The Silver Moon in the Sky

The Western Divine Kingdom. Under the protection of deities, the Divine Kingdom was reasonably prosperous. The climate and terrain in the far west were quite pleasant, neither bitterly cold nor blisteringly hot. Shielded by the gods, it was largely free from warfare. Its towering architecture bore an exotic flair. This was Li Hao's first time setting foot in a foreign land. His clone had ventured to Dali once, though it had never returned. As for the other kingdoms, he had only clashed with their armies along the borders and had never crossed into their territories. The moment he stepped into this exotic Divine Kingdom, he sensed the aura of divine spirits—perhaps remnants leaked from days past, or perhaps stirred by recent awakenings. Vaguely, a subtle voice seemed to echo, intent on converting any mortals who entered the Divine Kingdom. Ever since Li Hao slew several of their deities, the kingdom had descended into turmoil for a time. Now, however, with the Queen still alive, it had regained stability. Temples were plentiful here. Nearly every city housed multiple temples dedicated to various deities. Though the lesser gods worshipped varied from place to place, every single city had a Moon God temple, for the Moon God was the supreme deity revered across the kingdom. The Moon God represented that silver moon hanging in the sky. Yet nowadays, that silver moon had begun to tinge with red, tainted by the power of the Red Moon. Mortals understood nothing of this and paid it no mind. The people of the Divine Kingdom differed somewhat from those of the central plains. Some had blond hair and blue eyes, while others had black hair and dark eyes. As the strongest of the original four nations, the kingdom was home to many cultivators. Their methods somewhat resembled those of superpowered cultivators, unlike Dali's Early Martial path. Moreover, they excelled at borrowing divine power—which, in Li Hao's eyes, was simply borrowing the power of the Great Dao. Cultivators of the Divine Kingdom were essentially appendages to the deities; their cultivation merely aided the gods. Once a deity fell, their Dao severed and natal star shattered, the cultivators of the divine path would lose all their power. This was truly borrowed, external strength—even less reliable than the superpowers of the central plains. At that moment, Li Hao walked through the streets and alleys with the Black Panther, yet not a soul could detect his presence. He walked on. Stepping into a temple, Li Hao saw worshippers prostrating themselves and priests conducting rituals, yet none noticed him. Glancing at the statue in the center of the hall, Li Hao cracked a faint smile. Foolish deities! Or perhaps, helpless deities. Every statue had a trace of a god's spiritual power attached to it to gather faith power. Yet by doing so, if an enemy infiltrated, it became easy to trace that connection straight back to the deity's true body. Many western deities were dead, but several still lived. The temple Li Hao entered was dedicated to the God of Death. In the central plains, they would call this figure King Yama—it meant the same thing. Among the gods, the God of Death was a formidable entity. The instant Li Hao entered, the fierce, menacing statue seemed to twitch. A faint spiritual wave swept across the surroundings, as though sensing something, or perhaps smelling the stench of death. Yet how could a mere sliver of spiritual power detect Li Hao's presence? Beside him, the Black Panther twitched its nose and glanced at Li Hao. It had already caught the scent. Those fellows' true bodies were not far from here. Li Hao lingered for a brief moment before leading the Black Panther into the next temple—the ubiquitous Moon God Temple. A majestic, sacred, and strikingly beautiful statue stood lifelike before them. It bore some resemblance to the Queen, yet wasn't an exact match. It likely depicted the first-generation Moon God, whereas the current Queen was the second generation. Traces of faith power lingered within the statue. Li Hao reached out and grasped a wisp. Examining it closely, he raised an eyebrow. Interesting. The Divine Kingdom's faith power was actually a form of Great Dao power as well. In that case, people here had been studying the Great Dao many years ago. Or perhaps they had stumbled upon it by accident. The Great Dao Universe had always existed. It was just that different people discovered it at different times. Li Hao and Yuan Shuo had uncovered its existence through deep study, combined it with Dao meridians, and thus stepped into the Great Dao Universe. "Perhaps… others can enter the