Silver Moon's Scheme

Li Hao dropped swiftly from the sky. Countless thoughts raced through his mind. A fake Silver Moon! Who could possibly believe that the moon was actually an imitation? Not only that, but this moon was continuously siphoning the Divine Kingdom's faith power—which was itself a form of Great Dao power. Whoever was behind this had likely spent all this time studying the Great Dao universe, yet had remained barred from its gates simply because they were not a cultivator of Dao meridians… "No!" Li Hao gave a sudden start. No, something was entirely off. He and his companions had only learned about Dao meridians fairly recently. Yet that person had been researching faith power all along. Without Dao meridians, and without being a divine spirit, how could someone from the Li family absorb faith power? "No… even if someone from the Li family posed as a deity and accumulated faith, without Dao meridians, they still wouldn't be able to absorb it… Which means…" "Does that person possess Dao meridians?" Li Hao was shaken. The other party had a divine spirit, possessed Dao meridians, and must have had some understanding of them. A deity? He looked up into the void once more, recalling how, when the Moon Goddess cultivated earlier, that stagnant faith power had suddenly begun to stir… Li Hao felt a brief daze and gave a slight shake of his head. There had to be a connection! Moreover, how had they posed as the moon without being discovered? That moon seemed so real. Li Hao thumped his head hard. Why had this happened? Where had things gone awry? The moon, the divine spirits, the Dao meridians, the Great Dao, the Li family… Why did everything suddenly seem so complicated? It was far from as simple as he had envisioned! Were Zheng Yu's circle and the Red Moon Sovereign truly the greatest threats to all of Silver Moon? His eyes flickered, and he flew rapidly into the distance. Ahead, the Moon Goddess was still cultivating. He could already sense several divine spirits cultivating, their strength growing. Furthermore, in the Great Dao universe, several stars trembled, signaling that the intrinsic stars of those divine spirits had appeared. Li Hao sped onward. There were things he did not comprehend and could not make sense of. At this point, perhaps only these divine spirits could resolve his doubts. …… The auras of Ying Hongyue and the others were steadily rising, growing stronger by the moment. Just then, Ying Hongyue's expression shifted slightly. An aura fluctuated within him, and his face changed: "Go! Li Hao is coming!" The others were startled. Li Hao was here? Nobody dared hesitate. Though the Moon Goddess and Ying Hongyue had both made tremendous progress, they might not be able to defeat Li Hao now that he had reached the Dao Convergence level. Without another word, everyone sprang to their feet and fled in one direction. At this moment, Li Hao was the true villain in their eyes. Behind them, Li Hao's figure emerged faintly into view. Gazing ahead, his voice rumbled across the distance: "Ying Hongyue, Your Majesty, I won't kill you so easily, so why worry? It's been days since we last met—wouldn't it be nice to stop and chat?" No one answered. The group fled at full speed. As for the Three Great Organizations, their thousand-odd weaker subordinates had to be tucked into a divine weapon, fleeing alongside the rest. Accompanying them were over a dozen red-robed and black-robed cultivators each. With so many powerhouses, nearly all possessing the strength of the Immortal Realm, they had no choice but to flee upon encountering Li Hao. "Ying Hongyue… I really want to chat with you. Are you truly so unwilling?" Ahead, Ying Hongyue remained as poised and graceful as ever, though he lacked his folding fan and thus some of his usual effortless flair. Treading through the void, he chuckled softly. "Li Hao, I'd be glad to chat… but let's skip meeting face-to-face! If you don't mind connecting through our communication network, I certainly wouldn't mind keeping you company for a bit!" With those words, several powerhouses attacked simultaneously, shaking the void and shattering space to obstruct Li Hao's advance. Ying Hongyue's voice rang out again: "Li Hao, your greatest enemy isn't us. Even if you pursue us relentlessly, are you certain you can take us down? If you sustain injuries and allow someone else to reap the benefits, that would hardly be ideal!" The Queen also let out a cold snort: "Li Hao, this is the territory of the Divine Kingdom!" In other words, she could wield even greater combat strength here. The void was filled with faith power. Were it not for the fact that she had not yet fully digested the Silver Moon power, she wouldn't have fled at all; she would have stayed behind to deal with Li Hao. When she had first met Li Hao, she had easily defeated him. "So disobedient!" From behind, Li Hao sighed softly. Then, he vanished. Rather than feeling relieved, the