Legacy

Within the council hall. Li Hao stared at the eight thrones, lost in thought. Zheng Hongyuan had gone to immense trouble to construct a great city here and recreate Star Suppressing City. While he might have intended it as bait, it couldn't have been merely for luring prey. If that were all, he would have had far too much time on his hands. A dividing point… the world divided in eight, eight thrones, the Eight Great Families… There had to be something extraordinary about this place. Li Hao had considered it, and naturally, the others had as well. Li Fuhai said in a heavy voice, "Don't rashly sit upon them. There might be something peculiar about them—perhaps they drain the bloodline of the Eight Great Families or something similar…" One could deduce as much with a bit of guesswork. Zheng Hongyuan had continually invited the powerhouses of the Eight Great Families here, quite possibly for this exact reason. Perhaps whatever wondrous treasure lay here could only be unlocked if descendants of the Eight Great Families joined forces. What in the world had the Blood Sovereign left behind? How could anyone claim it was capable of dealing with the Red Moon Sovereign? Li Hao was intensely curious. After pondering for a while, he said, "If it is a treasure left by the Blood Sovereign, I doubt he designed it to kill us! And if it's merely a trap set by Zheng Hongyuan—well, we've already killed the man himself. Why should we fear traps left by a dead man?" If the Blood Sovereign had left a treasure, he wouldn't have made it outright fatal to them. A trial might exist… but directly slaughtering descendants of the Eight Great Families would hardly fit the character of a Sovereign. Reasonable though the argument was, the danger remained. Li Fuhai was about to speak again when Li Hao cut in: "The Sea Suppressing Envoy once said that cowering in fear is the reason some people never rise. Now that we've come this far, are we supposed to freeze in our tracks and simply give up? Walk away from an investigation just because we fear the unknown? If so, what makes us any different from the Zheng father and son?" Li Hao chuckled. "Besides… I have the favor of heaven's will and the Bright Star Realm backing me; it won't be an issue! You two Saints can guard me. If something goes wrong—if it drains my bloodline or tries to obliterate me… you two can just sever my physical body!" "What?" Both were stunned. Sever your physical body? "I'm concerned I might get ensnared in a trap and unable to break free. If you sever my body, my divine characters will remain, and they can escape into the Bright Star Realm. Rebuilding a physical body is trivial!" Hearing him say this, the two powerhouses pondered for a moment and raised no further objections. The Old Turtle thought it over once more before speaking up: "In that case… Marquis, take me with you. I am merely the spirit of a divine weapon, and divine weapons shouldn't count as foreign objects. Otherwise, if even divine weapons weren't permitted, you'd have to go in stark naked…" With those words, he transformed into a suit of armor resembling a black turtle shell. Li Hao made no objection. Reaching out, he took the turtle shell, which quickly enveloped his body, providing an extra layer of defense. "Woof, woof!" Black Panther let out a bark, looking somewhat anxious. "I'll be fine." After brief deliberation, Li Hao ignored the other seats and headed straight toward the throne bearing faint signs of sword-intent wear. *Boom!* The moment he sat, a surge of sword intent seemed to erupt, seeking to block Li Hao from taking the seat. It was exceedingly powerful, yet it was only residual intent. Li Hao gave a soft grunt, erupting with his own sword intent. *Boom!* With a thunderous crash, the residual sword intent shattered. Li Hao sat down firmly. *Boom!* Another deafening roar echoed. The instant Li Hao settled onto the throne, blinding rays of light burst forth from it. The world spun around him, and an illusionary spacetime seemed to materialize before his eyes. At that moment, a tremendous suction surged from the chair. Sure enough, just as expected, this chair was no ordinary object. It was now ravenously devouring the bloodline power within Li Hao's body. The Old Turtle's voice rang in his ear: "This thing… is a top-tier divine weapon… a weapon of a Heavenly King! This Zheng Hongyuan… what sheer audacity!" This chair was the weapon of a Heavenly King! A massive binding force locked Li Hao in place, accompanied by an even stronger devouring pull that relentlessly drew out his blood. Li Hao's expression remained tranquil. Why be astonished by something he had already anticipated? He was merely curious: what had Zheng Hongyuan spent such an exorbitant price to obtain? Devouring the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families… many people were doing just that. Ying Hongyue was doing it, the Red Moon Sovereign seemed to be doing it, and the Zheng family appeared to be doing it as well. In truth, there was nothing extraordinary about the Eight Great Families. The strongest among them had only ever been the Sword Venerable. Furthermore, the Li family did not actually possess the Sword Venerable's direct bloodline. Thus, the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families were truly rather mundane. Could there be some secret concerning the Eight Great Families that he remained unaware of? Setting aside the Sword Venerable, the strongest members of the Eight Great Families were merely Heavenly Kings. Was the bloodline of a Heavenly King really that precious? Especially after countless generations of dilution? Li Hao was indeed curious why the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families could resist the Red Moon Sovereign's power, and on what basis their bloodlines were thought capable of countering a Sovereign. "The Eight Great Families…" Li Hao muttered softly, "Turtle Guardian, release your restrictions and let it drain! I want to see what purpose it serves by absorbing my bloodline power." "This…" The Old Turtle was flabbergasted. This youth truly had no fear of death. Even though the Heavenly King was dead, traps left behind by