Great Dao Universe too, only it is exceedingly perilous, and one could easily get lost within it." "That giant star last time was probably… Zhang An?" Li Hao mused to himself. If Zhang An had condensed a new Dao, he might have entered the Great Dao Universe without Li Hao knowing. This meant… others did have a chance to enter the Great Dao Universe. The Great Dao Universe did not reject practitioners of the new Dao. It was not his exclusive domain. It was just that entering was easy, but leaving was hard. The deities had likely begun researching the Great Dao Universe as well. The western faith power showed traces of Dao power. If people like Li Daoheng were out in the world, they would very likely come to the Divine Kingdom to study faith power and seek out the Great Dao Universe. "Still, I am certain that the discovery of Dao meridians and their connection to the stars was mine alone!" Li Hao reflected. If not for that, the heavens and earth would never have rewarded him with a divine character—the character for "Dao." Therefore, connecting to the Great Dao Universe through Dao meridians had definitely been his first. People of the past might not have had Dao meridians. Even if they did, only a few deities might have formed them unwittingly, without anyone noticing. As for directly entering the Great Dao Universe via Dao meridians, he and his master were undoubtedly the first and second. Just as he was thinking, the divine statue seemed to sense something. Its eyes opened, though the worshippers nearby noticed nothing. These temples also served as eyes and ears. The Moon God statue opened its eyes and swept the room. A flicker of confusion seemed to pass through it. Li Hao's eyes shifted, and he let out a chuckle. The invisibility that cloaked him vanished instantly. Just as the statue was about to close its eyes, they snapped open again, suddenly catching sight of a man and a dog. For a moment, the statue seemed to stiffen. Its expression visibly morphed from shock to fury, and from fury to blustering panic! Li Hao! Li Hao has come to the Divine Kingdom! *** At that very moment. The Moon God, who was fleeing pursuit, suddenly had a change of expression. Beside her, several deities turned to look at her anxiously. The Queen's face turned grim. "This is bad!" "Your Majesty..." "Li Hao is in the Divine Kingdom!" "What?!" The others were shocked! Deities had always been proud, and they did not fear death. In death they could revive; sooner or later, they would return. Even back when they faced Xinwu, they hadn't felt much dread: even if they fell, they would return after countless eras. Yet they genuinely feared Li Hao. Because when Li Hao killed them, it was absolute annihilation with zero chance of revival—provided, of course, that their natal stars were completely shattered by him. Others couldn't do it, but Li Hao could. Thus, while these deities feared no one else, the thought of Li Hao hunting them terrified them. The Queen's expression was exceedingly grim. "He revealed himself deliberately... Damn him!" She hadn't noticed him originally, but he had willingly shown himself. Was this a provocation? Deep down, she did feel a prickle of panic. She herself wasn't terribly afraid; even if Li Hao could kill her, he might not dare, not to mention that her natal star was different from those of the other deities. Yet for the other deities... if Li Hao located their natal stars, they were finished. The Queen's face shifted through several emotions. Glancing back, she gritted her teeth. "Let's go speak with Ying Hongyue!" Damn it! She hadn't wanted to pay Ying Hongyue any mind, but now... perhaps it was time to talk. Furthermore, with Li Hao here, they had to be on guard. He might have come to slaughter them. *** Inside the temple. The Black Panther looked at Li Hao in confusion. Wouldn't it be better to hunt them in secret? Why reveal himself? If they knew he was here, wouldn't they just run? Li Hao gave a soft laugh as he exited the Moon God Temple, murmuring, "If they don't know I've arrived, how can they feel pressure or despair? And without despair, how can they put up a fight when they run into Ying Hongyue?" The Black Panther didn't understand, but it didn't matter. Whatever Li Hao said went. Li Hao glanced around. Rather than having the Black Panther rush after the deities, he decided to give them some time. He continued wandering through the Western Divine Kingdom. His sword intent slowly began to leak outward. Gradually, it permeated in all directions. The weak couldn't sense it, but the strong certainly would catch a whiff. Li Hao did not release it for these deities, but