All Is Well

"Prepare to evacuate the populace of the Eastern Continent..." Li Hao suddenly spoke up. "Have Lin Hongyu organize personnel and carry out the evacuation." "Marquis!" At these words, everyone was startled. The Eastern Continent had numerous provinces and an enormous population of over two billion—scarcely fewer than the Central Region. To evacuate people on such a massive scale would be an agonizing drain on both public and financial resources! More critically, how could they possibly resettle so many people on such short notice? Director Zhao frowned deeply and said in a low voice, "Marquis, evacuating the populace right now will inevitably plunge the populace into sheer panic... Furthermore, so many people are no small sum. It is truly impossible to resettle them, nor do we have enough personnel to organize the evacuation. We are not talking about one million or ten million... With supernatural power, moving ten million would be simple. "But this is the Eastern Continent... billions of people!" Li Hao's words made it impossible for anyone to stay calm. There were simply too many people! Li Hao pondered for a moment and said, "Then evacuate the population east of Dingbian Province, roughly half of the Eastern Continent..." "That is still impossible." Zhao Shuguang shook his head again. "There are still ten provinces with nearly a billion people... Marquis, merely mobilizing and relocating them is a colossal undertaking. Even in this supernatural era, preparing for a year wouldn't be considered too much for an operation of this magnitude." What did a population of one billion even mean? Even transporting them via battleships at high speeds, carrying fifty thousand people per trip, would require twenty thousand voyages—forty thousand round trips. And that was under ideal conditions; in reality, it might take thirty thousand trips or more. No matter how fast a battleship was, boarding and disembarking, shuttling to different locations across the void, and having everyone carry their belongings would take several tens of minutes per trip, wouldn't it? Making two round trips in an hour was already fast. A single battleship could only make fifty trips a day, and that required running day and night without rest. Having now taken Boundless City and Battle Heaven City, they had plenty of battleships—several dozen in total. Even working flat out, they could only manage two to three thousand trips a day. It would take ten full days and nights of continuous transport! Not to mention, battleships consumed energy. Running dozens of battleships without sleep for ten straight days would burn through an astronomical amount of energy. And that was assuming everything went smoothly! If Li Hao had brought this up earlier, there might still have been time. Yet... if he had announced it earlier, evacuating the populace and abandoning the Eastern Continent before Heavenly Star and the Great Desolation had even clashed, the trouble might have been even worse. Li Hao sank into contemplation. It was indeed troublesome! Yet without an evacuation, once the Great Desolation spread, half of the Eastern Continent would sink into the chaotic zone. Ordinary people wouldn't be able to endure it; the aura of chaos would blanket them, causing mass death. If he hardened his heart, he could simply ignore them—after all, there was plenty of population. If they won this battle, more than one Saint would perish, the scourge of the Great Desolation would be snuffed out, Hong Chen's faction would suffer heavy casualties, and they would have a shot at eliminating Yu Hai. Besides, not everyone would necessarily die. With the entire populace now practicing martial arts, if the battle concluded swiftly, perhaps only seven or eight million would perish. Seven or eight million... while it sounded negligible—merely the population of a single large city in Heavenly Star with its immense populace... Li Hao looked at the dense million-man army before him. At the very least, ten times that number would die! His brows furrowed instantly. He had considered this before, but back then, he had assumed the enemy wouldn't spread across the entire territory in full coverage, and he hadn't yet planned to borrow the enemy's strength to deal with Yu Hai. Now that the plan had reached this stage, if Li Hao simply looked the other way, everything would proceed very smoothly. Yet if he intervened... the consumption would be astronomical, and time would be dragged out. Right then, Li Hao suddenly spoke: "The aura of chaos will not destroy buildings. If there are enough battleships, cram fifty thousand into each one to evacuate a billion... Never mind, that's too many! What if we steer an ancient city here? An ancient city can accommodate fifty million permanent residents. Squeezing in two or three times that number wouldn't be a problem..." "Does the Marquis truly intend to evacuate the populace?" Director Zhao felt his head pounding. Li Hao pondered for a moment and said, "An evacuation will make the enemy believe all the more in our intention to retreat. Of course, it is also to preserve their lives. If we do not evacuate, perhaps not too many will die, but out of a billion, even a minor loss will start in the millions." "Then... we can just act as if we failed to react in time... The Eastern Continent doesn't have much of a connection to us anyway..." Someone murmured. Li Hao turned to look. This time, it wasn't Qian Wuliang! Li Hao wouldn't have been surprised if Qian Wuliang said it, but the one who spoke was Northern Fist! Southern Fist had died in battle, and Yao Si had died saving him. This little old man, Northern Fist, had grown much gloomier lately. Yet Northern Fist's martial arts had always been grand and magnificent. Today, this magnificent boxer had actually suggested pretending they didn't know and ignoring it, since the Eastern Continent wasn't closely tied to them anyway. It was mostly because there were just too many people! Evacuating them was far too troublesome. Not only would it waste precious time, but things were also prone to going wrong, and the energy consumed would be astronomical—enough to drain all their energy veins in one go. Li Hao sank