such a figure could genuinely kill a Saint. Was Li Hao truly not worried in the slightest? It wasn't that Li Hao wasn't worried; rather, some matters simply had to be understood. He would have no peace of mind until he figured them out. A danger one could see was not truly dangerous. It was the unknown danger that he feared. The moment Li Hao lifted his restraints, heaven and earth seemed to whirl. The suction from the chair grew fiercer, and threads of red blood energy continuously seeped out, draining away from his body. Li Hao's aura weakened noticeably. By now, it felt as though they had traversed the void, arriving in another realm entirely. Where was this? Li Hao's eyes gleamed as he surveyed the surroundings. It appeared to be a vast, empty expanse of world, shrouded in a hazy mist on all sides. At the same time, the other seven chairs seemed to emerge as well, though each remained empty. Arranged in a circle from all directions, they steadily closed in toward the center. Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure bore down upon them. The pressure reminded Li Hao of one person: the Red Moon Sovereign! Back when he had glimpsed the Red Moon Sovereign within the seal, the entity had exerted a similarly terrifying, suffocating pressure. Right now, it was the exact same feeling—not the Red Moon Sovereign, but an imposing presence of identical caliber: a Sovereign! A treasure left behind by the Blood Sovereign? Li Hao's eyes flashed with golden light that pierced through the void toward the center of this world. This seemed to be an entirely separate space, another realm altogether. Where on earth was this? Black Panther and Li Fuhai had vanished from his side; only the turtle armor on his body remained. The suction from the chair continued unabated, greedily draining Li Hao's bloodline. Driven by that stolen vitality, the chair crept closer to the heart of this realm. Meanwhile, on the periphery, the other seven chairs ground to a halt, unable to advance any further! Clearly, lacking bloodline power to sustain them, the other chairs could not proceed. "Fascinating…" Li Hao's aura had weakened further, his vitality dwindling, yet he still made no move to stop the chair from draining him, allowing it to carry him forward as if traversing through layers of space. Gradually, they drew nearer to that dim, murky central expanse! "Huh…" Li Hao glanced into the distance, letting out a sound of mild perplexity. Beside him, the turtle armor trembled violently, a sensation of dread and profound awe welling up from the Old Turtle's very bones. It, too, extended a wisp of mental power to peer into the distance. Waves of Sovereign pressure rippled toward them from afar. It could faintly make out… something suspended in that place. The vision was indistinct, and every glance made the turtle feel as though its mental power were about to fracture. While the Old Turtle couldn't see clearly, Li Hao did. It was a blade—a blood-red saber. The saber was rather unusual, bearing the shape of an octagonal prism. Its blade appeared to be divided into eight facets, one of which pointed straight toward Li Hao. Light flickered in Li Hao's eyes. The Blood Sovereign's saber? He had previously seen the Sovereign's phantasm—a long saber at his waist, a longbow slung across his back. On that fateful day when the world was sundered, it was this very blood saber that had cleaved the heavens. But… why had he left his own weapon behind? What was so special about the Silver Moon? The Queen of the Human King had also left behind her personal sword. The Batian Emperor—or rather, the Iron Head Sovereign whom everyone was too embarrassed to name—had also left behind his gauntlets. Multiple top-tier Sovereigns had left their weapons here. Even the Sword Venerable had left behind his personal sword. Why? This was merely a branch world spun off from the main universe. The Silver Moon minor world hadn't even been regarded as particularly important; it was just a small world gifted to the Sword Venerable. Why, then, had so many supreme beings left their weapons here? Had Zheng Hongyuan's sole aim been to seize this blood saber? Could the Blood Sovereign's blade really contend with a Sovereign? Hardly! A weapon was ultimately just a weapon. If a Sovereign of the Red Moon couldn't even match a blade left behind by the Blood Sovereign, he might as well bash his head against a wall and die. The weapons left by the Queen of the Human King and the others seemed ordinary enough in that regard. Formidable, certainly, but claiming that a weapon alone could slay a Sovereign was utterly laughable. Li Hao was deeply perplexed. At that moment, the blood-red saber appeared to be slowly rotating. Li Hao fixed his gaze upon it, then froze… That blade was definitely out of the ordinary. Of course the Blood Sovereign's blade would be extraordinary! Yet, beyond the incomprehensibly vast pressure radiating from it, there was faintly something visible inside the blade itself… *A seal?* A thought struck Li Hao. Was this blade suppressing something? Just what was going on with this minor world? First, the Red Moon Sovereign had been sealed, the world damaged, the mineral veins vanished, and the origin dissipated. Now, it appeared the Blood Sovereign had used his own weapon to suppress something as well. Had the Silver Moon… truly been born by accident, or had those figures created it specifically to seal something away? Li Hao felt a headache coming on. Meanwhile, the chair had drained a massive amount of his vitality, yet it was now unable to advance any further. Li Hao felt that if it kept draining him, he might genuinely be sucked dry. "The Eight Great Families… Only when eight powerhouses join forces can they suppress the Sovereign pressure and draw near to that blade… So Zheng Hongyuan wanted to gather the experts of the Eight Great Families here under the guise of holding council, drain their bloodlines, and approach the blade… is that it?" This blade was bizarre. It was simply too terrifying! The pressure was overwhelming! Even as a Saint, Li Hao could not draw close to it. It was unbelievable. Clearly, Zheng Hongyuan had been unable to approach it either—and that man was a Heavenly King! Under normal circumstances, a weapon deprived of its master would never remain so formidable. For instance, the Batian Emperor's gauntlets, the Queen of the Human King's sword, and the Starry Sky Sword were all Sovereign weapons. Without their masters, their self-detonation might carry considerable lethality and even threaten a Saint, but a Heavenly King could easily subdue them with a wave of the hand. *How strange!