rather for certain other figures who might be hiding here. *** At the same time. As Li Hao's sword intent diffused across the west, someone inside a temple suddenly looked up, peered outside, and frowned slightly after sensing it. After a long pause, a soft murmur escaped their lips: "Longevity Sword Intent... Li Hao?" Li Hao had come to the west. Coming was one thing, but to be so brazen and blatant—did he believe no one under heaven could check him, or did he have an ulterior motive? How strange! *** In another location. Ying Hongyue's expression shifted slightly as he looked in a certain direction, where a faint wisp of sword intent drifted toward him. Before Ying Hongyue could speak, the Flying Sword Immortal's expression changed. "Sword intent!" Ying Hongyue remained silent, but nearby, members of his organization immediately grew restless. Sword intent? Where was sword intent coming from? "Li Hao!" Gritting her teeth, the Flying Sword Immortal looked toward Ying Hongyue. Was it Li Hao? Ignoring her, Ying Hongyue fell silent for a moment before suddenly speaking: "Li Hao has come to the west. People of the Red Moon Universe, experts under Leader Hong Chen—fighting among ourselves any longer is utterly pointless! Let us join forces and cease this infighting. Otherwise... only Li Hao will reap the benefits." Li Hao was here, and so blatantly at that. This was both good and bad. The good news was that everyone knew he had arrived, which should keep the chaotic factions from acting recklessly. The bad news was... everyone was genuinely terrified. That was not a good sign! Even before he showed his face, an intangible pressure already felt crushing to many. From the darkness, an ethereal voice drifted out: "Li Hao is here... We should leave the west..." Clearly, someone was unwilling to confront Li Hao here. Ying Hongyue frowned. "That is unwise! If we flee the moment he arrives, I fear... we might never make it back!" Never make it back? At that moment, a figure in red robes materialized from the shadows, looking at Ying Hongyue and speaking softly: "What do you mean by that, Leader Ying? Even if Li Hao has stepped onto the Saint path, he is still only one person. If we leave now, does he have six arms and three heads to blanket the entire Silver Moon continent?" How could they be unable to return? It was impossible! Without directly answering, Ying Hongyue quickly scanned the area before speaking: "Boundless City and Battle Heaven City may have already arrived at the borders of the Western Divine Kingdom, waiting for the rabbit to crash into the tree. Leaving now would play right into his trap!" "This..." Could that be true? No one knew for sure. Yet Li Hao acting so blatantly might indeed be aimed at forcing them out of the west so he could pick them off one by one. *** The group quickly began conferring on countermeasures. Meanwhile, Li Hao continued diffusing his sword intent. Whether anyone fled early mattered little to him. In all likelihood, Ying Hongyue wouldn't flee, nor would the Western Queen. That was enough. Those overthinking minds would probably suspect he was merely trying to herd them out to pick them off one by one. In truth... Li Hao hadn't stationed anyone to guard the borders. There was no need. It would be a waste of time and energy. Letting them stew in suspicion was enough. The smarter they were, the less they dared leave; only fools would run, and fleeing fools posed no threat anyway. As for the smart ones... they would only assume he was laying a trap for them. Movement was better than stillness! A little commotion would flush out things lurking in the dark. Perhaps he wouldn't even need to lift a finger—Ying Hongyue might handle some of them for him, like the Red Moon faction, or Zheng Yu's subordinates. That fellow was probably eyeing these people as well. Sword intent continued spreading in all directions. Fragment after fragment of the shattered Starry Sky Sword suddenly manifested, scattering toward the four quarters. Li Hao made no effort to conceal his tracks, walking openly and boldly. In his mind, however, he was pondering other matters. Faith power... deities... the Great Dao Universe... At this moment, he put himself in Li Daoheng's shoes. If that man had left Sword City and come to the west, what would he do? What was he after? Why had those people betrayed the Sword Venerable and Xinwu all those years ago? Power? The Great Dao? Or something else? If it was for power and the Great Dao... then everything they did would be to elevate themselves. Remaining in hiding was likely to bide time and grow stronger. In the west, there were deities and