into deep thought. If they didn't evacuate, their only choice was to halt the invasion of the Great Desolation. The Great Desolation had at least six Saint desolate beasts, and Hong Chen's faction had dispatched at least two or three Saints—totaling eight or nine Saints at the very least. His side lacked sufficient Saints. Wiping out one faction before turning to the other was too risky given their insufficient strength, and it might even trigger sudden, unforeseen variables. From the overall perspective... trading some ordinary people to eliminate multiple Saints was an extremely worthwhile exchange. It wasn't as if every single person would die! Yet once the Great Desolation invaded and the desolate beasts began slaughtering the common folk in the chaotic zone, the casualties wouldn't stop at ten million. Perhaps... the entire region would be butchered clean. Once experts of that caliber struck, an entire city would be annihilated in no time. Even if they all died, it wouldn't truly jeopardize the grand scheme. They were all weaklings. As long as ultimate victory was achieved, with humanity's rate of reproduction, those lost in battle would soon be replenished. Li Hao looked up at the sky, his thoughts racing. After a long silence, he said, "We take it step by step, without rush. Battleships are too small, so use an ancient city—Boundless City! Fill Boundless City to the brim... it can hold over a hundred million people... Bring nothing else; just bring food and water for now... Ten days will be more than enough..." "Marquis!" "This... this is far too troublesome, and rounding up that many people won't be easy." "Indeed!" Many chimed in, feeling that this scale was far too absurd. Besides, even if Boundless City could hold one or two hundred million, what about the rest? Where would they find enough ancient cities to hold everyone! Director Zhao had no choice but to say, "How about this, Marquis: we can use Boundless City to relocate the elderly, the weak, the sick, the disabled, women, and children. The cultivators won't perish even if the aura of chaos invades." Li Hao turned his head to look at him. "And what if the desolate beasts slaughter them?" "This..." Director Zhao was helpless. In truth, he wanted to say that if that happened... it was just their bad luck. What other choice was there? It was better than moving a billion people. Since the dawn of time, the Silver Moon world had likely never witnessed a migration of such scale. Regardless of the timeframe, a population exceeding one billion constituted a catastrophe. Only in a supernatural world would Li Hao dare utter such words. In an ordinary world, anyone hearing him say this would think he was a madman. More than half might perish along the way. At this moment, Director Wang sighed. "What a pity... If the Heavenly Dog Sovereign of old were here, he could swallow the entire Eastern Continent in a single gulp and store it inside his belly. Would we need to go through all this trouble? Though... if such a mighty figure were truly present, there would be no need for relocation at all." It was a paradox. If someone were powerful enough to swallow a continent in a single gulp, why would they need to migrate? Everyone stood conflicted and helpless. Quite a few turned their gaze toward Qian Wuliang... *You go talk to him!* No one held deep affection for the people of the Eastern Continent—or rather, they had no affection at all. Now that the plan had reached this stage, a golden opportunity was in sight; a single decisive battle could thoroughly overturn the balance of the world. Yet at this crucial juncture... Li Hao wanted to relocate the populace, which was far too cumbersome. Qian Wuliang kept his mouth shut. *No way!* *I'm not saying a word!* Moreover... he thought for a moment and said, "Relocation actually has its merits. On one hand, it misleads the enemy into thinking we truly cannot resist and are being steadily encroached upon! On the other hand, it tests the administrative and organizational capabilities of the others. We may face more relocations in the future. "Today, we face only the Great Desolation. In the future, if the traitors emerge from the north, or if that Sovereign unseals himself... we might need to relocate the entire northern populace... This serves as a rehearsal, a trial run!" The crowd glared daggers at him. Ignoring them, Qian Wuliang continued, "Furthermore, relocating the populace and shielding all living beings will win hearts and minds among the terrified residents of the Eastern Continent... elevating our reputation and prestige! It will also show the Eastern Continent and all four cardinal continents the power of Heavenly Star! To migrate a billion people—from ancient times to the present, only our Heavenly Star could accomplish such a feat! "Naturally, there will be many complications!" Qian Wuliang pondered and said, "Boundless City has limited capacity. Where do we resettle the rest? Even if it's only for ten days, with so many people, chaos could easily erupt..." Li Hao considered this and said, "Shuiyun is currently constructing a new maritime continent to relocate its own populace. It is presently vacant, though under development. What do you think about gathering people there first?" Qian Wuliang nodded. "It's feasible in theory... but there are still too many people; it won't fit them all." "Placing so many people anywhere is a monumental headache." Li Hao nodded as well, glancing toward the rear. There, city after city stood tall. Allowing the Great Desolation to sweep through... before long, corpses would litter the land. In the past, he wouldn't have considered such matters. Nor would he have anticipated them, and by the time it happened, it would have been too late. Yet... this was the light his teacher and the others had traded their lives to secure. Leaving it unattended was simply out of the question. If he walked away, his conscience might bear it, but... he would be failing the light his teacher and the others had bought with their blood. He had never expected that after completing all preparations, an obstacle would arise here. Just then, someone spoke up again. It was Director Wang. He looked at Li Hao, gritted