* With that thought, Li Hao unleashed another burst of vitality, actively pouring it into the chair. The throne surged forward once more. In that instant, Li Hao saw it even more clearly! There truly was something inside that blade. It… seemed to be… a sleeping cat? A cat? Li Hao froze, his mind reeling. How could there be a cat? *Boom!* At that very moment, an awe-inspiring pressure suddenly erupted from the blade, shaking the heavens and earth. *Bang!* The throne was violently hurled backward, shattering the void. A creaking sound echoed from the turtle armor enveloping Li Hao, followed by a trembling, agonized cry: "The Emperor…" *Rumble!* The throne tore right through the boundaries of the realm, and Li Hao vanished from that space. …… *Rumble, rumble!* Deafening roars reverberated endlessly. The eight thrones reappeared. Black Panther's furious barks and Li Fuhai's horrified shouts rang in his ears. *Rumble! Boom!* Li Hao felt as though every bone in his body had been shattered, and his consciousness grew hazy. But very quickly, two colossal characters manifested in his mind: *Battle Heaven!* The instant those two characters appeared, the chaotic turmoil was instantly suppressed. Even now, the chair continued to ravenously drain Li Hao's vitality, as if intent on sucking him dry. "Marquis!" Li Fuhai's voice boomed. "Can you break free? If not… I will sever your physical body…" Li Hao had instructed him to do so himself. Evidently, Li Fuhai had called out to him repeatedly, and receiving no response, was seriously contemplating whether to cleave Li Hao's flesh. Right then, divine characters flared inside Li Hao's sea of consciousness, unleashing waves of Grand Dao energy. A miniature sword materialized and shot forth with a thunderous roar, piercing through the air and severing all connections, completely shattering the devouring force. Opening his eyes… an ox hoof was poised directly above his forehead, on the verge of coming down. "Stop!" Li Hao barked urgently. The ox hoof halted, and Li Fuhai's large bovine eyes peered down at Li Hao with lingering concern. "Are you all right, Marquis?" He had broken free? Li Hao quickly rose to his feet, feeling weak and stumbling slightly. The turtle armor slid off his body automatically, and the Old Turtle resumed his human form. His face was pale as paper, filled with sheer terror. Li Hao said nothing at first, turning to look back at the chair. He murmured, "So that's how it is!" The wear on the chair had not been left intentionally by someone casually scraping it. Someone had unleashed sword intent to break free, leaving those abrasions behind. Clearly, someone had sat here in the past, witnessed the exact same scene, and broken out. Their formidable sword intent had shattered the binding, but left its mark upon the throne. Could it have been Li Daoheng? If so… that person was remarkably powerful. A Saint? A Heavenly King? Yet he couldn't have been overwhelmingly strong. Had he been truly supreme, his control over his sword intent would have been precise enough to avoid leaving such marks. Or perhaps… had that person seen even more, making escape that much harder? Countless thoughts flashed through Li Hao's mind in an instant. Zheng Hongyuan had schemed here for countless years, all for the sake of that blade… Or perhaps the blade wasn't even the point. The true objective was the entity within the blade—the Emperor? He looked toward the Old Turtle. He had heard the Old Turtle cry out "the Emperor." And by all accounts, the Emperor referred to the Cang Emperor. Was the Cang Emperor a cat? The armor at Yuanping Martial Arts University was emblazoned with the image of a cat. The Imperial Palace guarded by Di Wei also bore a resemblance to a cat. The tree that had fed fruit to Di Wei's father back in the day… the fruit it offered had resembled a cat as well. So… the Cang Emperor really was a cat? And the Cang Emperor was sealed inside that blade? Impossible! Li Hao shook his head. How could that be? It was said that during the Neo-Martial era, the Human King and the Cang Emperor ruled heaven and earth together, sharing dominion as dual masters of the world. How could the Cang Emperor possibly have been sealed here by the Blood Sovereign? What a joke! At this moment, Li Fuhai asked in utter bewilderment, "Where did you two vanish to just now? What in the world is this chair? I searched all over, but you vanished into thin air, completely undetectable, and then suddenly popped back out…" Turning to the Old Turtle, he asked, "Little Turtle, what happened to you?" The Old Turtle remained dazed for a long while before whispering, "I… I think… I sensed the Emperor's aura…" "What?" "The Emperor's aura…" Li Fuhai began trembling all over. In an instant, it was as if he had heard the most terrifying thing imaginable, longing to flee the spot at once, gripped by sheer dread. Yet in the next breath, he snapped back to his senses and cursed vehemently, "You saw your ancestors, more like! How could that be possible? The Emperor resides in the main universe, overseeing the Origin Universe and the Yin-Yang World. There's no way he could be here… If he were really here, the world would have been turned upside down long ago!" Who was he trying to scare? The Old Turtle began doubting his own senses as well, saying with lingering dread, "Perhaps… perhaps I sensed wrongly. Or… or maybe the Emperor left something behind?" That being was truly invincible. In the Neo-Martial world, if one spoke of true invincibility, it belonged to the Human King and the Cang Emperor; even the Supreme was a step below them. After all, those two were the rulers of the universe. If the Cang Emperor were here, what room would there be