faith power, and even the opportunity to communicate with the Great Dao Universe. Yet since he probably hadn't been able to enter it previously... how would he use faith power to bolster himself? Dao meridians? Faith? How would he make people revere him? The thought flashed through his mind, sparking an idea. In an instant, Li Hao appeared inside a temple and snatched up a priest, whose face turned pale with horror. Li Hao's eyes looked somewhat ethereal as he asked softly, "Is there a Sword God in the west?" Deities! Absorbing faith power! The priest seemed dazed, his eyes growing dull as he mumbled, "A Sword God? N-No... there is no Sword God..." The west had no Sword God. None had ever existed since ancient times. Even if there had been one... once the Sword Venerable arrived, none remained. Who would dare claim the title of Sword God in the Sword Venerable's presence? Li Hao frowned slightly. Had his deduction been wrong? In his reasoning, if a member of the Li family wished to sense the power of the Great Dao and absorb faith power, pretending to be a Sword God would be the most natural path—taking the mantle, replacing it, and harvesting the faith of the western masses. Unbeknownst to anyone, he could infiltrate the western system and perhaps even tap into the Great Dao Universe. Yet... the west had no Sword God. "Did I misjudge?" Li Hao knitted his brows. This was the conclusion he had reached after putting himself in the other's position: if there were a Sword God in the west, he would supplant it and command the devotion of hundreds of millions, reigning uncrowned! "There really isn't one..." Looking at the faith power drifting through heaven and earth, his heart stirred. "Black Panther, let's go. Find the deities!" The Black Panther was thoroughly confused. You didn't want to find them just now, and now you do? What are you playing at?! You already blew your cover! Li Hao offered no explanation. Left with no choice, the Black Panther twitched its nose and darted through the void. Li Hao followed close behind, continually plucking strands of faith power floating in the air. It was extremely chaotic! All manners of faith power intermingled, and this faith power was, in essence, Great Dao power. The western deities were indeed uniquely endowed; however, their lack of understanding regarding the Great Dao had squandered many opportunities. Had they understood the Great Dao Universe earlier, these deities might have unified the world long ago. *** Elsewhere. Inside a temple, the person who had earlier sensed the sword intent looked up at the sky once more, frowning slightly. Li Hao's spreading sword intent seemed to carry an ulterior motive. Did it concern him? Or had he simply come to deal with the Moon God and her cohort? This young man... his actions were truly difficult to fathom. *** In yet another place. At this moment, four factions gathered: the red robes, the black robes, the Three Great Organizations, and the Queen's party. Her expression icy, the Moon God swept her gaze over the experts of the three factions, finally settling on Ying Hongyue with a sour look. "Li Hao has arrived!" "I know," Ying Hongyue nodded. Observing the sword intent permeating the western lands, he spoke thoughtfully: "There is no need to be overly anxious. Even if he is here, he wouldn't dare recklessly move against Her Majesty the Queen. If he truly wanted to... Her Majesty might not have survived the last encounter." "Hmph!" The Queen scoffed coldly, turning even more frigid as she glared at the red robes. "You lot have been pursuing this queen relentlessly. Did you truly believe you could take my life?" The red-robed faction remained silent. Ying Hongyue cut in, "Your Majesty, now is not the time for recriminations. Our top priority is not turning against one another, but finding a way to suppress and deal with Li Hao!" "And you have a way?" The Queen regarded him with obvious disdain. "You have fought Li Hao to this day, and aside from killing his parents and friends, what have you accomplished? He went from weak to what he is now... all because you reared a tiger only to court disaster!" Ying Hongyue offered a helpless chuckle. "Sometimes, it is the will of heaven... Li Hao was born upholding the will of heaven; killing him is no simple task! He is twenty-one years old. Twenty-one years ago, heaven and earth began their resurgence... Twenty-one years ago, heaven's will was born... Twenty-one years ago, the bright moon hung high, and Your Majesty inherited the spirit of the first-generation Moon God, beginning your awakening as well..." These words gave the Queen pause. She looked at