his teeth, and said, "If the Marquis insists... I have an idea." "Speak." "Don't move them bit by bit; that's far too tedious. Relocate entire cities! Cast the cities directly upon the Four Seas! In fact, when Silver Moon first formed, the Four Seas did not exist; they only appeared later. If the Marquis doesn't mind the trouble... we can fill the Four Seas, which will also lay the groundwork for fusing the various continents in the future!" "What?" Li Hao froze. Director Wang continued, "Marquis, you possess the might of a Saint! Back in the old days, a Saint could easily uproot and relocate a great city with ease! Of course, today's Saints cannot compare to those of the past; modern Saints are only comparable to the Immortal Realm... But as long as we have enough people... it's practically the same! We can carry the cities away one by one..." The crowd stood dumbfounded. They had never conceived of such an idea. Even Li Hao hadn't thought of it. Yes, he knew he was powerful. Battle Heaven City had been relocated previously, but that was an integrated ancient city—an artifact of divine weaponry. An ordinary city, on the other hand... moving that was an entirely different magnitude of trouble. What was more, people were living inside. The structures were nowhere near as sturdy. There could not be excessive shocks or turbulence; otherwise, the earth would quake, the buildings would collapse, and it would be tantamount to an apocalypse. Director Wang added, "Marquis, doing it this way means there's no need to move them back later. We can fill the Four Seas directly! With proper planning, shifting half of the Eastern Continent will completely fill the East Sea! In reality, it only moves half of the Eastern Continent into the East Sea. From then on, the Eastern Continent and the Central Region will be completely merged, turning the five continents into four! "The remaining half won't need to be touched. "Moreover, this provides another advantage: forming a unified landmass will make defense far simpler in the event of cosmic upheaval or powerful enemies..." Li Hao was somewhat dazed. "Relocating cities... Even half of the Eastern Continent contains over three hundred cities..." Director Wang nodded. "It is indeed a lot! But if we move quickly—thirty cities a day—it will only take ten days. Ten days is just enough to fight while retreating, which also buys time for the Great Desolation, as the chaos needs time to spread. "This time, the Marquis can even broadcast it publicly to the four continents using the sky screens... shocking the world and winning people's hearts! No matter how formidable an expert is, the common folk have no real concept of it. But if... thirty cities are moved in a single day, filling the East Sea flat, I dare say that from then on, aside from the most heinous villains, no one will dare oppose the Marquis!" He continued, "There is another point the Marquis might not have considered. Once you move the cities away, half of the Eastern Continent will become a desolate wasteland. Hurricane City must be somewhere near the Great Desolation right now, though its exact location remains unknown. Yet when the surroundings are entirely empty, any movement from Hurricane City will cause a massive stir... To avoid us, Hurricane City will have no choice but to stay far away from the Great Desolation! "Otherwise, if the Great Desolation finds itself outmatched during the battle and the desolate beasts are backed into a corner, they might summon the experts of Hurricane City into the Great Desolation, which would create enormous trouble!" Director Wang said solemnly, "With the surroundings completely emptied, someone of Hong Chen's cautious temperament would never dare expose Hurricane City's location. He is very likely to withdraw and move Hurricane City away, perhaps even leaving the Eastern Continent entirely!" Li Hao's eyes flickered. He had considered this point, but he had been gambling—gambling that the desolate beasts of the Great Desolation wouldn't dare bring Hurricane City into the fold! Yet if the desolate beasts truly faced death, would they still care? Li Hao had wagered that by the time the desolate beasts came to their senses, he would have already finished them off and slipped into the Bright Star Realm. Even if Hong Chen entered the chaotic zone, Li Hao wouldn't fear him. Yet Director Wang's proposal was undeniably safer. After weighing it, Li Hao said, "A city is immense; moving one is extraordinarily difficult..." "Set up formations!" Director Wang said, "Stabilize them with formations. We only need several Sun-Moon experts to anchor the four quarters, while the Marquis uses his supreme might to hoist the great city and hollow out the foundation beneath it! Of course, we must dig deep enough, or it will sink into the East Sea! In the future, this place... might turn into an ocean! But that doesn't matter; it will also halt the invasion of the Great Desolation and prevent the spread of chaos from empowering the desolate beasts... With no people and no land, the desolate beasts will gain little from their invasion." Li Hao's heart stirred once more. He nodded. It was a good plan, though it would be rather... exhausting on the person carrying it out! Indeed, he could already picture the toll of moving thirty cities a day. He... would likely end up worn out like a dead dog. Yet right now, his combat prowess was the highest, and the ancient city Saints couldn't reveal themselves rashly. He was the only one who could do it. Each haul would be akin to a grueling battle. Moving three hundred cities in ten days... an astonishing feat. Director Wang added, "Moreover, Marquis, there is no need to mention the invasion of the Great Desolation in the public announcement. We only need to state that in order to unify the five continents, the Eastern Continent must be relocated to fill the East Sea. The populace won't panic; they will only feel awe and wonder, treating it as a miraculous journey rather than fleeing a disaster... As long as we settle the Great Desolation afterward, nothing will be an issue! "Public narrative is solely in our hands. Once we win, we can say whatever we wish!" Li Hao suddenly chuckled. How interesting! Director Wang had rarely offered suggestions before, at most providing a few words of introduction when encountering fellow Neo-Martial figures. Today, however, he had taken the initiative to present ideas and plans. At this moment, Director Zhao and the others nodded in agreement. *This works!