Zhenxing Ruins

Boundless City. The flesh and blood energy of nine Saints permeated the world. Although the power of origin was not of much use to the new path, fleshly energy, immortal power, and high-grade energies were tremendously beneficial to everyone's cultivation. At this moment, Li Hao frowned slightly. Everyone was unsealing acupoints at a remarkable pace. Yet… he felt a lingering concern. He had realized that the blood essence of the demon race—or rather, the desolate beasts—and even the blood essence of humans, had an extraordinary accelerating effect when absorbed into acupoints. The speed was astonishing! That was a good thing. However, it was also a bad thing. If this became widespread, it could provoke slaughter between humans and demons, or even among humans themselves. Slaying opponents and harvesting their blood essence to open acupoints was several times—perhaps even ten times—faster than normal! How many people could resist such temptation? Right now, as a drop of desolate beast blood merged into his body, an acupoint opened swiftly, far faster than ordinary practice. He was not the only one; everyone had noticed. In the past, people rarely fought or killed demons, so they had felt little of this effect. Today, however, everyone gained some inkling of it. Acupoints opened at breakneck speed. The blood of these desolate beasts was exceptionally nourishing. Whether that was due to their beastly nature or their status as Saints remained unclear. All around him, people were opening Dao meridians in rapid succession. With nine full Saints slain, and relatively few Sun Moon experts on Li Hao's side, there had been a vast gulf between them and their fallen foes. The overflowing energy was more than enough to elevate the entire group by a significant margin. Director Zhao let out a long breath, officially stepping into the seventh tier of the Sun Moon realm. Not far away, Wang Ye also let out a low shout. His vital energy surged as Dao meridians opened, pushing him into the seventh tier of the Sun Moon realm as well. Li Hao raised an eyebrow. Director Wang had previously only been in the Immortal Realm, which equated to the mid-Sun Moon tier. Yet, upon switching to the new path, he had advanced rather than regressed, reaching the seventh tier with such speed. The seventh tier of the Sun Moon realm was already stronger than some peak Immortals. Li Hao felt a sense of emotion. Director Wang had been the first Neo-Martial expert to switch paths; it seemed he truly possessed remarkable fortune. Putting the thought aside, several weapons materialized before Li Hao. Nine of them. They belonged to nine young individuals from Sovereign lineages—or young, at least in appearance. During the battle of Boundless City, Jiang Yingli and the other Sovereign descendants who chose to cast their lot with the new era had made their stand and paid the price. Sacrificing themselves to sink into complete dormancy once more, they had suppressed Boundless City's City Lord token. With the Starry Sky Sword having detonated, Li Hao's side had been powerless against the token. In the end, the nine Sovereign descendants had forcefully suppressed it, extinguishing the Supreme's contingency. Li Hao had promised to revive them. One good turn deserved another. Since they had chosen the new era and chosen him, now that the opportunity was here, he naturally would not abandon them. One after another, new physical bodies took shape in his hands. These were no ordinary vessels. They were forged from the vital energy and flesh of Saints, and even of a Heavenly King. Li Hao continuously purified this energy, drawing upon vast quantities from the Spring of Life to sculpt the bodies… After working for a while, he glanced at Jiang Yingli's sculpted form and suddenly felt like laughing. He remembered how she had accused him of peeking last time… and how someone had mentioned that her true self was actually plumper than the body he had made, claiming she had underreported her measurements. In that case… should he restore her original build? Li Hao fell into contemplation. If he made her slightly plumper, would she wake up and die of fury? Chuckling to himself, he still shaped her into her previous appearance. Since the lady didn't want to be fat, he might as well grant her wish. Soon, nine bodies were fully formed. This time, Li Hao took even greater care. Last time, due to limited resources, he had only forged thirty-six Dao meridians, having harvested merely a portion of a Quasi-Heavenly King's flesh rather than the whole. This time, a genuine Heavenly King had been slain, so there was no shortage of materials. Li Hao carved and polished with meticulous precision, bringing Dao meridians into existence one by one. He even made custom adjustments to make them more suited for opening meridians. Their spiritual power remained intact, merely