him. "What do you mean?" Ying Hongyue sighed softly. "Do you still not understand? He was born carrying the will of heaven and earth. At the exact moment heaven's will was born, Li Hao was born. Bearing the bloodline of the Li family, wielding the Starry Sky Sword, and situated in Silver City... he is, in truth, the child of destiny born from the clash of all factions, just like the Heavenly Emperor of Xinwu in days of old. The Red Moon Sovereign, the major ancient cities, the divine Dao meridians, the Great Dao Universe—all blazed with brilliance at that time. Out of their equilibrium came the birth of Li Hao..." The Queen sneered. "By that logic, we deities should be the darlings of heaven and earth—it wouldn't be his turn!" Unable to best Li Hao, Ying Hongyue simply blamed everything on heaven's will. What a joke! Ying Hongyue merely shrugged with a faint smile and dropped the subject. Yet that was the reality! Whether she believed it or not was beyond him. But he knew that Li Hao was the product of a cosmic compromise: every faction sought resurgence, every faction vied for supremacy, and in the end, their struggle forged Li Hao. To reach such heights in so short a time, Li Hao possessed terrifying talent—a talent gathered from the resonance of the entire world. Naturally, fate was elusive. All of this was merely his deduction. Yet he believed it was close to the truth. Otherwise, how could Li Hao have uncovered the Great Dao Universe so easily? Pushing the matter aside, he spoke briskly: "Setting that aside, the pressing matter is our alliance. I propose several goals... First, awaken some of the deities who have not completely perished! Second, our three factions—myself, the Red Moon Universe, and the divine spirits—shall join forces to release a portion of Silver Moon power alongside some Red Moon power, strengthening ourselves and Her Majesty!" Turning to the black robes, he asked, "Senior Hong Chen should still be in the vicinity of Silver Moon, correct?" After a brief silence, one of the black robes nodded. "He is." "Then... could Senior Hong Chen reinforce the seal? Our common enemy right now is Li Hao! The Moon God worries about the drain of Silver Moon power weakening the seal; the Lord Sovereign of Red Moon worries about losing Red Moon power and diminishing himself; and Lord Hong Chen worries about the seal becoming unstable... Everyone harbors mutual suspicion, and it is precisely that which gave Li Hao his opportunity!" "Now that we have gathered here, I hope... we can speak candidly, set aside our prejudices for the time being, and cooperate. Let us seize this opportunity to inflict a heavy blow on Li Hao, or even slay him outright!" "We cannot make that decision!" Neither faction had the authority. The black robe added, "The communication network is controlled by Li Hao. We have no way to send word back, so the master cannot know unless we return now..." That would take far too long. Ying Hongyue chuckled. "Among our three sides, aside from the deities, we all possess Red Moon power. While the Xinwu communication system is indeed in Li Hao's hands, we can still establish some contact via Red Moon power... As long as there is sincerity, cooperation is possible." "Of course, I understand your concerns... You fear that only Her Majesty the Moon God and I will grow stronger, while you gain nothing... Yet our growth is meant to counter Li Hao. Once Li Hao is dead, that in itself will be the greatest reward!" One of the red robes laughed faintly. "Leader Ying, when all is said and done, gathering the four factions here is still just to serve your own ends! From the very start, you have done nothing but evade and flee from Li Hao. How can you expect us to believe that once you gain power, you will actually confront him, rather than take that power and flee once more?" Clearly, Ying Hongyue's credibility was compromised. Ying Hongyue remained unruffled, speaking softly: "At this stage, if Li Hao does not die, I will be in far more trouble than you! I fled only because of inadequate strength. If my strength were sufficient, why would I run?" "Furthermore... I hope that the Red Moon Sovereign's side and Leader Hong Chen's side can launch surprise attacks. Those remaining in the ancient cities are no longer safe. Why not seize the ancient cities right now to pile immense pressure on Li Hao, leaving his forces with no leeway to intervene elsewhere?" "Endlessly waiting... makes the second resurgence feel indefinitely remote!" Pausing, Ying Hongyue added, "As compensation, as an exchange, I can activate some of my arrangements to stir up the Taboo Sea, releasing a portion of its