* Even if it was exhausting, the one bearing the brunt would be Li Hao... *Cough*, with Li Hao's supreme power, he wouldn't mind. Unifying the five continents was a magnificent, unimaginable project—the greatest in the hundred thousand years since the Neo-Martial era. Director Zhao nodded. "I think this is viable! It won't burden the populace or drain financial resources, nor will it cause social unrest. Neighbors will remain neighbors. As long as we plan properly, the cities will retain their relative positions. Neighboring cities will still be neighbors, only shifting from the far east to the near east, while Dingbian will mark the new edge of the Eastern Continent... "Furthermore, connecting directly with the Central Region will greatly aid future governance, the promotion of education and culture, and the construction of the entire continent's transportation network! "Resolving these issues while fighting the war is excellent. Besides... it can even temper the Marquis's physical body!" *Damn you!* Li Hao felt a sudden urge to curse. When he had asked them to evacuate people earlier, they had claimed it was too difficult, impossible, and consumed too many resources. Now... hearing that he would be the one hauling the cities, they even dared bring up tempering his physical body? Had they no shame? None at all? "Director Zhao is nearing the seventh level of the Sun-Moon realm and possesses decent combat strength..." Li Hao said nonchalantly, "Collaborating with some experts, Director Zhao should also be capable of moving a city, shouldn't he?" "..." Director Zhao looked somewhat sheepish, but quickly replied, "Perhaps I could, but... my strength is insufficient. If the slightest mishap causes turbulence, the mountains will crack, the ground will split, the city will collapse, and countless lives will be lost. I... cannot shoulder such a grave responsibility! In all the world, only the Marquis can safely transport an entire city to the East Sea." While true, this fellow was indeed shameless. Li Hao thought for a moment and nodded. "Fine! Then let it be so! Win or lose, moving the Eastern Continent away from the Great Desolation is necessary to prevent them from invading through any careless oversight. Besides, Director Wang is right: this will force Hurricane City away, preventing them from lingering nearby!" If Hurricane City appeared, Li Hao and his allies might lack the strength to storm it, but they could seal it off completely! If their avatars couldn't leave or return, the entire Hurricane City would be trapped. When that happened, someone of Hong Chen's scheming disposition wouldn't be able to sit still. Furthermore, it would be extremely disadvantageous for their subsequent operations. Therefore, once all the cities vanished, Hurricane City would never dare linger here, as it would be far too conspicuous. Even underground, every movement would cause slight vibrations. It was only because there were so many cities and people—and because Li Hao's side hadn't had the time to probe around—that Hurricane City had dared linger nearby. Li Hao felt a pang of helplessness. He had only just transported Battle Heaven City, and now they all thought he was a professional city-mover? This time, they were having him haul three hundred cities! Though each was certainly smaller than Battle Heaven City... the difficulty might be even greater. Taking a deep breath, Li Hao said, "Then starting today, begin the public broadcasts. State that to unify the five continents, resist formidable foes, and prepare for the coming series of wars... I will move the cities! Instruct all residents of the designated cities to stay in their homes on the day of the move and refrain from moving about... As for the surrounding towns and villages... that will be easier! Though there are many towns, their populations are small. With every city moved, have battleships accompany us to evacuate the nearby towns and villages!" Everyone nodded repeatedly. What had been an extraordinarily troublesome and virtually impossible task was now being tackled by Li Hao's personal might to relocate half a continent. Let him bear the burden himself, then. Meanwhile, Li Hao thought of the Blood Sovereign. That was a true supreme powerhouse! A single slash of his blade had split the continent into eight pieces! In other words, if that figure wanted to move the Eastern Continent, he wouldn't need to haul it city by city; he could probably hoist the entire landmass in an instant. If such a person went into house moving and demolition, nobody else would stand a chance. Li Hao gave a bitter inward smile, finding amusement amid his misery. Modern Saints were rather underwhelming. According to Director Wang, ancient Saints were vastly stronger. Uprooting an entire city was simple for them—no stabilizing formations or Immortal Realm assistants needed. A single person could simply hoist the city from the ground. This also meant that modern Heavenly Kings were not to be trifled with! ... Over in the Great Desolation, as the King of Dahuang emerged, the desolate beasts agreed to his conditions. Since he had consented, matters became straightforward. As for treachery... the desolate beasts believed it was impossible. Would the King of Dahuang dare betray the desolate beasts? That would be unbelievable news! Meanwhile, clashes along the border continued unabated. Soon, however, countless sky screens materialized across the four quarters of the world. This time, Li Hao's figure appeared. Thanks to the relentless efforts of Director Qi, Yuming, and the others, sky screens now covered virtually every corner of Heavenly Star. Not far from the Great Desolation stood a great eastern city, where numerous sky screens flickered into view. "I am Li Hao!" Li Hao's figure stood tall between heaven and earth, gentle and serene as always. "I have activated the sky screens today to