dormant, so merging with the bodies would not be difficult. However, Li Hao could not manifest every single Dao meridian of the human form; he had not even achieved that in himself. In the future, once they opened all these predetermined meridians, discovering new ones would be quite arduous… Li Hao could do nothing about that; it would depend on their own fortunes. A reconstructed body, after all, was not a natural-born one. In terms of latent potential, it still fell short of contemporary humans. But then… how many people ever truly cultivated to that extreme? When they reached that height, a solution would present itself. With that in mind, Li Hao continued sculpting the meridians. This time, he intended to forge 360 Dao meridians for each of them. Cultivating them to the absolute limit would grant the power of a Half-Emperor, though whether any of them could walk that far remained uncertain. Li Hao drew upon immense reserves of energy. Around their intrinsic divine weapons, small dragons materialized, swiftly sinking into the newly sculpted flesh. After an indeterminate amount of time, nine radiant bodies lay before him. Li Hao studied them briefly, then draped garments over each of them. Staring too long was an assault on the eyes. Besides, remembering that the energy originated from desolate beasts and Zheng Hongyuan… Li Hao felt not the slightest stirring of desire. Skeletons dressed in pink; no matter how alluring the exterior, it could not change the fact that they were bundles of harvested flesh. The nine bodies hovered around Li Hao. All that remained was to awaken their spiritual power. However, since all nine had fallen into a profound slumber, stirring them was no simple task. Yet Li Hao had prepared for this. Instead of waking them directly, he brought their bodies into the Bright Star Realm in an instant. The nine figures stood in distinct regions of the starry river. Above Li Hao's head, a divine character hovered. The character for "Dao"! A grand, echoing resonance burst from the divine character, like the voice of the Great Dao itself, washing over their physical vessels. In the starry river, several faint, dim stars emerged. Those were the stars of the new path they had previously left behind. With their spirits dormant, the stars had long since faded. Now, stirred by the voice of the Great Dao, the stars began to flicker with faint light. Slender threads connected the bodies to their respective stars. Li Hao watched, thoroughly satisfied. He now understood these principles far more deeply than before. Previously, he might have had to resort to forceful awakening, which would have inflicted severe trauma on their spiritual power, requiring immense time to heal. Now, by using the "Dao" divine character to communicate with their intrinsic stars, they could awaken naturally. Though they would be weak, their foundations would remain unblemished. Gradually, the bodies began to tremble. A faint trace of spiritual power showed signs of reviving. Li Hao continued to vibrate the divine character, sending waves of Great Dao power surging into the stars. His face paled slightly; expending this power cost him something as well. Still, he did not mind. When these nine students from Yuanping Martial Arts University and descendants of Sovereigns had chosen to step forward and make a stand, Li Hao, as a martial artist of the jianghu, naturally understood the debt of gratitude he owed. After a long while, a star flared with light. One of the bodies began to shudder. The spiritual power dormant within its weapon began to stir, and eyelids twitched. Presently, one of the nine slowly opened their eyes. Before them stretched a sky full of stars! "Is this the realm beyond death?" the figure murmured. Silver Moon possessed no such multitude of stars; seeing this expanse, she naturally assumed she was no longer in Silver Moon. Where am I? Shouldn't death bring absolute oblivion? Or dissipation into endless darkness? "Is the realm of death truly so beautiful?" Li Hao's voice echoed with a hint of amusement. "Today has brought one joyous event after another. Seeing you awaken takes a great weight off my mind." Jiang Yingli turned her head abruptly, freezing in surprise. The next instant, she frantically patted her cheeks, then felt her body, and then checked the two swellings on her chest… Dark lines formed across Li Hao's brow. You just woke up from the dead, and that's the first thing you check? "I'm… alive?" Jiang Yingli cried out in delight! Li Hao remarked flatly, "You were never dead to begin with. Your spiritual power was merely exhausted, plunging you into slumber. You old folks had formidable spirits in your day, so you survived." "Hahaha! I'm alive!" Jiang Yingli paid no mind to his dry tone, bursting into wild laughter. She had come back to life again! Having slumbered for a hundred thousand years, only to wake