energy to accelerate the pace of the second resurgence! I believe both leaders will agree to this!" Both factions sank into contemplation. The Queen said nothing either. If releasing some Silver Moon power could awaken more deities and strengthen the Divine Kingdom, she cared little about how the other factions compromised or arranged their affairs. A genuine four-way cooperation held immense benefits. It was just that previously, all sides were wary of one another and feared being undermined, preventing any consensus. Now, Li Hao's appearance might actually provide the impetus for them to set aside their suspicions and seal an agreement. Seeing their hesitation, Ying Hongyue urged, "Give it a try. Otherwise, we won't have another chance!" After a moment's thought, one spoke: "We will try to make contact, though success... cannot be guaranteed! One more thing: if it does succeed, we hope Leader Ying honors his word..." Naturally, this was merely a formal remark. Whether he kept his word depended entirely on Ying Hongyue. Ying Hongyue nodded and said no more. Both factions began attempting contact, though whether they reached the Red Moon Sovereign personally or other powerhouses from the Red Moon World stationed in this realm remained unknown. *** Meanwhile, Li Hao drew steadily closer to them. Before long, as the Black Panther moved to press forward, Li Hao stopped in his tracks. Ahead, he vaguely sensed several presences, and even caught traces of Red Moon power. Li Hao halted. Halting, he pondered for a moment, then transmitted a message through his armor: "Qian Wuliang, are you there?" "Present, Marquis!" "Head to Silver City. No need to get too close—observe from a distance alongside Director Zhao, and sense whether there are any fluctuations in the seal! Furthermore, I need all records on the deities of the Divine Kingdom. Director Qi and his colleagues studied them before and possess some insight. I want everything—names, abilities, and all relevant details." Director Qi's voice surfaced slowly: "Understood. I will compile them and transmit them to the Marquis shortly. However... while we know something of the deities, our knowledge is by no means exhaustive..." "No matter!" Li Hao dismissed the concern, thinking for a moment before asking, "Is Ninth Division Commander there?" "Present." "Give me all records regarding Li Daoheng... including other key figures of Sword City: names, appearances, personalities, and major events. Send everything to me." Ninth Division Commander fell silent for a moment before replying, "Understood... though I don't know everything about them either." "Mm, just give me what you have. I will make my own judgments." "Very well." Without further conversation, they set off to prepare the materials. Li Hao cast a glance across the western region, then vanished into thin air, reappearing inside the Bright Star Realm. Arriving swiftly at the astral river zone, he inspected the surroundings and committed the brightness and intensity of every star to memory. He then gazed into the distant, pitch-black universe, which he had yet to fully explore. The Dao meridians of certain deities might still lie deep within the cosmic void. The divine character "Dao" emerged and rapidly expanded, blanketing nearly the entire astral river zone with a faint luminescence. In this manner, should any deity grow stronger, he stood a great chance of locating their hidden natal star. Provided, of course, that it lay within his sector of the astral river. At the very least, he knew of one star in the physical Dao sector that belonged to the Moon God. Yet... that was inconsequential to her; with countless Dao meridians, she had never even opened this one. Even so, Li Hao locked onto it. While shattering it would hardly affect her—she might not even register it—the star's presence ensured she could never escape his tracking. Moreover, this star could serve as a baseline for comparison. If the Moon God grew stronger, the star might display corresponding shifts. Having completed this, Li Hao departed the Bright Star Realm. *** Meanwhile, in the distance where the four factions gathered, word soon returned to the other two sides. "The master has agreed!" "The Sovereign has agreed!" Both sides delivered their replies. Ying Hongyue felt a surge of delight! Gaining the assent of both Zheng Yu and the Red Moon Sovereign was normally an arduous feat. He had not anticipated that under the shared pressure of Li Hao, both would actually agree. This was a tremendous boon! Zheng Yu feared the seal breaking, while the Red Moon Sovereign feared Ying Hongyue siphoning too much power, weakening