for the Red Moon Sovereign to cause trouble? What room for traitors of the Neo-Martial era? Reflecting on this, the Old Turtle decided he must have been mistaken. Li Hao, however, frowned slightly and said after a long silence, "That world—the one the throne transported me to—has a blade, a blood-red saber. Inside it… there seems to be… a sleeping cat?" "What?!" Li Fuhai was petrified, his ox head nearly splitting apart in shock. All four hooves began shaking uncontrollably as he stammered, "The Blood Sovereign killed the Cang Emperor?!" "……" Li Hao looked at him, speechless. The Old Turtle was equally at a loss for words. How did your mind leap to that conclusion? Still, the Old Turtle was deeply puzzled: "That can't be right… How could this happen… The Cang Emperor couldn't possibly be here, absolutely not! If the Cang Emperor had come here, this world would be far more than just a minor world, and the Neo-Martial main universe would have lost half its energy. The entire world would have collapsed into chaos. The Cang Emperor could never leave." Both of them were utterly bewildered. Li Hao was just as confused, admitting, "I don't understand your ancient matters! But I do know why Zheng Hongyuan wanted to seize that blade. It's too powerful—just its aura alone injured two Saints. If someone could wield that blade, perhaps… it really could pose a threat to a Sovereign. But one can't even get close to it." Pausing, he added with lingering doubt, "It seems the bloodline power of the Eight Great Families allows one to draw closer… I'm genuinely curious: there's nothing particularly special about the Eight Great Families, is there? Why do so many things require their involvement?" He looked at the two Neo-Martial powerhouses, thoroughly perplexed. Aside from the Sword Venerable, the strongest members of the Eight Great Families were merely Heavenly Kings, and some had peaked only at the Saint realm. Families like these… served as gatekeepers at best. Yet whether it was the Blood Sovereign or the Sword Venerable, why did the things they left behind always tie back to the Eight Great Families? The Old Turtle was equally bewildered: "A weapon left by the Blood Sovereign is also connected to the Eight Great Families?" This surpassed its comprehension as well. The Star Gate left by the Sword Venerable made sense—the eight families governed the world, with eight keys forming a grand formation that required all eight to operate. That was understandable. But the Blood Sovereign had no reason to involve the Eight Great Families in his affairs. There was simply no necessity for it. Li Fuhai, not bothering with such theories, was still gasping for air: "The Blood Sovereign left a weapon behind too? With great enemies looming, why did all these experts leave their weapons behind? Even if the weapons weren't of much use to them, giving them to others would have been far better than leaving them in a minor world, wouldn't it?" The group exchanged glances, completely at a loss. And was there really a cat inside that blade? At the thought, Li Fuhai grew panicked again. Was the Cang Emperor truly here? Impossible! The Cang Emperor loved eating beef—that was a well-known fact. It was terrifying. Meanwhile, Li Hao continued to frown. There were certainly secrets of the Eight Great Families that he had yet to uncover. Unfortunately, Zheng Hongyuan was dead. As the family head of the Zheng family, he must have known something. As for those who remained today, such as Director Wang, they were merely collateral descendants who definitely knew nothing. The others were equally unlikely to possess the truth. With the original patriarchs of the other families long gone, perhaps… only Zheng Yu knew what was going on. Of course, if Li Daoheng had visited this place, the Li family might know something as well. "The Blood Sovereign's blade was left at the core region where he divided the world…" "And inside the blade, there is a cat…" These clues offered Li Hao no further answers. It seemed there were no immediate benefits to reap either; since they couldn't even get close, what could they possibly gain? No, wait! The next instant, Li Hao's heart stirred. Who said there were no benefits! The Sovereign pressure! It was terrifyingly formidable. Last time, when he had seen the Red Moon Sovereign, his heart had raced with terror, and he hadn't dared to keep looking for fear of being infiltrated. But what if… he used this place to comprehend the pressure of a Sovereign? Adapting to a Sovereign's pressure… was itself a form of cultivation, wasn't it? True, he couldn't get close, but by constantly sensing, contemplating, and resisting it, he was bound to gain something. This was a Sovereign, after all! Moreover, the Blood Sovereign was no ordinary Sovereign. In the Neo-Martial era, while the Human King and a few others stood at the absolute apex, figures like the Blood Sovereign ranked right alongside them at the very top, vastly stronger than lesser-known Sovereigns like Shui Li and Li Wuqi. As for who was stronger between the Sword Venerable and the Blood Sovereign… it was said that even the Sword Venerable was not quite the Blood Sovereign's match! To have the enduring pressure left by such a figure at his disposal—was that not the finest crucible for tempering himself? Furthermore, aside from losing vitality, he hadn't sustained any grievous injuries. Thinking back to the two characters *Battle Heaven* that had flared in his mind, Li Hao felt another stir of realization. He had been able to see clearly while the Old Turtle could not—could it have been related to those two words? When feeling that pressure, he had only felt its sheer power, without much fear or dread. It had lacked that sense of impending doom he had experienced when facing the Red Moon Sovereign. It wasn't that the Blood Sovereign's pressure was weak; rather, those two characters had likely been penned by the Blood Sovereign himself, thus blunting the oppressive terror. Thought after thought flashed through his mind. Li Hao pondered continuously: just how many secrets did the Silver Moon world hold? He had thought he saw through it, yet now it seemed he had barely