group grew even more tense, quickening their pace to flee. Right then, a divine spirit let out a sudden, agonized shriek. There were already very few divine spirits left at the Queen's side. Now, the shrill cry came from one with considerable combat power, and in the next instant, divine power bled uncontrollably from its body. Seeing this, the Queen understood at once. Furious, she let out an enraged roar: "Li Hao, you dare?!" Li Hao had entered the Bright Star Realm and shattered the intrinsic star of a divine spirit. Divine spirits almost exclusively cultivated a single Dao, monopolizing that single path. Unlike the human race, divine spirits possessed only one path. Once that path was severed, even if they did not die, their entire cultivation was wiped out. Ying Hongyue's brow furrowed slightly. A Li Hao who could freely enter and leave the Great Dao universe was far too troublesome. Beside him, both the Flying Sword Immortal and the Haotian Mountain Master frowned, feeling a sense of unease. They, too, cultivated the new Dao; now, the new Dao had become a vulnerability. Could Li Hao shatter their intrinsic stars as well? The Queen's aura surged with boundless fury! Back then, the Western Divine Kingdom had boasted a multitude of deities, but now only a handful remained by her side. With yet another star shattered and its aura crumbling, the western deities would soon be wiped from the stage entirely if this continued. She was beside herself with rage! She felt an intense urge to turn back and battle that demon. She was stronger now than before, Ying Hongyue was formidable as well, and they were flanked by more than twenty Immortal Realm experts from Red Moon and the Zheng family. With combat strength like this, did they truly need to fear Li Hao? No matter how strong he was, he had only just stepped into the Saint realm. A throng of Immortals… could drown him through sheer numbers! "Ying Hongyue… join forces with me and kill him!" The Queen was furious, worried that the remaining divine spirits would suffer the same fate. Ying Hongyue's brow knit slightly. The Queen grew even angrier: "Is this how you react every time you face him? No wonder you suffer defeat after defeat!" Ying Hongyue shook his head and sighed. Soon, he gave a faint smile. "If Your Majesty insists on trying… it isn't impossible! It's just… I fear we will pay an even heavier price." "Humph! Even so, we cannot flee without a fight! Do dozens of powerhouses truly need to fear a single man?" At this moment, she felt that if she absorbed just a bit more Silver Moon power, she could step into the Saint realm. Even if she were inferior to Li Hao, the gap wouldn't be large. With so many Immortals present, why worry about Li Hao? The black-robed and red-robed powerhouses beside them hesitated. Amid their hesitation, several showed an eager readiness… Were they truly no match for Li Hao? They were veteran Immortal Realm existences, after all! A moment later, Ying Hongyue came to a halt. The Queen's mind was made up; she was bent on staying to wage an exhausting battle against Li Hao. The other veterans had their own thoughts as well. Fleeing further would likely scatter their morale. He truly disliked such an assembly. Their hearts were not united. Everyone had their own agenda. Unfortunately, he had no choice. They had only just joined forces; he had not had enough time to win over everyone's allegiance. Even someone as overwhelmingly talented as Li Hao had to take things step by step when dealing with the people of Neo Martial, winning them over gradually until he finally succeeded in slaying a Saint, at which point the people of Battle Heaven City were completely won over. One could only imagine how difficult it was to truly command hearts and minds. …… A moment later, Li Hao caught up. Opposite him, dozens of powerhouses stood suspended in midair, loosely arranged in a battle formation. Almost all of them possessed the power of the Immortal Realm. Formidable indeed! Li Hao did not charge forward directly. He stopped in the distance, silently sensing the faith power permeating the void. Faith power was currently converging without pause, causing his brow to furrow slightly. He glanced at the Moon Goddess, who glared back with icy disdain. Li Hao suddenly spoke: "I have a question. Could you enlighten me?" "..." With a great battle impending, his sudden question took everyone by surprise. The Moon Goddess glared at him coldly. "What wicked scheme are you plotting now? Li Hao, since we've chosen not to run, we dare to fight you! Could it be that you're afraid?" "Shut up!" Li Hao snapped, his brow furrowing. "Wait until I finish!" Frowning, he continued, "I just want to ask one thing: do divine spirits… possess multiple Dao meridians? Or only a single one? I've examined quite a few divine corpses, and they all had only one Dao meridian, with no others to be found…" The Queen was furious! The faces of