deliver an important announcement to all of Heavenly Star! "I intend to integrate the realm, joining the four peripheral continents with the Central Region and filling the Four Seas to form a singular Bright Star Continent!" Across the realm, the entire populace of Heavenly Star stared and listened in a daze. Not a soul spoke. Because no one understood! What did this even mean? "As is widely known, Heavenly Star is divided into five parts, encircled by the Four Seas. This hinders unity and communication between the continents; differences in culture, economy, and education have severely impeded the overall development of Heavenly Star! "This is the map of Heavenly Star..." Li Hao presented an enormous map. Everyone stared blankly, taking in the full layout of Heavenly Star. With a casual sweep of his hand, Li Hao indicated the expanse. "I intend to relocate half of each of the four continents into the Four Seas. From now on, the five continents will merge into a single, unified Central Continent—henceforth known as the Bright Star Continent! Dali, the God Nation, the Great Desolation, and the former lands of Shuiyun will be completely isolated beyond our borders. This will assert the might of our Central Plains and protect future generations from the threat of four-sided encirclement! Even if those four nations rise again in the distant future, they will never be able to form an alliance; they would have to cross ravines and vast oceans just to besiege the Central Plains!" At that moment, everyone understood—and found it utterly absurd! What kind of joke was this? With a casual wave of his hand, Li Hao had outlined half of the four peripheral continents. He wanted to move half of the entire outer rim to fill the Four Seas? Was he out of his mind? Li Hao continued, "Starting tomorrow, with the Eastern Continent as our starting point, the following thirty cities will be relocated to fill the East Sea! Those whose cities I name need make no preparations. Tomorrow, simply remain inside your homes! Residents of surrounding towns and villages, pack your belongings... I shall move the entire cities and cast them into the East Sea!" "..." He began calling out names. The residents of the named cities were completely dumbfounded! *Are you joking?* *What is going on?* *What kind of nonsense is this?* *Filling the East Sea? Merging the five continents?* Everyone wondered if Li Hao had gotten drunk. Was this something a human being could say? How massive was a city! And he wanted to move it? "The above are the cities to be relocated tomorrow... From now on, the sky screens will remain active daily, and new cities will be added to the relocation list each day! Additionally, a reminder to all: prepare for sudden weather shifts. The East Sea has chilly winds, and the temperature will drop slightly, so prepare warm clothing. Everything else... will proceed as usual! As for water sources, I will desalinate seawater, so there is no need to worry about water supplies being cut off..." Almost as if delivering a casual joke, he finished making the announcement. At that moment, hundreds of millions of people stood frozen. They still... couldn't wrap their heads around it. They understood the words, but what baffled them was whether Li Hao had had too much to drink the night before. It felt entirely like a joke! ... In the Great Desolation, the crowd was equally stunned, and the desolate beasts were left wide-eyed. It wasn't that no one could accomplish this. Rather... this fellow Li Hao actually intended to relocate the cities of the Eastern Continent. Didn't that mean that even if the Great Desolation invaded, there would be no additional population to claim, nor any humans to be consumed by the chaotic aura? Wouldn't the benefits of their invasion be slashed by more than half in an instant? ... Similarly. At that moment, avatars of experts from Hurricane City were observing from the outside. The news was quickly relayed back, leaving Hong Chen momentarily stunned. Relocating great cities was something he hadn't foreseen. This way... the surrounding region would be completely emptied. Hurricane City would be glaringly exposed even underground, unable to move without revealing itself. This... Hong Chen frowned. He hadn't expected Li Hao to do this. He had assumed Li Hao wouldn't necessarily fear the Great Desolation and might fight to the bitter end rather than choosing relocation before a single blow had even landed. Doing this made it look as though Li Hao feared them, didn't it? Could it be that Li Hao had no confidence in dealing with the Great Desolation? That made sense... After all, the Great Desolation had quite a few Saint desolate beasts. Yet... even if he relocated half of the Eastern Continent, what then? If the Great Desolation continued to advance, would he keep relocating? Where else could he run? The world was only so large. The more territory the Great Desolation seized, the smaller his own domain would become. If he couldn't defeat the Great Desolation, wouldn't all this relocation be entirely in vain? "Li Hao should understand this..." Hong Chen muttered softly, "Unless... he intends to turn this region into a battlefield and chose relocation to prevent the common folk from being caught in the crossfire. So... he plans to stage the decisive battle in this very region..." He swiftly brought up the map of Heavenly Star, comparing it with the cities Li Hao had announced for relocation today, beginning from the eastern border. And this was merely the start. Where would Li Hao draw the line? He sank into deep thought. The day Li Hao halted the relocations would likely be the day of his decisive confrontation with the Great Desolation. But why... did he need to stall for time? He fell into contemplation once more. There had to be some unknown reason prompting Li Hao to drag this out. Turning an entire region into a battlefield... Thoughts flashed through his mind one after another. In a low voice, he instructed, "Keep watching. Monitor every single move Li Hao makes. Once he halts the relocations, be on high alert... Moving great cities is no miracle, but deliberately expanding the war zone without rhyme or reason—this man never acts without purpose!" As for unifying the five continents, that could indeed serve as a pretext... but with a formidable enemy at the gates, who would bother with unifying the five continents unless they were thoroughly out of their mind? Hong Chen scrutinized the map repeatedly. For now, he couldn't be certain how far Li Hao intended to relocate. There had to be something more beneath the surface. Soon, his eyes locked onto Dingbian. His brows furrowed slightly. *Star Suppressing City?