scratched the surface. Furthermore, someone from the Li family had definitely emerged into the world! Why had they never shown themselves? Anyone not belonging to the Li family, even a sword cultivator, wouldn't have had their vitality drained in this manner, and thus would have had no cause to unleash sword intent to escape. Li Hao looked toward the eight thrones. Had these things been left behind by Zheng Hongyuan, or by the Blood Sovereign? If Zheng Hongyuan had crafted them, it meant the man had made significant discoveries of his own to have forged these eight seats. "If descendants of all Eight Great Families were present, could they approach that blade?" Li Hao fell into deep thought as he looked at the eight thrones. By his side now, he had members of the Wang family, Director Zhao as a descendant of the Zhao family, and himself from the Li family. As for the other five families—Zhou, Hong, Zheng, Liu, and Zhang—there seemed to be no known lineages left in the outside world. Of course… that fellow Ying Hongyue had gathered the bloodlines of all eight families! Li Hao wondered: if he captured that man and shoved him into the seat, could they approach the blade? Then again, forget it. Far too dangerous! If the man actually seized the blade and turned it against him, wouldn't Li Hao simply be handing him an immense boon? While Li Hao pondered, the Old Turtle and Li Fuhai were deep in thought as well, both looking conflicted. "The Blood Sovereign's blade is actually here… and… the Cang Emperor? Surely not… Could a treasure left behind by the Cang Emperor be here as well? If so… this place is of paramount importance!" The Old Turtle said gravely, "If this place is seized by outsiders, or if someone takes the Sovereign's weapon, disaster could follow! Among the many Sovereigns of Neo-Martial, the Blood Sovereign's combat strength was terrifyingly high! Had he not refused to accept the power of his predecessor—or rather, the previous generation's Emperor of Battle Heaven—he might have been… no weaker than the Human King or the Cang Emperor!" Li Hao was astonished. "That strong? Those two were world masters!" "Truly that strong!" The Old Turtle sighed with emotion. "Throughout all history, the one with the greatest innate talent was the Emperor of Battle Heaven!" "Hm? Not the Human King?" Li Hao was taken aback. Hadn't people said the Human King reached an invincible level in just a few short years? "The Human King was able to advance so rapidly because of the treasures and legacy left by the Emperor of Battle Heaven, which helped him walk his path to the very end… The Emperor of Battle Heaven himself was fully capable of slaying the greatest enemy of the Neo-Martial era, the Heavenly Emperor! Yet… he chose to forgo it." Li Hao was completely stunned. Such a thing had happened? The greatest talent throughout all history? Wasn't that a bit of an exaggeration? Li Fuhai interjected, "It wasn't quite that exaggerated… The Human King's talent was peerless as well! It's true that the Emperor of Battle Heaven possessed terrifying combat strength, but he was far too tenderhearted, treating everyone with peace and gentleness. He was a true immortal of scholarly grace down to his very bones… thus, it was difficult for him to carry out merciless slaughter…" Li Hao remained silent, sinking into contemplative thought. In that case, this blade was truly extraordinary. The Starry Sky Sword, the Queen of the Human King's sword, and the Batian Emperor's gauntlets seemed far inferior to it—though that might also be related to the cat inside. This ruin was indeed exceptionally critical. Furthermore, could that place just now be entered without using the thrones? If the thrones had been forged by Zheng Hongyuan, then it should be possible. After all, he must have entered the space while forging them; otherwise, he couldn't have linked the thrones to it. And the Blood Sovereign would have had no reason to forge eight thrones. Perhaps originally, anyone from the Eight Great Families could enter? Who knew! Li Hao checked the vitality within his body; it remained quite depleted. It seemed each entry came with severe restrictions. If he lingered too long next time, he might well be drained to death. "Let's head back first…" Li Hao glanced at the eight thrones. "At the current stage, unless all Eight Great Families assemble, taking that blade will be nearly impossible! Right now, I'd rather meet Zheng Yu and Ying Hongyue. Those two seem to know far more than I do, and both appear to be gathering the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families!" "I'm intensely curious about what makes the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families so special… Even now, I haven't felt anything particularly unique about mine. Why can it resist the power of the Red Moon?" That was the power of a Sovereign! A force that even Heavenly Kings struggled to resist, yet a weakling like Ying Hongyue could counter it using a meager amount of bloodline power from the Eight Great Families. How utterly bizarre. He truly hadn't paid much attention to this detail before! No matter how strong Ying Hongyue was, at the current stage, he was certainly no match for Li Hao. Where did he get the qualifications to resist it? He had even managed to strip away some of it—not through the Bright Star Realm, but through his own body—and merge it into the Taboo Sea. That was even stranger. The Old Turtle shook its head as well, equally at a loss. Li Fuhai, wracking its brains, said, "The Eight Great Families… I never paid them much mind before. Aside from the Sword Venerable, none of them had particularly formidable figures—hardly worth mentioning! But hearing the Marquis put it this way, it truly is odd! If you want to get to the bottom of this, perhaps only members of the Li family know, or the heads of the Eight Great Families… In any case, by the time I arrived, the Eight Great Families had already been established!" "Why those eight families were chosen to govern the world… I have no idea." It added, "Back then, there were plenty of families in the main universe far stronger than those eight, and many were willing to come to the