the remaining three divine spirits also turned grim. Examining multiple divine corpses… those words alone were enough to stoke outrage. Ying Hongyue's eyes flickered slightly, and he chuckled softly. "If we go by your so-called new Dao, the Dao of the Bright Star, then divine spirits are indeed born with only one innate Dao meridian." "Is that true for the Moon Goddess as well?" The Queen sneered. "You want to kill me? Impossible! My Dao meridian does not lie within your so-called Great Dao universe, but outside… Do you see it? The Silver Moon is my Dao!" The Silver Moon in the void was her Dao. A Dao meridian that did not enter the Great Dao universe demonstrated just how extraordinary it was. Li Hao calculated silently. No, you have Dao meridians—fleshly Dao meridians. The first fleshly Dao meridian I ever found belonged to you. It was simply unactivated, uncultivated, and concealed. So your Dao meridian is still within the Great Dao universe. And you have more than one Dao meridian! Yet divine spirits were born of heaven and earth and possessed only a single Dao meridian. That didn't add up! Could a divine spirit with multiple Dao meridians… still be considered born of heaven and earth? Of course, the one before him was the second-generation Moon Goddess. Perhaps she was special, possessing the same Dao meridians as others. Still… was that truly the case? Opposite him, the dozens of powerhouses did not take the initiative to attack, choosing instead to wait passively. Yet Li Hao remained halted in place. He looked at Ying Hongyue, then at the Queen. Finally, his gaze fell upon the powerhouses from Hurricane City and the Red Moon universe faction. The Red Moon power on these individuals was extremely dense. Were these powerhouses from the Red Moon universe itself, or were they Neo Martial experts who had been transformed by an excess of Red Moon power? At present, Li Hao had no definitive answer. The Queen seemed to grow impatient. With a cold snort, a surge of Silver Moon power rippled from her, and she suddenly struck a palm toward Li Hao! If the others didn't dare, she would be the first to fight Li Hao! She would let everyone see just how strong Li Hao really was. Could he truly contend with dozens of Immortals? Li Hao retreated, allowing the palm print to tear through the void and slam directly onto his body with a dull thud, leaving an imprint. The Queen was taken aback, and the others froze as well. The Queen currently possessed combat power around the eighth or ninth tier of the Sun-Moon Realm, which was by no means weak. Still… hadn't Li Hao reached the Dao Convergence level? How could he be struck so easily by her palm? Meanwhile, Li Hao lightly brushed the wounded spot, gathered a trace of residual Silver Moon power, and gently sniffed it. That gesture… made the Queen's eyelids twitch. This Li Hao was sick in the head! A lecherous demon! Remembering how he had felt every part of her body during their previous clash, her rage burned hotter. She ground her teeth. "Li Hao, you are the leader of Heavenly Star, yet you are so shameless it sickens me!" Ying Hongyue looked thoughtful as he glanced at Li Hao. Li Hao, having sniffed and examined the energy thoroughly, gave a faint smile and asked softly, "Your Majesty, may I ask your age?" "Bastard!" *Boom!* The Queen was thoroughly enraged. A scepter appeared in her hand, and she swung it toward Li Hao with tremendous force. The Silver Moon power grew increasingly dense as faith power gathered from all directions, erupting with power that pushed the very limits of what lay beneath the Saint realm. Such combat power was enough to terrify even peak Immortals. In all directions, billions of mortals seemed to be praying at once. In an instant, the sound of prayer across the Divine Kingdom resonated between heaven and earth like a massive bronze bell. It was as though countless millions had joined hands across the ethereal plane to slay Li Hao! Faith power! At the same time, the others grew restless. This Li Hao… didn't seem quite so formidable after all. The Queen alone seemed capable of suppressing him. Even if she were outmatched, the gap wasn't significant. In that case… perhaps they really could keep Li Hao here for good. The Queen shouted furiously at the same time: "Attack together and execute this scoundrel right here!" In an instant, several figures charged forward. Everyone was stirred with excitement. Li Hao… had truly come alone, and his combat power appeared to be nothing extraordinary. If so… perhaps they truly could execute him here today. Earlier, he had seemed invincible, filling them with dread. Who would have guessed he was just an inflated fraud, all show and no substance! Even Ying Hongyue's brow furrowed slightly. Was this all Li Hao amounted to? Impossible! If that were the case, where did Li Hao get the courage to come alone and actively hunt down so many powerhouses? Despite the deep doubt in his