite comfortable! But... evil power inside me? Strange..." It carefully sensed the dissipated force, seeming to recall something, and muttered in confusion: "I haven't absorbed much energy in a long time. Could this peculiar energy... have drifted from the Taboo Sea?" With that, it remembered something else and said, "A few days ago, peculiar fluctuations arose in the Taboo Sea, likely originating from its source. Someone might be doing something there. I intended to notify you earlier, but never crossed paths with you!" It added, "If you have time, you should investigate. This peculiar evil power might not be confined here; it could have spread across the entire Taboo Sea. Someone may have released this strange energy into the waters and extracted some of the Taboo Sea's power..." Li Hao thought rapidly. Releasing Red Moon power? Ying Hongyue had released Red Moon power into the Taboo Sea and drawn away a portion of the Taboo Sea's energy. Why would he do that? Was the Red Moon power affecting him? Or did he have other designs? Thoughts surfaced one after another. He observed Li Fuhai a while longer; seeing that it truly suffered no ill effects and paid no mind to the matter, he felt somewhat relieved. "Senior... what do you think of this Dao Universe?" "Vast and boundless. Though newly born, its potential is immense!" Li Fuhai was a Saint, the descendant of a Sovereign, and had served as Silver Moon's Sea Suppressing Emissary. Its bovine head nodded, not merely flattering: "A fine place, a marvelous Dao! It is still far from developed, but for a nascent Dao, it is already exceptional! You are the first to discover this Dao and traverse it. The Dao Universe opens for you; ordinary people cannot enter. That you can even bring others inside is truly peerless! "However, using it merely to bring people inside is far too wasteful..." Li Hao looked puzzled. Knowing Li Hao might not understand, Li Fuhai did not keep him guessing: "Back then, the Cang Emperor—the other Sovereign who co-ruled the realm alongside the Human King—could... barely be counted among our demon race! He roamed the origin path in the past, one of the few powerhouses capable of traversing the origin universe. He grew stronger by nature; even without cultivating, he grew stronger continuously, every moment of every day..." It looked at Li Hao again. "You... you don't seem to have grasped the true essence of a Dao universe! You must establish a connection with the Dao Universe, allowing its power to pour into your body anytime, anywhere!" Li Hao was startled. "I have Dao meridians and divine characters. I can draw energy from the Dao Universe at will..." "That is active extraction. What I am talking about is passive—where countless streams of energy enter your body even if you don't cultivate at all." Li Hao asked in confusion, "How is that possible? If you don't cultivate, how can energy enter your body?" Li Fuhai's interest surged instantly. "That's where you lack understanding! You need to locate the rotational center of the Great Dao..." "What?" "A universe is actually in motion!" Li Fuhai explained, "The Dao Universe is also revolving. Even if it moves slowly, it is indeed revolving! And revolving requires a center, just like a sea eye. The center of a sea eye is very calm, yet overflowing seawater and energy also seep out from it, extraordinarily pure!" It looked at Li Hao. "You need to find this center of rotation according to the laws of the Dao Universe. Once you find it, open a rift there and stabilize it with a Dao foundation. You will become the core of the Dao Universe! That way, every revolution of the universe will channel endless energy into you! "Actually, doing it now is perfect! Because the Dao Universe is still weak. If it were powerful, I wouldn't advise you to do this; you would be too weak, and the surge of energy from a single rotation would kill you! But right now, this weak Dao Universe matches you perfectly... It was practically made for you! "The Cang Emperor was once the core of the Dao universe. That was why he grew stronger even while sleeping! "The same applies to you... Different paths lead to the same destination. In the end, the principle is identical!" Li Hao was already deeply shaken. Growing stronger even while sleeping? He looked across the different regions. The Dao was revolving; the universe was in motion? Were these seemingly stationary giant stars all moving? Did their movements follow a pattern nearly imperceptible to the naked eye? Thoughts cascaded through his mind. Having energy pour into his body at every moment, cultivating passively without needing to spend vast amounts of time painstakingly drawing