Silver Moon." Seeing that Li Fuhai couldn't offer any real answers, Li Hao smiled. "It doesn't matter; we'll figure it out sooner or later! If we can't get it now, so be it—at least it gives us something to look forward to. Being unable to take it now doesn't mean we never will. If we truly obtain it, perhaps… we'll have a real shot at dealing with a Sovereign!" "It's just a pity that it's a saber rather than a sword… but no matter. All things can serve as a sword!" He sounded as though he had already claimed the blade as his own. After all, this ruin was now firmly under his control. Zheng Hongyuan had schemed for countless years without managing to take it; it seemed that relying purely on the strength of a Heavenly King was insufficient. In the end, it likely required the gathering of all Eight Great Families. At this moment, Li Hao recalled the words the Blood Sovereign had spoken on the day he divided the world into eight. He had warned that this world must harbor no improper ambitions, and must not attempt to break away from the main universe; otherwise, it would have to face the consequences alone… It sounded both like an admonition and a warning. He had also said he used a Heaven and Earth Array to suppress the world. Could that refer to the grand formation that previously linked the eight ancient cities? The formation currently sealing the Red Moon Sovereign seemed to be that very same array. The Sword Venerable was not adept at formations, yet using that seal, he had held a Sovereign at bay for a hundred thousand years… Perhaps it was not that the Sword Venerable's phantasm was overwhelmingly powerful, but rather that the formation left behind by the Blood Sovereign was extraordinary. This Blood Sovereign… was truly an exceptional figure! Moreover, everything the Blood Sovereign had done seemed aimed at preparing for contingencies—preventing this world from breaking away, almost as if he had anticipated that it eventually would. Li Hao felt a faint headache. Soon, however, his expression morphed into a smile, shifting as swiftly as a chameleon and leaving the two Saints perplexed. Li Hao chuckled, "This is a fine place! However, Zheng Yu likely knows something now, knowing his father stayed here for countless years. And someone from the Li family must know about this place as well… yet none of them have been able to take the treasure. That means we don't need to worry too much about it being stolen…" At that point, his eyes flickered. "Could Ying Hongyue know about this place as well?" The two looked blank. How would we know? Even if that fellow knew, what could he possibly do about it? Li Hao quickly calculated his options, then said, "Ying Hongyue has been living far too comfortably lately. I should pay him a visit soon…" Comfortably? Li Fuhai wasn't quite sure of the details, but the Old Turtle knew very well. How was that man living comfortably? Fleeing from the Central Region to the north, from the north to Dali, and from Dali to the Western Divine Kingdom, leading the Three Great Organizations and the Haotian Divine Mountain with over a hundred thousand supernaturals—only to be whittled down to a mere thousand today. That was called comfortable? Did Li Hao have some kind of misunderstanding about the word 'comfortable'? Meanwhile, countless thoughts raced through Li Hao's mind. He wanted to meet Ying Hongyue again! He hadn't seen the man in a long time. While he might not necessarily be able to kill him… he was certain that a swarm of eyes was currently watching Ying Hongyue's surroundings—Zheng Yu's people, Red Moon's people, and perhaps even members of the Li family! With Ying Hongyue as the focal point, perhaps he could hunt down a batch of powerhouses. The Moon Goddess happened to be there as well, making things even livelier. With things so lively, and with others handling his affairs back home, he might as well join the fray and keep trouble far beyond his doorstep! As for Zheng Yu's Hurricane City, it wouldn't easily show its head right now. Moreover… the man might well have headed to Silver City. Evaluating the situation, Li Hao smiled. Was Zheng Yu afraid he might break the seal? Earlier, he had intentionally made a show of recklessness, and that fellow would certainly worry about it. That worked out nicely: it restrained Zheng Yu, and also prevented the Sovereign from damaging the seal again. If he could avoid breaking it, Li Hao had no desire to shatter the seal. Everything he had done was merely to intimidate Zheng Yu. That man surely believed Li Hao was acting out of desperation because he couldn't defeat him, and right now, Zheng Yu was probably desperate to keep the seal hidden. Glancing once more at the eight thrones, Li Hao said, "Even though outsiders might not be able to take it, there is still some danger. Turtle Guardian, remain here to guard this place for now. The Sea Suppressing Envoy still needs to oversee Boundless City! As for General Locust, he should return to oversee Battle Heaven City." The Old Turtle had no objection, though he said with some trepidation, "If… if I accidentally enter that place just now…" He was afraid. Not afraid of dying, but genuinely unnerved by that terrifying aura. Li Fuhai snapped hastily, "What are you afraid of? You're just a divine weapon—how could you enter without someone guiding you? Cut the chatter, just guard this place and be done with it!" Don't say another word! If I were asked to guard this place, I'd refuse in a heartbeat. It scared the life out of this old ox! Li Hao glanced at the two powerhouses and couldn't help asking, "Was that Cang Emperor truly so wicked? Wasn't he a world master? Why do you two look like you've seen an arch-demon?" The two kept silent. Was the Cang Emperor an arch-demon? In the eyes of the Human King and his circle, the Cang Emperor was adorable, playful, kindhearted, and sensible… Yet in the eyes of others, he was… an existence terrifying to the utmost degree. In his heart, there was no distinction between good and evil, right and wrong. Such an existence was genuinely terrifying; he did whatever pleased him. For example, if he craved beef, the Cang Emperor believed it was perfectly natural to eat beef. As for whom he ate… what did it matter? To avoid being eaten, the Shui Li family had exerted every ounce of effort to curry favor with him. Their two Sovereign ancestors had occasionally been forced, with bitter tears in their eyes, to carve off slices of their own flesh to serve him hotpot. Even as Sovereigns, they had lived in utter humiliation. Li Hao knew none of this. Right now, Li Fuhai was too embarrassed to explain, offering only an awkward chuckle: "No, no, of course not! How could that be? It's just that the Cang Emperor couldn't possibly be here, so we worry that some divine weapon left behind by him might be present. If that's the case, it could easily be triggered at random…" *Like I'd believe that!