heart, Ying Hongyue couldn't simply stand by as the others charged forward. He vanished in an instant, reappearing beside the Queen and throwing a punch of considerable power. In a flash, Li Hao was surrounded. Behind him, the Black Panther was on high alert, a feral glint in its eyes. However, its combat strength had only just entered the Immortal Realm. Any person here could rival it, so it could only bide its time, waiting for an opportunity to deliver a fatal strike. Li Hao, however, did not draw his sword. He merely clashed with the Queen repeatedly, blow after blow. The more the Queen fought, the more exhilarated she became. It felt just like the first time she had suppressed Li Hao. Back then, she had been entirely capable of pinning him down. Had it not been for the thunderous strike from the Ninth Division Commander's avatar, she might have slain Li Hao right then and there. Attacks swept in from every direction. Formidable energy shattered the void, plunging space into chaos. One Immortal Realm powerhouse after another grew wildly excited. Yet Li Hao simply let their attacks land, bloodstains soon appearing across his body. Seeing that they were about to surround and crush Li Hao completely, the crowd grew even more thrilled. Right then, Li Hao's gaze abruptly shifted toward the Queen. He said suddenly, "Something's wrong with you…" The Queen froze. She cursed silently! With death looming over him, he was still playing tricks! You brought this on yourself! All mockery vanished from Li Hao's eyes. He looked up at the sky, a faint understanding dawning upon him. Looking back at the Queen, he realized—this person… was human! A deception to fool the world! Li Hao's expression turned solemn. Ying Hongyue sensed that something was amiss and was just about to pull back when boundless sword qi abruptly surged from Li Hao, shaking the heavens. A thunderous shout rang out: "Slash!" A sword stroke pierced heaven and earth! This single strike was more than ten times stronger than before! Seizing the opening, the Black Panther struck out instantly. Everyone was shocked. Before they could process what was happening, the void shattered, and another sword cleaved across the firmament—the Ninth Division Commander! Indeed, the Ninth Division Commander from Battle Heaven City. The crowd was horrified! Not only that, but at that exact moment, General Locust's myriad branches thrust through heaven and earth. Several gold-armored powerhouses simultaneously launched attacks from the void, and powerful monster plants struck out one after another! *Boom!* At this moment, the world seemed to shatter completely. The firmament cracked, and the earth tore open. "Ah!" Agonized shrieks rang out instantly as powerhouse after powerhouse howled in pain. Li Hao was expressionless, unleashing one sword strike after another at only two targets: the Queen and Ying Hongyue. As for the others… what were those fools thinking? Wherever I am, Battle Heaven City is. What did they mean, 'alone'? He couldn't be bothered to waste energy on those minions. With two Saints and dozens of other powerhouses attacking, the situation reversed in an instant. With deafening roars, powerhouse after powerhouse was blown apart on the spot, their screams echoing across the world. Li Hao brought his sword down. With a crisp snap, he severed one of the Queen's arms! The Queen was utterly petrified, pale with shock. She roared, "You dare kill me?" As she spoke, a formidable surge of Silver Moon power swept down from the sky. Channeling the Silver Moon power once more, the Queen yelled furiously, "Don't force me to completely break the seal!" Li Hao looked up at the sky. His eyes flickered. Did the Queen… even know? To think that even the Queen, who believed herself to be the reincarnation of the Moon Goddess, was merely a pawn. That so-called channeling of Silver Moon power… wasn't channeled by her at all. Someone had simply been following her, monitoring her all along! Under normal circumstances, it didn't matter, but if she truly tried to draw upon it fully to break the seal… that was impossible! How truly pitiful! Beside her, Ying Hongyue had long since retreated frantically, grabbing the Flying Sword Immortal and the Haotian Mountain Master as he fled. Li Hao's eyes flashed, and he unleashed another sword strike! Sword qi flooded heaven and earth. Not only that, but in that instant, divine characters emerged, transforming into countless Li Haos appearing from all directions. A river of stars descended, encircling the world. It sealed off every escape route! At that moment, Ying Hongyue's expression shifted slightly. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly unleashed a surge of formidable Red Moon power. Not only that, but the power of the eight bloodlines gathered above his head, shaking heaven and earth! Blood and qi surged into the heavens! The blood within Li Hao trembled slightly, causing his sword qi to waver for a fraction of a second. Ying Hongyue seized that momentary lapse to vanish, his voice echoing back: "Li Hao, killing me right now isn't a wise idea…" Li Hao chuckled, his sword suddenly piercing in all directions! *Crack!