out Dao energy bit by bit... could such a miraculous thing truly exist? At this moment, Li Hao was sorely tempted. Looking around once more, Li Fuhai added, "Furthermore, the defenses of your Dao Universe are far too weak..." "Defenses?" Li Hao stared blankly. The Dao Universe needed defenses? Li Fuhai looked back in equal confusion. "Aren't you afraid that after fleeing into the Dao Universe, an enemy powerhouse might pursue you inside? This Dao Universe hasn't reached invincibility... It cannot directly slay intruders. Even if it targets evil energy like earlier, if an enemy is strong enough—say, stepping into the Sovereign Realm—they might still resist it! "Moreover, it doesn't particularly suppress the Neo-Martial Dao. If someone breaks in, they might strike you down right here! In truth, this Dao Universe should be your ultimate trump card..." "A trump card?" Li Hao listened obediently like an earnest student, profoundly stirred. Li Fuhai continued, "Naturally, you must learn to fix a single gateway rather than tearing open rifts randomly wherever you please! Near that fixed gateway, you can lay an inescapable net. If the enemy doesn't enter, you can escape; if they do, you can slaughter them! "I see you intend to sort out this chaotic Great Dao... why not borrow the power of the Dao to set up an inescapable trap? Open the entrance in a specific region and mobilize the Dao power at will to slay formidable foes!" Its hoof pointed toward the Five Elements region, then toward other areas. "For instance, open the gateway in the fire region. Once enemies arrive and step inside, they will be instantly incinerated... You can set up layers of obstacles: past fire comes metal, then wood, then water... then the sword... "You could even design this region into a ring-shaped corridor. Anyone navigating it would face relentless attacks from countless Dao powers at every turn! Stop letting people see the full layout of your Dao Universe the moment they step in... "Structure it like a labyrinth... Once inside, they can only follow the path you dictate. A single wrong step will trigger a thunderous strike!" Li Hao was awestruck and could not help saying, "This..." "What is it?" "Nothing. Senior's foresight is truly magnificent..." Li Hao was astonished by the Great Demon's depth of knowledge. Li Fuhai, however, remained modest. What was so remarkable about this? His Li family had done plenty of research on the Dao universe. And that research had not been for any grand purpose—it had been solely to guard against the Cang Emperor! The Cang Emperor had constantly wanted to roast the Sea Suppressing Emissary! He wanted to eat roast beef! Not only Li Fuhai's grandfather, the Sea Suppressing Emissary, but even the first ancestor, Sovereign Shui Li, had large chunks of flesh torn away by the Cang Emperor and was nearly roasted alive. Later, to evade the Cang Emperor, the two Li ancestors spent a great deal of effort studying these matters. Li Hao's mind was racing. Setting traps inside the Dao Universe! He truly had not considered this before, primarily because the Dao Universe naturally prevented outsiders from entering unless he brought them in himself. "Senior... in that case, I will return to Heavenly Star Town first. Once I'm back, I'll escort Senior to Battle Heaven City... then rendezvous with the experts there and march toward the traitor's location together..." "Fine by me!" Li Fuhai did not mind at all and added, "It has been ages since I saw those old friends. Meeting them won't hurt!" "Then... my sincere gratitude to Senior for your support this time!" "You are too polite. Each of us seeks what we need." Li Hao said no more, and together they stepped out of the Dao Universe. Seeing that Li Hao was about to depart, Li Fuhai said, "Facing a Heavenly King this time... if you can conceal us within the Dao Universe beforehand, an ambush would be ideal!" Li Hao's heart stirred. "However... there is a problem right now. Every rift I tear into the universe opens in a random spot! Once I am outside and tear open another rift... it might not open in the same place, and the distance could be immense! If I am inside, I can use certain items to establish coordinates, but now that the Starry Sky Sword is shattered, precise positioning is difficult for me. "Furthermore, without me present, if Seniors remain inside alone, you might face attacks and rejection from the Great Dao..." Hearing this, Li Fuhai nodded. That was indeed troublesome. "In that case... you must fix the entrance and exit!" It added, "As for the Starry Sky Sword being damaged and making positioning difficult, you would do best to reforge a divine weapon to serve