and immediately sink back into dormancy, she had felt utter despair. She had never imagined she would draw breath once more. "How many years has it been?" she asked hurriedly. "About a month." "What?" "About a month!" "No way!" So fast this time? Jiang Yingli was stunned. By then, the others nearby had also begun opening their eyes. Overhearing the exchange, they were equally taken aback. So short? They had assumed years had slipped by. Of course, they had not expected too long a span; if too much time had passed, they might never have had the chance to awaken at all. Still, a single month was extraordinarily brief. No wonder it had felt like closing their eyes for only an instant. The group exchanged glances. Unlike Jiang Yingli, they carefully examined their new bodies and inspected their conditions. To their astonishment, their vessels were far more powerful than before. There were vastly more Dao meridians as well. It felt… not a whit inferior to their original bodies. Had this disaster turned out to be a blessing in disguise? Where was this place? "This is the Bright Star Realm, the universe of the Great Dao!" A stir went through them. They looked around at the canopy of stars, then located their own, feeling an unmistakable resonance. Wonder showed on their faces. This is the universe of the Great Dao? Li Hao looked at them and said, "This place is ideal for opening meridians. You've just awakened, and the energy in your bodies is abundant. Seize this chance to cultivate. Your vessels were forged from the flesh and blood of a Heavenly King; their durability is immense, so you need not fear straining them!" Without another word, they sat cross-legged and began to cultivate. Their stars breathed in the essence of heaven and earth, channeling strands of Great Dao power toward them, while the divine character for "Dao" continued to radiate energy. Jiang Yingli sat down to cultivate as well, glancing up at Li Hao before blurting out, "You should take that divine character back…" "Focus on your cultivation!" Li Hao replied calmly. Jiang Yingli muttered under her breath, cursing him silently for failing to recognize good intentions. Setting talk aside, they focused entirely on their cultivation. Because the Dao meridians had just been forged, opening them proceeded without a hitch. Though their spiritual power remained somewhat frail, it was recovering swiftly. Surrounded by an abundance of Great Dao power, and possessing prior experience from their previous unsealings, they unlocked acupoint after acupoint in rapid succession. Before long, they had regained the Mountain Sea realm. The nine pressed on, finding the process far easier than the last time. Acupoints opened faster and faster. After an unknown stretch of time, they ceased their cultivation. By now, the energy within their bodies had been nearly exhausted and absorbed, and Li Hao had retracted the divine character for "Dao." Each of them had unsealed 225 acupoints, bringing them to the peak of the Mountain Sea realm. Opening any more would push them into the Sun Moon realm. Li Hao spoke: "Rest for a moment and carefully perceive the power of Mountain Sea. Stepping into Sun Moon is a matter of a single breath, but because you opened points so rapidly, your comprehension of Mountain Sea remains shallow. While Mountain Sea cannot compare to the Peak Realm, this is the new path; it does no harm to experience it thoroughly." None of them objected. Jiang Yingli glanced around, her gaze suddenly catching something in the distance. There appeared to be a massive city over there. "That is…" "Battle Heaven City." "What?" They were utterly shocked. Battle Heaven City was inside the universe of the Great Dao? How could that be possible! "I moved it here!" Well, that settled it. They could only marvel in awe. This man was truly terrifying—he had actually relocated an entire primary city. More importantly, the fact that it could be moved meant Battle Heaven City had thrown its full allegiance behind him. "Was Boundless City taken?" Jiang Yingli and the others hurried closer to Li Hao. Having fallen dormant during the fight, they had not seen the final outcome. "Yes," Li Hao nodded slightly. "It was taken. Not just Boundless City—you saw Battle Heaven City as well. In addition, we slaughtered a fellow who ran the counterfeit Zhenxing City ruins: Zheng Hongyuan of the Zheng family." The group was stunned. Hadn't he just said they were only asleep for about a month? How was even Zheng Hongyuan dead? "Let's head outside first!" Li Hao offered no further explanation. A colossal dragon surfaced within his body, opening a passage, and in an instant, he brought them out of the Bright Star Realm. …… Boundless City. The group materialized. Jiang Yingli stiffened slightly, sensing the surroundings and drawing in a sharp breath. The auras surging nearby were turbulent; why were there