* Li Hao dropped the subject and added, "Once I procure some bloodline vitality from the Eight Great Families, I'll go back in to investigate, or perhaps bring Director Zhao and the others… though they're still too weak; I fear they'd be sucked dry! This place is actually quite remarkable. If one wishes to deal with a Sovereign, one must understand a Sovereign first!" *You certainly dare to dream!* The two thought to themselves. Li Hao lingered no longer; leaving the Old Turtle behind, he walked out of the ruin alongside Li Fuhai, who was desperate to flee. Within the ruin, the Old Turtle hurriedly scrambled out of the council hall and curled up at the entrance to cultivate. At the slightest anomaly, he was prepared to make a desperate run for it, looking thoroughly pitiable and praying Li Hao would return soon to take him away. …… At this moment, in the west. Just as Li Hao had anticipated, things were exceedingly lively. A cadre of red-robed powerhouses appeared frequently, seeking to slay the Moon Goddess, yet they refrained from attacking Ying Hongyue. Meanwhile, another group of black-robed powerhouses surfaced continuously to protect the Moon Goddess's faction and combat the red robes, likewise refraining from targeting Ying Hongyue. As for Ying Hongyue, he pursued the Moon Goddess's party relentlessly. The four factions had no direct contact, yet all seemed aware of one another's identities. Their battlefield had shifted from the Heavenly Star Continent to this region; they had no choice, as Li Hao in Heavenly Star was far too troublesome to deal with. The most miserable of all was the Moon Goddess's faction, hounded without respite. Right now, Queen Moon Goddess wore an ashen expression, constantly looking back over her shoulder. Those fellows from the Red Moon Great World had been hunting them relentlessly. Had Li Hao not slaughtered their deities—even slaying Saint-tier gods—would these scum have ever dared to pursue her? The upper limit of the deities matched Li Hao's tier. If the world could accommodate the ninth tier of the Sun Moon realm, then the Saints among the deities could unleash combat strength at the ninth tier of the Sun Moon realm, as they were embodiments of the world's Grand Dao. Meanwhile, whether Neo-Martial or Red Moon, their current limit was merely peak Immortal—roughly equivalent to the seventh tier of the Sun Moon realm. The Queen cursed furiously in her heart. Had the Sun God and the others not fallen in battle, any scum daring to hunt her would have been wiped out long ago! Yet now, a tiger in the shallows was mocked by dogs! The deities who had fled with her had dwindled steadily. Through days of relentless pursuit, several had fallen in battle. Now, only five deities remained; counting herself, there were merely six. Fortunately, that fellow Li Hao had raised the world's limits once more, granting the surviving deities a boost in combat power. At this stage, they were not weaker than those at peak Immortal, which had prevented their complete annihilation. *If this continues… we will be entirely too passive. I must find a way to revive the Prophet God!* The Moon Goddess thought to herself. The Sun God and the Dark God had lost all hope of revival, but the Prophet God still had a chance. Li Hao had likely not discovered the location of the Prophet God's natal star even now. As for herself, she had no worries on that front. Her natal star was likely not in the Dao Universe at all, but rather within the seal—the very moon of the Silver Moon itself, which served as the foundation of her Grand Dao. As for the stars formed by the other Dao meridians in her body, their destruction would be of little consequence. Right now, the Moon Goddess's combat strength had recovered significantly, but she was unwilling to reveal all her trump cards prematurely. With the black robes helping her slay formidable enemies, she was content to let them do so; those fellows likely hailed from the Zheng family. Clearly, they feared that if she were killed, the Silver Moon's core would shatter, leading to the collapse of the seal. *Why is that fellow Ying Hongyue chasing us?* The Moon Goddess was baffled and furious at the detestable man. She had crossed paths with Ying Hongyue once. He had been exceedingly polite, but the sight of his smile had disgusted her, prompting her to strike at him immediately. The resulting skirmish had yielded no clear advantage for either side, and she had utterly disregarded his proposal for cooperation, choosing instead to flee. She would never trust such seemingly refined hypocrites. Cooperation or not… she knew he was Li Hao's sworn enemy, yet she refused to ally with such a polished scoundrel. …… At the same time. Trailing behind, Ying Hongyue's expression was rather unsightly. He had approached them in all sincerity to propose an alliance; both sides shared Li Hao as their mutual enemy, and if he allied with them, the people of the Red Moon Great World would not easily strike again. Yet no matter what he said, that foolish Moon Goddess simply ignored him. Now, the various factions were locked in fierce combat. Wasn't this just playing right into Li Hao's hands? Whether it was the Red Moon faction, Zheng Yu's faction, himself, or the Western Divine Kingdom… right now, their shared enemy ought to be Li Hao! Continuing his pursuit for a while, he took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice, "We must put an end