as a conduit bridging the two realms. Of course, I see you appear to be repairing the Starry Sky Sword; I noticed several fragments inside the Dao Universe." Li Hao nodded. Li Fuhai continued, "A sword's essence lies in its sharpness! You possess such an advantage yet haven't exploited it to the fullest. I noticed you nurture those fragments solely in areas overflowing with sword energy. There is no need for that; a sword only needs to be sharp! Any Dao power can nurture it, and it can adapt to any environment. If you place fragments in every region, they will nurture far faster... Furthermore, since they originate from the same Dao source, there won't be excessive repulsion. Only that is a sword of ten thousand Daos!" Li Hao was startled once more, experiencing a sudden burst of enlightenment! The way he looked at Li Fuhai changed entirely. This creature was remarkably erudite, nothing like the stereotypical demons he had imagined—neither reckless nor crude! He had assumed Li Fuhai was the sort of demon who only knew how to fight and kill, rather than one well-versed in all things. Now he felt a tinge of regret that he had not visited earlier. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior!" "Merely a bit of experience. Actually, telling you beforehand might not be entirely beneficial. The Dao is meant to be uncovered step by step on your own; if you know everything in advance, you lose much of the joy, and the lessons won't engrave themselves as deeply! But since you are in a rush to face a formidable enemy, lacking a handy weapon will severely hamper your combat power." Li Hao nodded. "I understand!" With that, he added, "Senior... then I shall take my leave..." Li Fuhai nodded. Li Hao took a step, hesitated, then turned back: "Senior, this battle is against a Heavenly King—perhaps not an ordinary Heavenly King. The danger is immense. Senior... are you truly not worried at all?" A smile appeared in Li Fuhai's bovine eyes. "Whether human or demon, if one wishes to stand above all others, who among them didn't fight tooth and nail for it? Even if born as a second or third generation, is my background not illustrious enough? Yet wasn't I trapped here for a hundred thousand years all the same? What these hundred thousand years lacked was a chance to stake everything! Now that the opportunity has arrived, I will take the gamble!" "Yet... many Neo-Martial people don't seem to think this way. Why?" Li Hao looked at Li Fuhai. This was the first time he had met a Saint-level expert who took the initiative to say they would stake everything—which truly aligned with the Neo-Martial style. Li Fuhai said calmly, "Because among the Neo-Martial people you met, few ever experienced... living under someone else's roof and being treated as inferior! From the very start, those people were born into Neo-Martial, the mightiest power, sheltered under the strongest Human King and Supreme... They appear formidable, yet in reality, they lack the courage to stake their lives! Demons are different; demons have struggled through every single era! "The wiser a demon is, the more unwilling it is to accept subjugation, and the more eager it is to gamble on a chance..." At that moment, Li Hao thought of another demon. Thorny Rose! That had also been a Saint-level Great Demon. It knew attacking the grand mineral vein might not succeed. Yet it had still been willing to gamble everything! In the end, even in death, it felt its death had been worthwhile! Li Hao thought of someone else and asked, "Supreme Zhang's grandson, Zhang An—Senior should know him. He lived through those times..." "He is different; he had too many people looking out for him." "Yet Senior's clan... boasts multiple Sovereigns..." Li Fuhai chuckled. "Yet I am of the demon race!" Li Hao was momentarily dazed. *Yet I am of the demon race.* Multiple Sovereigns in one family, yet because it was a demon, it still had to fight and scramble! Because Neo-Martial humans were simply too strong. To attain greater achievements under human supremacy, demons had to exert far greater effort than humans ever did. "Didn't the Human King treat demons... reasonably well?" "Reasonably well is true... but after all, we are not humans! There were many Sovereigns, yet most were human. How many belonged to the demon race? The Cang Emperor paid no heed to demons and didn't even consider himself one; the Heavenly Dog Sovereign cared even less about other demons, acting as he pleased so long as he enjoyed his freedom! The two Sovereigns of my Li family held relatively low status. There were other mighty demon experts back then, but... after the Human King unified heaven and earth, he did not