so many powerful figures? Soon, she took in the crowd around them. Everyone's aura was rising and churning, noticeably stronger than before. More notably, she spotted several figures from the Neo-Martial era. In particular, when she saw the ox, she froze. That… wasn't that Li Fuhai of the Shui Li clan? That was an expert at the Saint level! More importantly, he was a direct descendant of a Sovereign. The Shui Li clan was not inferior to her Jiang family. Aside from the Heavenly Hound, that lineage was practically the most formidable among the demon race. "Sea Suppressing Envoy Fuhai?" Jiang Yingli looked toward him. Li Fuhai glanced at the group, nodding his massive ox head slightly. "That you managed to survive is a stroke of fortune! If the Star Gate opens and you can return to Neo-Martial, that will be an even greater fortune…" Then, adopting the tone of an elder, he chided, "Still, as Sovereign descendants, nine of you couldn't even suppress a City Lord token. It seems all these years have made you quite useless." "……" The Sovereign descendants felt an uncomfortable lump in their throats, thoroughly rendered speechless. This fellow was lecturing them like a patriarch, and yet they had no ground to push back. General Locust and the others would never speak to them this way because they were Sovereign descendants while General Locust was not. Yet this ox was a legitimate third-generation descendant of a Sovereign. In terms of status, across the breadth of Silver Moon, perhaps only Zhang An could barely hold an edge over him. Even then, Zhang An's official position had not been exceptionally high; who held greater standing between the two would still depend on martial prowess. Having just been taken to task by an ox, they had nothing to say, standing dry-mouthed and silent. Old Turtle and the other ancient figures cast sideways glances, keeping their silence, but secretly chuckling inside. The students from Yuanping Martial Arts University possessed exceedingly high status, and the others usually treated them with great deference. Seeing them rebuked by an ox made for quite a spectacle. Li Hao interrupted the exchange. "You've finished your cultivation!" Li Hao surveyed the crowd and nodded. "Not bad. Nine Saints were not slaughtered in vain, though it is somewhat regrettable that killing nine Saints only produced a single new Saint on our side…" Only Redwood had broken through to the Saint tier. Among the others, on the Silver Moon side, Lin Hongyu had actually reached the seventh tier of the Sun Moon realm—nine times out of ten, Redwood had given her private benefits. Redwood had resolved to focus on the Dao of Chaos; though his path had not yet formally linked, he had left some imprints in the chaotic region. Absorbing chaotic aura more swiftly, he could convert it into other energies and quietly feed them to Lin Hongyu. Thus, Lin Hongyu was fortunate enough to become the second expert on the Silver Moon side to achieve the seventh tier of Sun Moon after Director Zhao, setting aside Director Wang for the moment. Meanwhile, Sky Sword, Huang Yu, Qian Wuliang, and Hong Yitang had only reached the mid-Sun Moon tier, though each had stepped into the sixth tier. They were not far from the seventh tier now. It was a respectable result. A number of others had formally broken into the Sun Moon realm as well. Latecomers like Dao Jian had seized this opportunity to cross the threshold, substantially bolstering Li Hao's cadre of Sun Moon experts. Director Zhou had never switched his physical body, and Li Hao had not pressured him to do so. This time, the director had made considerable progress as well; from the look of his aura, his physical body had likely entered the Immortal Realm. Li Hao was somewhat puzzled by Director Zhou's persistence. The new path was indeed far easier to cultivate than the origin path. Now that the origin universe was absent, Director Zhou still persisted… Perhaps the person who had helped him reconstruct his body held a deeply personal connection to him. Much like Li Hao's own master, perhaps Director Zhou could not bring himself to abandon a vessel bought with someone's life, leaving him no choice but to push stubbornly along the origin path. Had Director Zhou switched bodies earlier, his strength might not have lagged behind Director Zhao and the others. He had originally been quite formidable. Lin Hongyu and her peers had once been inferior to him. Liu Yan and her companions had grown stronger as well, though none had crossed into the mid-Sun Moon tier; they remained at the third tier, somewhat behind the veteran martial artists in individual strength. Yet the five of them walked the Dao of the Five Elements; when fighting together, their combined power would not be weak. Only now did a smile touch Li Hao's face. The mid-tier of Sun Moon was equivalent to the Immortal Realm. Not bad at