him and inadvertently strengthening the seal. Now, with both sides compromising, the benefits fell right into his lap. For once, Li Hao had inadvertently done him a favor! "No time to lose!" Ying Hongyue said briskly, "Let us act! First, release some Silver Moon power to strengthen Her Majesty the Moon God. Deities are not restricted by heaven and earth; if Li Hao can step into the Saint realm, the Moon God may be able to do so as well!" "Li Hao likely expects us to slaughter one another... but he underestimates us. I hope Her Majesty the Moon God... understands this as well!" He glanced at the Moon God with slight exasperation, praying that this woman would not turn on them once her strength surged. That would be a massive headache! The Moon God shot him a cold glance, not bothering to waste words. "When will the Silver Moon power be released?" "Soon!" One of the red robes said in a deep voice, "The Moon God need only draw upon the Silver Moon power. The Sovereign will simultaneously release some Red Moon power to maintain the balance. None of you need worry!" To claim they weren't worried was, of course, a lie. Everyone feared that Sovereign breaking through the seal, but for now, they could only test the waters. Without ceremony, the Moon God sat down cross-legged, her form shimmering between substance and void. Night had fallen, and in the sky hung a moon tinged faintly with red. At that moment, a subtle silver radiance suddenly rippled from it. That silver glow bathed heaven and earth and poured into the Moon God, causing her aura to surge rapidly. Simultaneously, a faint red hue receded from the moon. On Ying Hongyue's body, nine pillars of light manifested; eight were linked as one, while the remaining one, which had been feeble, now began to swell with power. The sight caused several red robes to change color. The Red Moon power within Ying Hongyue had previously dissipated significantly! Where on earth had this fellow channeled all that Red Moon power? *** At this juncture, Li Hao sensed it too. Furthermore, messages arrived from Qian Wuliang's side. While the seal above Silver City was normally difficult to see clearly, they reported intense fluctuations overhead. Beneath Silver City, Hurricane City seemed to be in position, where a surging torrent of vital energy was reinforcing the seal. That was Zheng Yu stabilizing the barrier! Qian Wuliang transmitted hastily: "Marquis, there are unusual movements. Red Moon power is leaking out, and Hurricane City appears to be stabilizing the seal. Should we move in to disrupt it..." "No need!" Li Hao smiled. This was precisely what he had been waiting for. Of course, this made his own situation more perilous. Yet... who cared? After a moment of thought, Li Hao added, "Keep a close watch on the ancient cities! Even a cornered rabbit will bite, and they are no rabbits. They know full well we intend to bring the ancient cities into our fold. If there is any movement... wait and observe for now!" "Understood!" Li Hao said no more. Now, he made his move. His sword intent grew increasingly dense, rolling toward the direction he had sensed earlier. Perhaps sensing this, or perhaps assuming Li Hao was advancing on them, powerful auras surged violently over there, and vast quantities of faith power converged in that direction. Yet Li Hao came to a halt, quietly perceiving the faith power in the air. Stream after stream of faith power was siphoned away, but a substantial amount remained stationary and undisturbed. Some belonged to dead deities, lingering in a dispersed state. Others went uncollected, suspended in place—perhaps because their masters had not yet awakened, or perhaps... because they dared not draw upon them. Li Hao's eyes flickered. Catching a few wisps of faith power and examining them closely, he looked around and smiled faintly. Li Daoheng, is it? If you are here... perhaps I can drag you out this time! Whether you are good or evil does not concern me. All I know is that if you keep hiding in the shadows... you cannot be up to any good. That fool of a Moon God—her Divine Kingdom had been infiltrated to such a degree. If he hadn't slain so many deities, the culprit would have remained hidden even deeper. Soon, however, Li Hao frowned again. The motionless faith power suddenly began drifting toward where the Moon God and her allies were gathered. Li Hao's expression shifted, muttering, "Drawn by the Moon God... No... that's not right..." Shaking his head, doubt filled his eyes. The next moment, he looked up at the sky and saw that silver moon, his face changing once more. Suddenly, he soared into the air, rocketing straight