* *Could it be... he plans to stop here?* *Star Suppressing City... damn it, does Star Suppressing City... have something to do with me?* Presently, the experts' avatars inside the city found it difficult to go outside, as the eyes of powerhouses worldwide were focused on the east. Otherwise, he could have sent someone to investigate further. The crux lay in the communication base stations! This was another massive headache. Li Hao taking control of the nine base stations had seemed insignificant at first glance, but in truth, it had dealt a devastating blow, severing all contact with the pawns they had groomed on the outside. To relay messages now, those pawns had to deliver reports in person. The nine base stations Li Hao had painstakingly seized had now become a wall blocking the major factions from communicating with the world outside. ... Li Hao paid no heed to any of this. Large numbers of experts rushed to various locations, setting up formations around the designated cities on the list. The residents of those cities felt no real panic, only bewilderment, curiosity, and strangeness... They hadn't been told to pack up and flee, only to stay home tomorrow. A day off from work... wasn't so bad. The key question was, how on earth could an entire city be moved? The Great Desolation was somewhat at a loss, but this did not stop them from pressing their invasion. With fewer experts on Li Hao's front lines, advancing became even easier... Since he wanted to run away with his people, they wouldn't stand on ceremony and would simply keep advancing! Once he ran out of space and the realm shrank, wouldn't they still catch up to him in the end? ... The next day. Dawn broke. The sky screens remained active throughout the day. Even though people were skeptical, even those working in other regions couldn't help glancing outside or up at the sky from time to time. With the massive increase in sky screens, they were visible everywhere. They wanted to see what their Commander Li was actually up to. Right then, Li Hao's figure appeared on the sky screens once more. Soon, an immense city was displayed on the screens. Outsiders might not recognize it, but the people of the Eastern Continent—especially the residents of that very city—naturally knew their home. Some even spotted fleeting glimpses of figures on the screens and began cheering excitedly! Some had even caught sight of themselves. In this era, appearing on a sky screen for the entire world to see was an immense honor. At that moment, they didn't even care about the relocation; it felt secondary. And in that very instant, a scene that shook heaven and earth—that stunned the entire world—unfolded. Li Hao let out a furious roar, his body ballooning without limit. Ten meters, a hundred meters, three hundred meters, five hundred meters... In the blink of an eye, a thousand-meter-tall titan blotting out the sky and sun emerged. Taller than every building in the city, he loomed before everyone's eyes like a primordial giant of antiquity. Everyone stood frozen, speechless. Li Hao's voice reverberated across heaven and earth: "This is the Bright Star Dao! With divine abilities mastered, one commands myriad transformations; a body of a thousand meters is mere child's play! Today, I shall move this city into the East Sea! Residents within, there is no need for panic!" As his words fell, colossal dragons materialized from Li Hao's body—each one an embodiment of a Dao meridian. In an instant, thirty-six mighty dragons manifested. Suddenly, the colossal city shuddered. The dragons burrowed into the earth. The city shook continuously. Some residents turned pale with terror. Li Hao's voice boomed once more, barking at the inhabitants: "Fear not, and do not panic! You are all cultivators of the Dao; why tremble at a mere tremor? The Inspectorate, the Night Patrollers, and the villagers' militias within the city shall maintain order! Anyone who dares sow chaos will be executed without mercy! Under my very eyes, who dares make trouble?" At these words, the city fell dead silent. The towering titan looked down upon heaven, earth, and the great city. Everyone swallowed hard; who would dare shout or cause unrest now? Amid the stunned disbelief of the populace, the immense city began to rise inch by inch. The thirty-six dragons roared incessantly. To the utter shock of all of Heavenly Star, a colossal city rose clear off the ground. The city remained intact, but it was now floating in midair. The earth beneath it had been completely excavated, and subterranean water immediately surged in, instantly turning the city's original footprint into a gaping chasm. Li Hao gave a low roar and raised his arms. In reality, multiple experts were positioned around the periphery, stabilizing the city's structure. Yet the sky screens captured only Li Hao alone, bearing that floating metropolis aloft. The world fell silent! What was this? A god? Could even a god be this powerful? Was this even human? Li Hao's voice echoed through the world: "Cultivate diligently! The new Dao is rising. As of now, I have only opened thirty-six Dao meridians, three hundred and sixty acupoints, reaching merely the ninth level of the Sun-Moon realm! Anyone can achieve this; there is no need for astonishment! These giant dragons are the manifestation of Dao meridians! Everyone can become like a dragon; everyone can possess supreme might... Today, we move cities into the sea; the unification of the five continents is just around the corner!" *Boom!* Li Hao launched into the air, holding the great city aloft with both hands as he soared straight toward the East Sea! At that moment, countless shouts erupted from the city in his hands. There was madness, terror, excitement, and fervor! *Heavens!