* A divine weapon exploded in the void, unleashing a chorus of shrieks. Li Hao chuckled. "I'll help you clear away some dead weight. The three of you can keep wandering; I've taken care of these burdens for you! Also… thanks for the benefits. Bring more people next time, and revive a bit more of the world while you're at it—preferably enough to let a few weaker Saints emerge. Once I kill them, I'll share some of the spoils with you!" At those words, the shrieking survivors were struck with terror. Ying Hongyue's expression shifted as he fled. Just then, a muffled groan echoed between heaven and earth. The Queen stared in disbelief and madness as Li Hao's sword pierced her throat. "Are you forcing my hand?" At that moment, Silver Moon power swept across the world! Li Hao suddenly drew back his sword and retreated a great distance, smiling. How interesting! Seeing him back away, the Queen's eyes turned ferociously savage. She wanted nothing more than to perish together with him and had no desire to hold back. Yet the Silver Moon power she had drawn upon suddenly slipped from her control, dissipating substantially. She was shaken to her core! Why had she lost control again? Seeing that Li Hao seemed deterred, she hid her terror and fled hastily. At this moment, she seemed incapable of dragging Li Hao down with her. Meanwhile, Li Hao's voice echoed directly in her mind: "Your Silver Moon power will go out of control. Don't think about taking me down with you. You… aren't the one in charge!" What? The Queen was horrified. Li Hao knew? "Follow Ying Hongyue and the others… You're not strong enough. Lure more powerhouses over, and have Ying Hongyue find a way to revive more of the world. Even the Taboo Sea has come to life; why keep suppressing it? I will come looking for you again!" The Queen could no longer care about any of that. Overcome with dread, she fled swiftly, vanishing alongside Ying Hongyue and the other two. As for the rest, not a single one managed to escape. They were slaughtered on the spot by the powerhouses of Battle Heaven City. A potent wave of Red Moon power began to permeate the area. Li Hao absorbed it greedily, paying no heed to their immortal power or origin power; he only absorbed the Red Moon power. "The rest is yours!" Leaving behind those words, Li Hao vanished in an instant. He plunged into the Bright Star Realm. The Black Panther followed closely behind him. Upon entering the Bright Star Realm, the Great Dao lightning reacted faster than ever before. In an instant, it gathered into Great Dao lightning that lashed down furiously as the Red Moon power struggled. *Rumble!* Waves of Great Dao power swept outward. Ignoring them, Li Hao sat cross-legged and began to absorb the Red Moon power. Acupoints opened within him one after another. Li Hao smiled. Wonderful. These powerhouses carrying Red Moon power were truly the finest gifts. With so many Immortals, the accumulated Red Moon power was immense. As the Great Dao power gathered, Li Hao opened acupoints at an astonishing speed. If he wasn't going to cultivate, fine—but when he did, a single session had to be worth three to five years of progress! The second cycle of thirty-six Dao meridians opened one after another. He had originally opened five or six; now, the count quickly reached ten, then fifteen, continuing until nearly twenty were open before the Great Dao lightning finally faded away. Li Hao chuckled. "Splendid!" More than twenty Immortals contained quite a significant amount of Red Moon power. It was just a pity that, now that his strength had increased so much, opening Dao meridians consumed far more energy. Previously, a haul like this might have helped him open dozens of Dao meridians in one go. Still, it was plenty! By now, he had also sorted through several clues. "The Queen is merely a puppet… She isn't the true reincarnation of the Moon Goddess! She isn't the second-generation Moon Goddess! She's just an ordinary human… Someone simply used her as a substitute. The real Moon Goddess might still be alive!" "That fake moon in the sky might not actually be fake. Perhaps… it is the Moon Goddess's true body?" "Then what about the one in the seal?" Li Hao pondered. Perhaps that was also part of her. Had she split in two? It was entirely possible. The Queen of the Divine Kingdom believed herself to be a reincarnated deity capable of manipulating Silver Moon power, but that was merely something bestowed upon her. She was really just a puppet used to deceive everyone. The Moon Goddess, the foremost deity of Silver Moon. No wonder she seemed so weak… and was always so short-tempered. She was indeed very young. Having gained immense power at a tender age, fawned