toward the sky. The Silver Moon existed within the world barrier, trapped within the seal. Visible yet unreachable, it did not belong to physical space. Thus, even if one could see the moon, one could never touch it. Over time, the experts had all recognized this truth and ceased paying attention to this ubiquitous moon. Even Li Hao, knowing this, would not randomly fly up into the heavens to pursue an intangible moon. Yet at this moment, he ascended rapidly, climbing higher and higher. One thousand meters, two thousand meters, three thousand meters... Heaven and earth seemed boundless. The moon remained forever out of reach. After who knew how long, Li Hao halted and looked into the distance, where a bright moon hung suspended! His expression shifted repeatedly. He did not advance further. After observing for a while, he departed swiftly. A short time after he left, a figure seemed to flicker upon the moon, gazing downward. A man bearing a long sword on his back peered below with a solemn expression. Was that... Li Hao? *** Meanwhile, Li Hao sped through the void with shifting expressions, thoroughly shaken. "What brilliant methods!" Remains and ruins lay underground. This was universal common knowledge. Ruins stayed concealed and buried, never daring to reveal themselves. Yet what if someone had fashioned a ruin into a counterfeit moon? What if that ruin were hung high in the sky, in plain sight of everyone? What if everyone knew the moon was within the world barrier, beyond anyone's reach? What if no one would ever keep flying skyward to chase an unreachable moon? A great hermit hides in plain sight! Darkness beneath the lamp? Or perhaps the deception was so consummate that even the Queen, the Moon God herself, believed the bright moon in the sky was nothing more than a projection of the Silver Moon? Even he had never considered such a possibility. Yet today, tracing the flow of faith power, he had seemingly stumbled upon the other's hiding place. This... was utterly masterful! "If they were always in the seal, how did they emerge? Or... did they emerge long ago, never truly sealed within at all?" Countless thoughts raced through Li Hao's mind. Could a single person accomplish this? Deceiving the entire world! Toying with Zheng Yu of the Zheng family, and even the Red Moon Sovereign, in the palm of his hand—could one individual truly pull this off? Li Hao felt a thrill of excitement, his blood surging. Above, the bright moon continued to illuminate heaven and earth. Below, the Moon God, still cultivating, remained completely oblivious, suspecting nothing amiss. *** High in the air. Upon the bright moon stood a divine temple. Inside the temple stood a statue—none other than the likeness of the Moon God worshipped in the temples below. At this moment, beneath the statue, a man bearing a long sword on his back appeared, his brows furrowed. After a long pause, he asked softly, "Li Hao soared into the sky. Did he discover something?" For a long while, no sound answered. After an indeterminate time, the statue in the temple seemed to come alive. Opening its eyes, it spoke: "What could he possibly discover?" The sword-bearing man said softly, "Perhaps... he discovered the two of us?" "Impossible." "Are you certain?" "I am not certain... But on what grounds, by what judgment, could he be certain that we are here?" "Something is off today..." the sword-bearing man murmured. "He released his sword intent, disregarding the strengthening of the others, and kept watching. I suspect his trip to the west was specifically to seek us out." "Perhaps. But even if he discovered us, so what?" "..." The sword-bearing man said nothing more. Looking down at the world below, he fell into deep contemplation. After a long while, he suddenly asked, "Moon God, is heaven's will ripe? When can it be captured?" "Not quite yet." "Do it as quickly as possible!" "I will." "..." Their exchange came to an end. Yet the way the sword-bearing man addressed her was truly shocking. No one heard it at this moment. Otherwise, anyone would be shaken to the core: wasn't the Queen the Moon God? *** Of all this, the Queen cultivating below was completely unaware. She only knew that her strength was expanding continuously, filling her with excitement. She might be on the verge of attaining the Saint path! Li Hao, even if you have become a Saint, this queen shall fear you no more! The world only marveled at Li Hao's youth, ignorant of the fact that she—the Moon God, Queen of the West—had also been born twenty-one years ago. She was no older than Li Hao, and now, she too was about to regain the battle prowess of the Saint realm!