all! In a short span, the Silver Moon martial artists had advanced by leaps and bounds; their ranks were truly well-stocked and formidable now! Furthermore, Jiang Yingli and her companions had revived. The Battle Heaven regiment commanders who had switched paths earlier had also made significant strides, as had the former Silver commanders of the Heavenly Star Army… All of it was quite promising! "This battle can be considered a resounding victory!" Li Hao addressed the gathering. "Moving forward, Governor Lin, you will follow the established routine and attend to your duties. The governors of the four quarters will coordinate with the Demon Hunting Martial Guard to garrison the other ancient cities!" "For now, ignore Hurricane City! Our target… is locked on the Western Divine Kingdom!" Li Hao continued measuredly: "Additionally, I will meet with the King of Dahuang and the other leaders of Dahuang shortly. Those individuals may move freely, but that white horse must not leave Boundless City at will. Boundless City requires a supreme expert to oversee it!" He looked around at the crowd, his gaze finally resting on Li Fuhai: "Senior Fuhai, could you oversee Boundless City?" "Understood!" Li Fuhai agreed without hesitation. He understood Li Hao's reasoning: if the white horse ran outside and was slain, it would trigger an immediate second resurgence. He was well aware of the stakes. With him, a Saint, guarding Boundless City, and the outside world still unable to support the passage of Saints, this place would be completely secure. Li Hao nodded. He made no further assignments. Just as he was about to conclude, he noticed Qian Wuliang looking at him with an expectant gaze. The fellow had taken several massive risks recently, and while his strength had improved, he had failed to reach the seventh tier of Sun Moon. The rewards did not quite match the risks. Reaching the seventh tier would have made the perils worthwhile, but as it stood… he clearly yearned for more. Traveling to Dali, impersonating Li Hao, confronting multiple Saints… every single task had been a brush with death. Li Hao had resented him in the past, but he no longer harbored that anger. Seeing Qian Wuliang watching him cautiously, Li Hao considered for a moment and said, "Furthermore, Qian Wuliang…" "Subordinate is here!" Qian Wuliang stepped forward at once. When Li Hao previously assigned posts to the various experts—the governors of the four quarters, the Heavenly Star Governor, the Chief Administrative Overseer—every position had been filled. Qian Wuliang remained alone, without an official title. Li Hao looked at him with a faint smile. "The capable carry heavier burdens. Currently, there are three ancient cities I still need to evaluate—the Zhao family's Wulin Alliance, the Hong family's Thunderstorm City, and the Zhang family's Dingtian City—to determine whether we must storm them by force or leave them be… I need you to serve as an envoy to these three ancient cities!" "As for the Zhou family's Galaxy City… I cannot yet determine whether it is among the traitorous cities. If possible, you will need to serve as an envoy there as well." "You will temporarily assume the post of Pacification and Chastisement Commissioner! Whether to attack, punish, make peace, or negotiate… you shall decide after completing your diplomatic missions!" Qian Wuliang's expression flickered. The post of Pacification and Chastisement Commissioner was nothing exceptional, nor was serving as an envoy, but the crux was… he had the authority to decide on military campaigns? This… this was enormous! Li Hao had placed the authority to wage war against Neo-Martial factions entirely in his hands… The next instant, catching sight of Old Turtle and the others from the corner of his eye, Qian Wuliang drew in a sharp breath. Heavens above, this is another colossal pitfall! If he advocated for eradication… would these Neo-Martial Saints treat him politely? If he advocated for peace, would the Silver Moon martial artists treat him politely? My god! The Marquis's calculation… does this mean he values me immensely, or does it not? Whichever he chose, he was bound to offend one faction! The Silver Moon martial artists were bent on conquest, while Neo-Martial figures like Old Turtle believed these major cities had not betrayed the realm and wanted negotiation and alliance, not bloodshed. Alienating either side was unavoidable. Was this designed to turn him into a completely isolated official? Enlightenment dawned on him. Li Hao did value him, but… he had to play the role of an isolated minister without a faction. Suppressing his swirling thoughts, Qian Wuliang said hastily, "Rest assured, Marquis! I will carry out my duties with utmost fidelity and ascertain the truth. If a city has rebelled, we will march against it! If a city has not, I will hold them to terms…" Li Hao nodded. "This