* Never had they imagined experiencing such a thing. Being so close to the Great Desolation, they had lived in fear of an invasion. Yet... now that they had truly been carried away, suspended high in the sky, everyone felt an incomparable sense of shock and exhilaration. The threat of the Great Desolation was gone, and they were actually flying through the sky alongside an entire city—it was utterly unbelievable! Soon, they passed over another great city. Countless residents on the ground below cried out in sheer frenzy. The flying city above blotted out the sun, plunging the land beneath into darkness, yet not a single soul panicked. Because the sky screens were still broadcasting. They could see Li Hao; they could see that colossal city soaring through the skies. Countless voices roared in wild adoration. "The Commander's divine might!" "The Commander is invincible!" At that moment, countless people fell to their knees in worship. Was this still a human being? A human who cultivated thirty-six Dao meridians could actually accomplish this? One only needed to open three hundred and sixty acupoints? Some among them had already opened seven or eight, and it hadn't felt all that difficult. Looking at it this way, reaching three hundred and sixty didn't seem so far off, did it? They might not have cared deeply about cultivation before. Yet today, this staggering scene was indelibly etched into everyone's soul. Li Hao seemed far too magnificent to be mere mortal. *Cultivate!* At this moment, that single thought consumed every mind. They had to cultivate! Three hundred and sixty acupoints could move an entire city—it was simply inconceivable. As Li Hao flew forward holding the city aloft, fanatical roars echoed across the entirety of Heavenly Star! Voices turned hoarse as countless people stared at the sky screens, transfixed by this world-shaking spectacle. It wasn't until Li Hao reached the East Sea that the immense city slowly descended. With a thunderous boom, the city shuddered, floating atop the East Sea and sending up waves tens of thousands of feet high. Li Hao instantly suppressed the surging waters... and the colossal city settled down in utter tranquility. In truth, landing was not so simple. Multiple experts were beneath the surface suppressing the sea, without whom towering tidal waves would have wrought devastation. At this moment, Li Hao also felt something stir within. He felt... faith! He felt mythos! He felt the Great Dao fluctuating. Back during the battle with the God Nation, he had borrowed a fraction of the populace's power, but it had quickly been shattered by the Moon God. After that, he had abandoned the idea and stopped considering it. Nor had he sought to borrow the power of the masses again! Because he knew it was unreliable. Yet this time, upon moving an entire city, he realized the entire Bright Star Realm seemed to be trembling. Not only that, but above Li Hao's head, the Will of Heaven was churning, surging, and seemingly rejoicing. For the will of the people was the manifestation of the Will of Heaven. When every soul placed their fervent faith in a single man, even the Will of Heaven was swayed. It was merely hauling a city, yet the effect far surpassed anything else Li Hao had ever done—promoting education, wiping out illiteracy, distributing seeds, handing out grain, repelling powerful foes, annihilating enemy nations... To the common folk, those things felt somewhat ordinary, somewhat distant. Only at this moment, as Li Hao hoisted a great city through sheer personal might, was the populace of Heavenly Star thoroughly shaken to their core. Li Hao sighed inwardly, feeling a touch of helplessness. In truth, those other tasks were the ones that truly consumed blood and sweat. In the end... practical accomplishments were indeed outshone by empty spectacle. If not for the Great Desolation, he would never have conceived of moving cities. Yet the results were astonishingly good! Li Hao smiled and let it pass. It was a good thing; so long as he didn't rely entirely on this power, borrowing it when available and discarding it when not could yield miraculous results! Soon, Li Hao resumed his relocations. City after city rose into the air, traversing the Eastern Continent. The cheers of the populace had long grown hoarse. Gradually, the shouting quieted, yet the eyes of every onlooker shone with blazing light. The man displayed on the sky screens was someone they would never forget for the rest of their lives! Countless people felt their blood boil with passion. They too wanted to cultivate diligently; they too wanted to achieve this. The new Dao had just arisen, and everyone had a chance. Opening three hundred and sixty acupoints could grant such power—it completely upended their understanding. At this moment, regardless of whether they had trusted Li Hao before, countless masses began worshiping and revering him with fanatical devotion. ... Meanwhile, in the Great Desolation. The King of Dahuang paid no heed to any of this. Leading the Dahuang army, he swiftly marched into the lands Li Hao had abandoned, expanding his territory as the aura of chaos rolled relentlessly forward. Across from them, the Heavenly Star Army continued their resistance, but it was no longer as fierce as before. Seeing this, the desolate beasts grew thrilled, caring nothing for Li Hao's city relocations. One city after another disappeared. Across the East Sea, great cities gradually took root. Earth-element experts frantically exerted their divine abilities, spreading soil, reclaiming land from the sea, and linking the cities together. Fully filling the East Sea would not be the work of a single day. One day, two days, three days... The cities multiplied, and on the sky screens, Li Hao hauled them day after day without showing fatigue. Though the people of Heavenly Star no longer stared at the screens every second, every time they looked up, an overwhelming sense of awe gripped them! The fire in their eyes burned three degrees hotter. Li Hao, meanwhile, was brimming with vigor. He had expected to be exhausted... and indeed, it was grueling, but with the influx of the populace's faith, the