revive the hostile demons. The truly powerful demons had all opposed humanity, so... the demon race grew weaker and weaker!" Li Fuhai harbored no resentment. Why would the Human King revive his enemies? He would have to be an idiot to do that! It was simply that the demon race had indeed been heavily suppressed. The Human King did not bother suppressing them, but the human Sovereigns naturally held an inclination toward suppression. It was human nature, yet entirely unavoidable! "So Senior is willing to gamble on a chance and a future?" "Yes." Li Fuhai hid nothing. "In truth, it is all the same! If humanity had been kept suppressed, they would gamble on an opportunity too. The crux lies not in anything else, but in the weak's innate obsession with becoming strong! If heaven and earth were ruled by a demon today, those Neo-Martial humans... would all be risking their lives! Yet as of today, the strongest are still human... Thus, the Neo-Martial people you encounter might think that even if the traitor succeeds, they are still human, one of the Eight Great Families, so there is no fierce desire to resist!" Li Hao understood! In the next breath, Li Fuhai uttered words that were downright shocking: "Furthermore, if this world truly falls under the traitor's rule, whoever controls it might establish contact with the main world! Once contact is made and Neo-Martial powerhouses are summoned, their opportunity will actually arrive!" "What?" "The opportunity to return!" Li Fuhai chuckled. "You broke the Starry Sky Sword. If you master heaven and earth, can you open the Star Gate? Not necessarily! Right now... you also lack the absolute strength to control heaven and earth. The traitor is surely a Heavenly King, perhaps even a Half-Sovereign, with far greater certainty of mastering heaven and earth. As for your worry that they might be killed... they aren't actually worried." "Not worried?" Li Hao was stunned again, but soon realized what it meant. With a somber voice, he said, "Senior means they believe that if the traitor takes charge of heaven and earth, contact might be restored with the main world. Once they return, the Yin-Yang Dao in the main world is complete, and the Human King can resurrect them?" "Precisely!" Li Fuhai nodded its massive head. "So you were mistaken from the very start... For those who have no wish to establish grand achievements, fighting or not makes no difference! In this era, only ambitious figures possess the absolute will to resist, the absolute resolve to struggle! Even if Zhang An despises the traitors, his desire to resist isn't necessarily that intense. They firmly believe that once someone commands heaven and earth, contact with the main world is inevitable. Once the Human King, the Supreme, and the others arrive, no trouble remains trouble. Even if they die, they can be resurrected, so why... risk life and limb to stop them? "I know Zhang An. He lacks grand ambition... If he possessed great ambition and wished to become the hegemon of this era, the lord of heaven and earth, he would never be as placid as he is now. That man lived through the turmoil of Neo-Martial warfare; he has strength, experience, and courage, but lacks only a shred of ambition. You can hardly say whether that is good or bad." Li Hao fell into contemplation. So that was how it was! He looked back at Li Fuhai. Since it put it that way... did this creature possess immense ambition? Seeing Li Hao look over, Li Fuhai chuckled. "I have ambition, though not to become number one under heaven. My earlier words already told you: anyone who fails to achieve great things in a hundred thousand years will never achieve them. Since that is the case, I must seek a more glorious future—at least... not inferior to my grandfather's, right?" Its grandfather had been the second-in-command of the demon race! Li Hao understood! After a moment of silence, he nodded. "If Senior is willing to aid me, then in the future... should I succeed, Senior's merit will certainly not be less than the rank of Sea Suppressing Emissary!" Li Fuhai grinned; this was the exact answer it wanted! "Then let me wish the Commander success in advance... You must also remember one point: the lower ranks of Neo-Martial are easy to win over, while the higher ranks are difficult—and descendants of Sovereigns are even harder. Because once the minor world returns, they believe they can be resurrected... But who knows the names of the common foot soldiers? Who would bother resurrecting them? Rather than wasting too much effort on the mighty, you would do better to expend your energy on the weak. That yield will be far superior. The lower ranks all yearn to rise; no