over by millions and treated like a deity, how could she not become arrogant? The true Moon Goddess would never be like that. Previously, everyone assumed she had forgotten parts of her past due to her awakening, so no one paid it much attention. But now… Li Hao was certain that she was not the true Moon Goddess; she had other Dao meridians. "So someone from the Li family has ties to the Moon Goddess, perhaps even plotting alongside her. Who are they plotting against? The entire world!" Even the Red Moon Sovereign was likely part of their scheme. At this moment, perhaps even the Red Moon Sovereign didn't know that the true Moon Goddess had already escaped, and that the Silver Moon hanging above his head was merely a portion of her true form. "The Moon Goddess might… have already found the Great Dao universe!" Li Hao looked toward the depths of the universe. Perhaps somewhere out there lay a great star, just like Zhang An; those people had already entered the Bright Star universe. A ferocious gleam flashed in Li Hao's eyes! The Great Dao universe was his. The land of Silver Moon was also his. He would not permit anyone to encroach upon the Great Dao universe. His teacher, his friends, and his boss were all slumbering here. If upheaval struck the Great Dao universe and shattered certain stars, those people might completely lose their chance at revival. They could be revived! The human body possessed more than one Dao meridian. Though their primary stars had detonated, with so many Dao meridians, their other internal stars might still be among these countless minor stars. They could be brought back. Yet if outsiders set foot here and shattered countless stars, that chance at revival might be lost forever. That was also why Li Hao was currently reluctant to shatter stars indiscriminately. He didn't want to accidentally kill his own people. "The Moon Goddess's intrinsic star must be out there in the vast universe… Furthermore… was that so-called Prophet God left behind to monitor the Queen, or for something else? His intrinsic star has never appeared…" Li Hao's thoughts churned. Soon, a voice sounded beside him: "Those fellows have all been executed. If we had gone all out just now, there was still hope of keeping the rest behind. Even if we couldn't kill them, we could have taken them captive… Why… let them go?" The Ninth Division Commander was somewhat puzzled. Ying Hongyue was Li Hao's greatest enemy, yet Li Hao hadn't pursued him with everything he had. He had only killed the others, and with the Queen, he had only slain the few deities following her. Now, four of them had escaped. Why had Li Hao shown mercy? Li Hao turned to look at the Ninth Division Commander and suddenly asked, "What kind of person was Li Daoheng?" The Ninth Division Commander froze. After a long silence, he said, "A remarkably talented person! From childhood to adulthood, he always overshadowed me. The reason I came to Battle Heaven City… was because I wanted to get away from him!" He sighed softly. "He was better than me at everything, and he was the most talented in our generation of the Li family! Even the Sword Venerable personally summoned him. His talent was immense—I don't think he was any weaker than Zheng Yu!" "Being around him gave me an overwhelming sense of pressure. So… the day I reached the Peak Realm, I left Sword City and came to Battle Heaven City, hoping to put some distance between us, to regain my confidence and find myself in Battle Heaven City!" Li Hao frowned slightly. "You mean he might also be a Heavenly King…" "Yes, not 'might'—it's almost certain!" The Ninth Division Commander nodded. "If even Zheng Yu could manage it, and if he was one of the traitors with energy to spare and never entered slumber, there's no way he didn't reach the Heavenly King Realm!" Li Hao's thoughts stirred. However, the person who had left behind that sword intent in the ruins of Star Suppressing City might not have possessed the power of a Heavenly King. Could it have been… an avatar? If an avatar could leave behind such indelible sword intent, that person had to be exceptionally powerful. "The Li family had many powerhouses, right? Aside from those who followed the Sword Venerable, there should have been others, shouldn't there?" "Of course!" The Ninth Division Commander nodded. "Plenty. Even if the Sword Venerable took most of them, there were at least several Saints among those left behind, and perhaps Heavenly Kings as well…" Li Hao fell silent for a moment before asking again, "Ninth Division Commander, let me ask you: after the Sword Venerable left and the Red Moon Sovereign intruded, could the Sword Venerable have activated that seal from the outside?" "The Star Gate was closed, so definitely not… Thus, the seal must have been activated from Sword City." Li Hao exhaled. "Do you think Li Daoheng was the one who activated the seal?" "What?" "He activated the seal and trapped a Sovereign!" Li Hao