to this internal attrition and unite our forces to deal with Li Hao and his followers! We cannot afford to exhaust each other here. At this stage, neither the Red Moon faction nor the Zheng family can deploy their true power; there is no need for infighting…" These people seemed utterly impervious to reason. It was the Flying Sword Immortal who spoke with a cold, piercing clarity, laying bare the truth: "Everyone knows that, but everyone fears him! They feel that fighting him now brings nothing good—only death! Therefore… it's better to find something else to do first. Once the world revives, supreme powerhouses will deal with Li Hao, rather than weaklings throwing their lives away one after another, only to grant him more benefits!" Who didn't know Li Hao was the great enemy? Everyone knew! The problem was that they had suffered defeat after defeat, throwing away lives time and again. A host of Saints had fallen, and it was even rumored that a Heavenly King had died. Under such circumstances, whether it was the Zheng family or Red Moon, who would willingly seek trouble with Li Hao? They might as well stay here and stay busy, if only to look as though they weren't idling away their time. Ying Hongyue frowned; that was indeed true. Yet this state of affairs was terribly problematic. The Flying Sword Immortal was growing impatient, her voice low and tense: "Yama is dead. We have barely a thousand people left under our command, fleeing from east to west. Now the Divine Kingdom refuses to cooperate. Ying Hongyue, if this goes on… is there any way out? If this continues… with so few of Feitian remaining… I don't want to waste away here any longer!" "What?" Ying Hongyue's brow furrowed slightly. The Flying Sword Immortal said calmly, "If this goes on and you intend to keep running, I want to leave! Ying Hongyue, you hide too much and never lay your cards on the table with us. Our people keep dying, and we see no hope… Continuing to run with you will only lead to death sooner or later! Even if Li Hao wants to kill, Feitian won't be his primary target. With so few of us left, if we find a corner to hide in, he might not even bother with us!" Yet staying with Ying Hongyue guaranteed they would remain the prime targets of Li Hao's attention. Ying Hongyue's brow furrowed even deeper. Indeed… the outcome Li Hao desired was fast approaching. Deserted by all, betrayed by his followers? Scores of people had died, and now, the Flying Sword Immortal of the Three Great Organizations wanted to withdraw. The Haotian Mountain Master hadn't spoken, yet… he clearly harbored the same thought. Yama's death had instilled immense dread in them. They had come to the west hoping to ally with the Moon Goddess, thereby securing a measure of self-preservation. Yet now, the Moon Goddess paid them no heed, fleeing on sight and trading blows instead. Already no match for Li Hao, they had recently lost several dozen more cultivators. Neither of the two could endure this any longer. Understanding their plight, Ying Hongyue quickly assured them, "Rest assured, within three days, I will definitely reach an agreement with the Western Divine Kingdom! This Moon Goddess is far too driven by petty emotion, foolish to a fault… Detestable! Had the Prophet God still been alive, it would never have come to this!" His mind stirred as he added, "As long as we help them revive the Prophet God—he is a sage, and he will never turn people away like this Moon Goddess!" He felt utterly helpless. Dealing with intelligent people was easy enough—when enemies aligned, discussions should have been simple. Yet he had run into an unreasonable woman! What should have been an ironclad alliance had been dragged into a bloody clash on sight. If this continued, once Li Hao resolved the threat of the ancient cities and the troubles of the four outer realms in the Central Region, he might… march west! How could they afford to waste so much time here! The Flying Sword Immortal glanced at him, her voice chilling: "Three days, then—the absolute limit! If we still cannot cooperate, cannot form an alliance, and remain a scattered mess like this… I will leave! Not just me, but Haotian as well. We have always trusted you, but as for what you've brought us, you know very well yourself!" Nothing but catastrophic losses, scurrying about like rats along the way. They had had enough of such a life! Ying Hongyue took a deep breath, losing some of his customary detachment. He nodded, glancing into the distance, praying no further mishaps would occur. …… At the same time. A youth and a hound tore through the void, heading straight for the west. Regarding the ancient cities, he had sent Qian Wuliang ahead to negotiate. Li Hao would leave them aside for now; he wanted to head west first… to see if there were any bargains to be had, and while he was at it, pile a bit more pressure on Ying Hongyue to force that fellow into borrowing more Red Moon power. In addition, Li Hao had another suspicion: could members of the Li family be hiding in the west? To the east lay the Great Desolation, where desolate beasts had long run rampant; the Li family would hardly hide there. To the south lay Water Cloud, a realm scarce in ruins and depleted in national strength, making a Li presence there unlikely. To the north lay Dali, where a god of the Initial Martial era resided, making the situation unpredictable. In the west, however, the deities had revived—especially the Moon Goddess, whose awakening served to reinforce the seal. Their resurgence might very well have involved the handiwork of the Li family. Moreover, the west was populated entirely by enemies… Even if the earth shattered and the heavens collapsed in battle here, he wouldn't care in the slightest. Having his enemies gathered in one place was a splendid thing. Pulling Black Panther along, Li Hao chuckled, "Let's see how sharp that nose of yours is. I hope you can root out every last rat!" Black Panther twitched his nose and nodded. Having finally come out, they naturally had to reap some rewards. Just like the days when he had first stepped out of Silver Moon Province, it was once again a youth and a hound, roaming the world together.