mission carries genuine peril. After all, the primary cities harbor Saints, and you are only at the sixth tier of Sun Moon, short of the seventh. Thus… I bestow upon you a suit of golden armor for your protection!" Golden battle armor! Both Boundless City and Battle Heaven City possessed them. Yet until now, Li Hao had never distributed them. Currently, aside from himself wearing Wu Peng's army commander armor, the Silver Moon martial artists had silver battle armor, but golden armor had remained unissued. Qian Wuliang's expression stirred. Golden armor… worn by division commanders. To this day, Li Hao's subordinates held various titles, but the highest military rank remained regiment commander; no division commander had been appointed. Although Li Hao had not explicitly named him a division commander… granting him the golden armor made him the foremost figure in the military hierarchy. Li Hao did not waste words, tossing a set of golden armor into his hands. Qian Wuliang said hurriedly, "Thank you for the bestowal, Marquis!" "You have accumulated outstanding military merits; you have earned it!" Turning back to the crowd, Li Hao added, "Director Wang Ye, you will accompany Qian Wuliang on this mission. It is best to have someone familiar with the primary cities to avoid misunderstandings. I approach these cities with goodwill, but the situation is murky. If they are willing to cooperate and purge traitors, I have no desire to move against them. The Red Moon's power has infiltrated deeply, and there are many spies… I hope you all understand." None of the ancient figures objected, nodding in unison. That was simply the truth. Even Wu Peng had betrayed them… To be frank, even Old Turtle and the others felt deep chagrin, realizing the other cities could hardly be trusted blindly. Otherwise, objections would have been voiced. Yet if an army commander of Battle Heaven could turn traitor, who couldn't? If the other families were willing to cooperate and root out treason, that would be ideal. If they refused… there was no other way. With friend and foe indistinguishable, none could expect Li Hao to sit idly by. Director Zhao spoke up: "Marquis, should the migration of the four outer continents proceed?" "Proceed!" Li Hao nodded. "Director Zhao and Governor Lin will oversee this matter. Both of you have reached the seventh tier of Sun Moon. Moving cities remains somewhat difficult… but with Senior Fuhai piloting Boundless City to assist, it will be feasible! We must unify the four continents and relocate the seawater… I only conducted a rudimentary relocation earlier; leaving the waters of the four seas unaddressed will breed massive hidden disasters!" "Muster the world's water-affinity and earth-affinity practitioners to assist. Furthermore, relocating cities will cause climatic shifts that may disrupt agriculture; Director Zhao must assign specialists to guide the populace!" Finally, Li Hao looked at Redwood: "The world can now support the presence of the Immortal Realm. The Monster Plant Army must assist in stabilizing the land, nurturing the soil, and preparing it for crops!" Redwood accepted the command promptly: "The Monster Plant Army will ensure the stabilization of heaven and earth! We will also aid the realm in cultivating more grain… improving the climate and enriching the soil… though it will require a certain expenditure of energy…" "There are still remnants in the Heavenly Star Great Mine. Send people to excavate them completely. Use whatever resources we have; there is no need to hoard them!" "By your command!" Redwood felt a surge of joy. This meant the Monster Plant Army could now walk freely across the land; aside from him, a newly ascended Saint, the world was ready to accommodate Immortals. Freedom, in truth, represented trust. Li Hao's willingness to entrust them with important tasks was proof of that trust. Indeed, intercepting the lightning tribulation earlier had borne fruit. Director Zhao and the others felt a wave of emotion as well. These Neo-Martial figures had truly changed. Previously aloof and indifferent, they now took the initiative to accept assignments. Li Hao continued, "There is one more matter. Some soldiers of the Battle Heaven Army have revived; leaving them inside Battle Heaven City is no longer appropriate—it is too lonely! Now that they are back, let them come out and accomplish something." He looked toward the Ninth Division Commander and the others: "The world has changed, and so has the era. It is necessary for everyone to step out and engage with it! Let the revived soldiers of Battle Heaven serve as instructors and squad captains within the Demon Hunting Army, permeating the rank and file! Blend them into a unified whole, integrating them into this era… The spirit of Battle Heaven must endure. I hope that the more than one million soldiers of the Demon Hunting Army can embody