power of the Great Dao continuously surged into his body. With the entire populace cultivating like madmen, dozens of acupoints opened within him without him even actively cultivating. Li Hao was rapidly unlocking acupoints, preparing to complete his second cycle of three hundred and sixty acupoints and unlock the second tier of his Sword Dao divine ability. Where was the logic in this? He had accomplished so many great deeds, yet none compared to working as a laborer hauling cities! Fighting the God Nation, battling Neo-Martial figures, slaying traitors, advancing education, spreading the new Dao, developing infrastructure, building martial academies... in the end, none of it measured up to carrying cities. People in this world were indeed shallow. Li Hao lost count of how many times he complained inwardly! In truth, Neo-Martial people were the same. The Battle Heaven Army had grown fiercely devoted to him simply because he had moved their ancient city once. Now, having begun moving cities again, the people of Heavenly Star worshipped him to the absolute extreme. *If I had known this earlier... I wouldn't have bothered with anything else. I would have just hauled things around every day.* Naturally, he was beaming with joy, thoroughly enjoying the process. Not bad at all! Perhaps by the time he finished moving all the cities, he might have unlocked half of the second tier of his Sword Dao divine ability, if not the whole thing! How much grueling cultivation time would that save him? A single day yielded gains equivalent to a month of bitter training. Opening over ten acupoints a day was absurd. Under normal circumstances, despite his rapid progress, it took several days to open just one. Now, a whole batch opened daily! A complete Sword Dao divine ability required three thousand six hundred acupoints. Li Hao even mused that if he kept working as a mover, opening over ten a day and hauling cities for half a year, he might advance directly into a top-tier powerhouse with three thousand six hundred acupoints. Of course, that was wishful thinking. In truth, as Li Hao moved more cities... the effect began to wane, and the initial frenzy gradually settled. ... As Li Hao continued hauling, cities vanished one after another. The chaotic aura of the Great Desolation pushed steadily forward, drawing ever closer to Dingbian Province. At this moment, the King of Dahuang led his army near the borders of Dingbian, a strange glint in his eyes. Li Hao had not contacted him again. Nor had he contacted Li Hao. Yet he deduced that this had to be the place! Any further, and they would punch straight through the Eastern Continent. Looking back at the trail of countless lakes in their wake... the King of Dahuang felt utterly helpless. They had conquered vast swathes of land, but it had all been reduced to black craters and flooded lakes. The desolate beasts were thrilled, but he couldn't muster any excitement. He had previously thought Li Hao would leave some territory intact... but that fellow had truly left them nothing! ... The ruins of Star Suppressing City. As the aura of the Great Desolation drew nearer, the Old Turtle's avatar spoke with a solemn expression: "Then we must trouble Senior Yu this time! Li Hao abandoned half the continent precisely to bring the Great Desolation into contact with the ruins of Star Suppressing City. Those desolate beasts only care about the eight main cities and pay little heed to other ruins, so they haven't paid much attention here... If Senior can slay those beasts, the Great Desolation will be eradicated, and the second resurgence can be initiated!" Yu Hai's eyes flickered, and he nodded. "Set your mind at ease! However... regarding Battle Heaven City... can you truly not relocate it here? Alone, I may not be able to contend with multiple Saint desolate beasts..." Before the Old Turtle could speak, the avatar of "Wu Peng" suddenly chimed in, "At the critical moment, Battle Heaven City will appear!" "Commander Wu!" Li Fuhai barked in reprimand, but "Wu Peng" remained placid. "Senior is taking great risks; there is no need for us to stay on guard constantly. As soldiers, it is better to speak plainly! Senior, our primary task is still guarding against Hurricane City. Handling the desolate beasts will still rely on Senior and Li Hao himself. However, should danger arise, we will relocate Battle Heaven City and rush into the fray!" Yu Hai's eyes shifted. He glanced at Wu Peng and smiled. "Very well. It is only right to maintain vigilance. As for Commander Wu, while being straightforward suits a soldier, one shouldn't say everything out loud." "Wu Peng's" avatar said calmly, "The Battle Heaven Army fears nothing!" Yu Hai smiled without replying. The aura of chaos had already begun drifting across the distance. Looking toward the horizon, Yu Hai let a faint smile emerge. Hurricane City... had sent people! The desolate beasts were coming too! And Battle Heaven City! If all went smoothly, this could be the chance to take down the Great Desolation in one fell swoop, initiate the second resurgence, seize Battle Heaven City, and crush several Saints. Under the world's resurgence, the seal wouldn't break; this was practically heaven-sent fortune! The remaining main cities posed no threat and could soon be eliminated, unlocking the boundary points to claim the relics left within, counter the Red Moon Sovereign, and secure the Silver Moon realm once and for all! A hundred thousand years of waiting... success seemed right before his eyes! A glint of amusement surfaced in Yu Hai's eyes. And all of this was thanks to Li Hao. He hadn't expected Li Hao to let the Great Desolation advance so effortlessly, allowing it to border Star Suppressing City. He even wondered if the Will of Heaven, anxious for a resurgence, had influenced Li Hao into acting this way. After all, a second resurgence was beneficial to the Will of Heaven as well. Perhaps this was simply reality. "Soon... I can already sense the aura of chaos!" Yu Hai chuckled softly. "It has been a long time since I last took action. Fellow Daoists, your avatars need only wait behind me shortly... Slaying desolate beasts is our bounden duty!" He could hardly wait!