said softly, "Do you think he was capable of doing such a thing?" The Ninth Division Commander hesitated, then nodded. "He could have. He was extraordinarily bold, and he had been that way since childhood!" Li Hao's eyes flickered, and he continued, "If a Sovereign died in the Silver Moon world, would the Silver Moon world become stronger?" "Naturally!" The Ninth Division Commander nodded. "Sovereigns possess boundless might. If a Sovereign were slain within the Silver Moon world, our previously incomplete world would be perfected in an instant! The power of a top-tier Sovereign actually exceeds the power of an entire world. However, this Red Moon Sovereign most likely isn't a top-tier Sovereign; he probably barely crossed into that tier. Otherwise, the seal could hardly have bound him for a hundred thousand years…" Li Hao exhaled and smiled. "Furthermore, the presence of a Sovereign would give the world an innate sense of crisis, giving rise to heaven's will and potentially birthing a Great Dao universe, right?" "That…" There had been theories before that the world had slumbered for so many years precisely to nurture the world's Great Dao. They had simply lacked proof. Now, Li Hao had numerous theories. He said, "Even if one seized the Silver Moon world of a hundred thousand years ago and became a Sovereign, wouldn't that make them the weakest of Sovereigns?" "Probably… yes?" The Ninth Division Commander couldn't say for sure. "It's hard to judge. That level is too far beyond us…" Li Hao added, "But what if it were a Silver Moon that gave birth to heaven's will, birthed a world Dao, and devoured a Sovereign? Could a small world like that still be considered small? And if someone refined a world like that, wouldn't they become a top-tier Sovereign?" "Probably… yes!" Li Hao smiled. "What immense daring, what colossal ambition!" He sighed in admiration. "At this moment, I think I finally understand!" *What did you understand?* Li Hao sighed with feeling. "Ninth Division Commander, compared to your brother, you're far behind! Zheng Yu is, too! And so is the Red Moon Sovereign! No matter how vast their ambitions, they only ever thought of becoming Sovereigns. What Zheng Yu pursued his whole life was likely just the Sovereign realm…" Yet someone was thinking on a completely different scale. What was the point of devouring a small world? What was the point of becoming the weakest Sovereign? *I want to nurture it!* Nurture a new Dao universe, nurture heaven's will, nurture a world so powerful it wouldn't pale before the main Neo Martial world! Devour a Sovereign to stabilize heaven and earth, and then devour the world itself! By that time, even if it fell short of the Neo Martial world, the difference wouldn't be vast. Then take command of the new Dao, break free from Neo Martial's control, and become the master of myriad Daos—at that point, one wouldn't be inferior to the Human King in the slightest! Li Daoheng? Is it you? If it is, then you truly are extraordinary! Spending a hundred thousand years didn't make him a failure. To the Human King and the others, only a few years might have passed outside. In the warped flow of chaotic time, spending what felt like a few years to become a top-tier Sovereign on par with the Human King might even allow him to claim a share of the Red Moon world! The Ninth Division Commander vaguely grasped the implication and said in disbelief, "You mean…" "It's just a deduction!" Li Hao chuckled. "There isn't enough evidence yet, but you can afford to imagine your brother as someone far more formidable! Could someone from the Li family who was personally summoned by the Sword Venerable truly be incompetent? Would he simply vanish without a trace for a hundred thousand years? Is that likely? Perhaps… he's been watching in silence all along!" He laughed, gazing deep into the cosmic expanse, and murmured, "Perhaps… he simply couldn't find the Great Dao universe before. The moment I found it, he stepped right in!" The Ninth Division Commander was shaken. Looking into the depths of the universe with a grim expression, he said, "You mean… he cultivated the new Dao and entered the Bright Star Realm?" Li Hao's thoughts stirred, and he nodded. "Perhaps so. He might have cultivated anew! If that's the case, then perhaps… he crippled his own cultivation? The one in the ruins of Star Suppressing City might have been his true body…" With that in mind, Li Hao said softly, "I've only just entered the Dao Convergence level. What about him? I should be at the limit… but if one gains the blessing of heaven's will, they might be able to break that limit. Still, heaven's will needs to be strong…" Could things truly be as he suspected? If so, this person was far more remarkable than that descendant in the Wind and Cloud Pavilion. He was far more capable than Zheng Yu as well. Even a Sovereign was being played in the palm of his hand. The Red Moon Sovereign might not