the same indomitable spirit as the Battle Heaven Army!" The Ninth Division Commander frowned slightly. "I have no objection; veterans training recruits is an ancient tradition. However… the two sides hold different ranks, and differences remain… Achieving complete integration will require military reforms…" Those revived division commanders possessed Immortal Realm combat power—how should they be positioned? How should experts like the Eighth Division Commander be accommodated? What of Silver Moon's own governors, or Huang Yu, the supreme commander of the three armies? And what of himself? He understood Li Hao's desire to absorb Battle Heaven into the Demon Hunting Army, but the two operated under distinct systems, involving matters of interest and command. Battle Heaven City had practically been subsumed by Li Hao. Since resistance was impossible… he had to secure benefits for his fellow Neo-Martial comrades. "Integrate the rank and file first; the high-level combat forces must remain concentrated for now," Li Hao said. "Our current enemies are predominantly supreme experts, so there is no need to fuss over organizational details just yet." At this moment, Empress Dowager Shuiyun, who had kept an exceptionally low profile, finally spoke up: "Marquis, Dahuang has surrendered. Their million-strong elite, while not matching the Demon Hunting Army, remains a potent fighting force. How should they be settled?" Her Shuiyun army had been converted into a navy, and the four seas were about to be filled in… In asking about Dahuang, she was also probing the future of her own forces. Li Hao pondered for a moment before replying, "Dahuang's forces are primarily cavalry. With the Divine Kingdom's elites utterly crushed, Dahuang will demobilize five hundred thousand troops, retaining around three hundred thousand… Station them in the west to guard against the Divine Kingdom!" Dahuang was tricky to handle, but he had promised the King of Dahuang that suitable arrangements would be made. He glanced at Empress Dowager Shuiyun and added, "If the four seas are filled in, the Shuiyun Army will remain unchanged, merely repositioned from the five continents to the outer perimeter of the Bright Star Continent for defense! Furthermore… instruct the research department to see if they can construct formidable warships!" "Warships?" Several people looked puzzled. At present, warships offered little practical value and consumed immense resources. Why did Li Hao want research to produce warships? Boundless City and Battle Heaven City possessed a few, though not many; most had been taken away when the Sword Venerable campaigned across the starry cosmos. Li Hao merely raised the idea without elaborating. Having issued the basic directives, he did not dwell on specifics. "Black Panther, follow me. I am going to inspect the ruins of Zhenxing City… Protector Turtle and Sea Suppressing Envoy Fuhai will accompany me. The rest of you, attend to your duties!" "Understood." The two Saints answered. The party of four—in truth, one man and three beasts—set off directly for the ruins of Zhenxing City. Li Hao brought no others, primarily out of caution against unexpected developments. Zheng Hongyuan had previously sought to lure descendants of the Eight Great Families into the ruins; entering might trigger unforeseen dangers for them. Of course, Li Hao possessed the bloodline of the Li family himself, and he had brought the characters for "Battle Heaven" with him just in case. Bringing Black Panther was simply because the hound had just exited seclusion, and Li Hao wanted to let it stretch its legs. …… The Zhenxing ruins. The tree that had once verged on gaining sentience had now withered. Li Hao stepped inside, and the others swiftly followed. Upon entering, Li Fuhai marveled, "It is practically identical to the Zhenxing City of old! It seems Zheng Hongyuan spared no effort in constructing this counterfeit city!" Li Hao cast his eyes about. Nothing particularly stood out; the architecture was ordinary, bearing an ancient patina that felt slightly distinct from standard Neo-Martial ruins, as though hailing from an even older epoch. Treading upon the bluestone paving, Li Hao probed his surroundings. There appeared to be no other living beings; Zheng Hongyuan had been entirely alone. The city was steeped in dead silence. Naturally, the energy within remained exceedingly rich. The ancient city was divided into twelve districts arranged in a fan shape, corresponding to the twelve families of Zhenxing from antiquity. At the center stood a grand hall. According to Li Fuhai, it was modeled after the Zhenxing Deliberation Hall. In ancient times, the supreme figures of Zhenxing City had gathered there to resolve momentous affairs. Li Hao searched the area, frowning slightly. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Where was the seam where the Blood Sovereign had severed the continent? "Let's check the Deliberation Hall." The most prominent structure was that central hall. The group made their way there swiftly. Outside the hall stood several statues. Li Fuhai explained again: "In the Zhenxing City of old, thirteen statues stood outside the Deliberation Hall, representing the thirteen families. Later, one family was wiped out, leaving twelve statues to signify the twelve families governing the city together!" Li Hao counted them and said abruptly, "There are only eight statues!" Li Fuhai and Old Turtle looked over at once. Old Turtle's heart stirred: "Could this… represent the Eight Great Families of Silver Moon?" Li Hao raised his brow and inspected them closely. The features on the statues were blurred, whether deliberately left indistinct or eroded by other causes. They were merely sculpted forms, bearing no inscriptions. Probing them further, Li Hao found the statues remarkably ordinary. However, one of the statues flickered with a faint, dying radiance, as if it might extinguish at any moment. Li Fuhai studied it for a moment before speaking: "They must represent the Eight Great Families. The glowing one likely corresponds to the Zheng family! As a Heavenly King, Zheng Hongyuan had no reason to alter the original appearance of Zhenxing City with meaningless novelties… These eight statues must hold special significance." Li Hao nodded slightly, turning his gaze toward the hall encircled by the eight statues. Perhaps… the secret he sought lay within. Instead of staying with his son, Zheng Hongyuan had secluded himself here, constructing an entire city alone. He could not have done so out of idle boredom; some grand scheme had to be at play. Pondering this, Li Hao stepped into the hall. The interior was equally sparse. Eight thrones and a round table occupied the center of the hall, arranged in a ring. It gave the distinct impression of an eight-sided council! All eight thrones appeared extraordinary. A single glance revealed they had been forged from divine weapons, and of no low grade. One of the seats had a polished sheen, likely from Zheng Hongyuan sitting on it frequently, while the other seven looked relatively pristine. Yet Li Hao's brow soon furrowed. He turned his gaze toward a throne adjacent to the Zheng family seat. It was luxurious and pristine, yet… it showed signs of having been used, though whether Zheng Hongyuan had merely switched seats remained unclear. What drew his attention was a faint trace of wear upon the throne. An ordinary observer would never notice it, but Li Hao's heart stirred upon closer examination. The subtle abrasion looked as though… an overwhelming sword intent had overflowed, abrading the throne. Otherwise, a throne crafted from a divine weapon would never show wear so easily. A jolt went through Li Hao's heart! Suddenly, sword intent erupted from his body, and he barked in a low voice, "Li Daoheng! Is that you?" His sword intent swept outward in all directions! In an instant, it enveloped nearly the entire city. The two Saints were startled and immediately grew vigilant. Li Hao waited for a time, but detected no living presence. Frowning deeply, he said after a long silence, "Someone of the Li family may have visited this place!" Li Fuhai was astonished. "How could that be? This place was likely constructed before the upheaval. Zheng Hongyuan must have entered after the upheaval and never left. During the upheaval, supreme experts couldn't step outside… How could a member of the Li family come here?" Unless… it had happened after the initial resurgence. Twenty-one years ago, their avatars might have been able to walk the world. At that thought, their expressions shifted. What did this imply? It meant that after the world began to revive, someone from the Li family had been walking the realm—Li Daoheng? Li Hao's brow remained tightly knitted. The Snake King had stated that the entity guiding it possessed sword intent, and now, the ruins of Zhenxing City bore abrasions left by sword intent as well… This confirmed that a member of the Li family was indeed wandering the mortal realm beyond the seal. Sword intent was not necessarily exclusive to the Li family, but… Li Hao doubted any other sword path expert of such caliber existed. Li Daoheng was the prime suspect. He was the only known renegade expert of the Li family, someone who had actively solicited others to betray the fold. Yet why had he left no trace across the land of Silver Moon? Traces had appeared across the ancient cities, and even Zheng Hongyuan had shown himself, so why had Li Daoheng never been seen? Questions flooded Li Hao's mind. Furthermore, what had brought him here? This counterfeit Zhenxing City clearly harbored something of immense importance. Li Hao turned his eyes toward that throne. Perhaps by sitting upon it, some answers would finally come to light.