one wishes to remain at the bottom for an entire lifetime! "Furthermore, demon plants are absolutely worth recruiting. That lineage is too weak; they don't even have a Sovereign. When it comes to resurrection, demon plants won't have a share. Even General Locust's ancestor wasn't Locust King himself, merely Locust King's companion demon plant... The demon plant lineage yearns for the emergence of a new Sovereign! "Demon plants and demon beasts actually share the same mindset. "Among the upper ranks, those without grand backgrounds are also worth recruiting. Why was Battle Heaven City easy to recruit? Li Daozong belongs to Sword Venerable's lineage, so put him aside, but Old Turtle is merely the spirit of a divine weapon—who cares much about the life or death of a divine weapon? Wang Ye is just a minor figure, a collateral branch among collateral branches..." Li Hao's heart trembled. He had never considered this perspective before. "The Zhao family is actually easy to win over as well; Zhao Xingwu himself wasn't a Sovereign, not to mention the Zhao family's Martial Arts Alliance was a messy conglomerate... The Hong family is also easy to recruit; the Hong family came from humble origins, the only one among the Eight Great Families lacking deep foundation! The Zhou, Zheng, and Liu families—regardless of whether they are traitors—are difficult to win over; their Star Suppressing City lineage has far too many experts! As for the remaining Zhang family, they are actually easy to recruit too. The Zhang family ancestor wasn't Supreme Zhang, but Zhang Dingnan, the Governor of Nanjiang back then—the governor of the Human King's homeland—yet his strength was not at the Sovereign realm either. "If the Commander lays everything bare, I cannot guarantee other things, but pulling some demon plants and minor figures into your camp won't be difficult! "As for Yuanping Martial Arts University, there are far too many descendants of Sovereigns there. A few might dare to take a gamble, but most... simply don't dare, nor are they willing! There is no need to waste too much time on them." Though it was unaware of Li Hao's exact circumstances, its words struck true on many fronts. Li Hao nodded repeatedly. This was only their first formal meeting, yet Li Fuhai had laid bare so many underlying truths. Matters he had previously failed to grasp were suddenly crystal clear! Because they stood from entirely different vantage points, there were things he simply could not fathom on his own. Today, he understood them all. "Thank you, Senior!" Thanking it once more, Li Hao cupped his fists. "I have gained tremendously today. Combined with some of my own thoughts, perhaps I can accomplish a great deal next! If we successfully slay this formidable enemy, I think... completely quelling the turmoil of Silver Moon will not be far off! However... Sovereigns are difficult to contend with, and Half-Sovereigns hard to slay. It will still take time!" "With the Dao Universe here, I can afford to wait, and you can afford to wait. We have waited a hundred thousand years; waiting a few more won't matter!" Li Fuhai's bovine eyes remained calm. "Claiming kingship and founding a dynasty will surely reach a verdict within ten years. If it cannot be done in ten years... it will be difficult!" "I have learned much!" Li Hao spoke no further, swiftly departing and slipping out of the ruins. As soon as he left, Li Fuhai chuckled slyly: "Sure enough, learning from Grandfather and Ancestor—dazzle him first with a wave of flattery, feign profound wisdom, and point out the state of the world! Whether man or ghost, they'll all end up thoroughly bewildered by me!" Li Fuhai was immensely satisfied with its performance! In passing, it had also smeared fellows like Zhang An, allowing a latecomer like itself to surge ahead and secure greater trust. Neo-Martial humans were far too proud. Neo-Martial demons... were never quite so haughty. Neo-Martial humans could not let go of the pride in their hearts, but for Neo-Martial demons, it was effortless. They had already been treated as inferior in Neo-Martial; being treated as inferior once more hardly made a difference! Watching Li Hao depart, Li Fuhai felt a touch of emotion. In this era, Li Hao held the greatest hope. If Li Hao could not succeed either... then this counterattack of heaven and earth across Silver Moon would likely be for naught. It was just that Li Hao still trusted humans far more than demons. That would not do; it had to change Li Hao's mindset and show him that demons were far more reliable than humans! Only then, once victory was achieved, could the demon race claim a greater share of the fruits of triumph.