have been sealed by the Sword Venerable at all. If the Sword Venerable had taken the time to seal him… a single sword strike might have killed him outright! The more one understood those top-tier Sovereigns, the more one realized just how terrifyingly powerful they were. Ordinary Sovereigns, like Li Fuhai's grandfather, were by no means comparable to figures like the Sword Venerable. Li Hao smiled and looked at the Ninth Division Commander. "Could Ying Hongyue be Li Daoheng's descendant?" "Huh?" The Ninth Division Commander frowned. "That shouldn't be possible, right? If he were… why would he need to kill your parents, strip their bloodlines, and assemble the bloodline power of the Eight Great Families?" That made sense as well. Li Hao nodded slightly. "Even if he isn't, Ying Hongyue could very well be Li Daoheng's pawn…" At that, Li Hao chuckled. "Looks like I've gained yet another enemy." The Ninth Division Commander fell silent. Li Hao exhaled. "And the Moon Goddess, the first-generation deity of Silver Moon, the foremost divine spirit… Let me think… is it like the relationship between the Heavenly Emperor and the seed? Or like the Human King and the Cang Emperor? A deity replaces heaven's will to become the seed, to become the Cang Emperor… while the other becomes the Heavenly Emperor, becomes the Human King!" "And if he was the one who initiated the seal, while the Moon Goddess's true form serves as the seal itself, that means… one might be able to enter and leave the seal freely through her true body!" The Ninth Division Commander frowned slightly, looking at Li Hao. He couldn't help but feel that Li Hao was overthinking things. Li Daoheng… his own elder brother, was truly that formidable? Entering and leaving the seal at will? Teaming up with the Moon Goddess, having her become the seed, the Cang Emperor, while he aspired to become an existence like the Human King or the Heavenly Emperor? Yet Li Hao grew increasingly convinced of it all. Moreover, the ballad might very well have been spread by him. The Zheng family was merely a pawn on the surface. The Zheng family existed partly to give Neo Martial an account of events, and partly to mislead the Red Moon Sovereign… The Starry Sky Sword might even have been brought out by him! There was still one puzzle, however: why had he exposed himself before Sun Xin? Why reveal his true identity to that vice commander of the Heavenly Star Army? If not for that, who would have ever known that someone from the Li family was involved? That point remained unexplained. Back then, Sun Xin was merely in the Immortal Realm. Did Li Daoheng truly have any reason to expose his identity before him? Or… was it that the more real it seemed, the less suspicion it would arouse? Given his personality, placing a counterfeit Silver Moon right in the sky, living out that notion of hiding in plain sight… that might simply be his nature. Thinking of this, Li Hao asked, "Did your brother always enjoy watching people make fools of themselves?" "What?" Li Hao thought for a moment before clarifying, "I mean, did he ever do things where no one knew it was him, but he would deliberately tell a few people, leaving them completely helpless… the kind of behavior where you know full well he did it, but have no way to expose him?" The Ninth Division Commander drifted into thought. Past memories surfaced. After a long while, he nodded. "Yes! When we were children, he was better than me, far more talented than me, but he always loved pretending to be weak. Once… during a private brawl with some playmates, he beat everyone up. Everyone knew it, everyone saw it… but in the end, everyone was punished except him. Our elders warned us never to bully him again! Because back then, he seemed very frail, yet we all knew he was stronger than us… Everyone felt terribly wronged, but no matter how we explained, the family wouldn't listen, wouldn't believe us…" Clearly everyone had suffered and been beaten by him, yet the ones who got punished were the others, while he was the one everyone coddled and worried over. That memory remained vivid in the Ninth Division Commander's mind. He sighed and continued, "Later, he claimed he was striving to grow stronger, became immensely powerful, stronger than all of us, and beat everyone up again. That time, the elders still didn't punish him, because… he claimed he had worked so hard solely to avenge himself! The elders praised him instead, saying that avenging grievances and striving in martial arts proved he was a true son of the Li family! And then… our playmates, along with me, were scolded by our families again for failing to beat a sickly boy despite outnumbering him… My parents even said I was helping outsiders bully my own brother…" What an injustice that had been! Li Hao drew a sharp breath. "How old was he then?" "Around seven or eight!" "..." Li Hao clicked his tongue. "Those tactics… impressive! First he beat you in secret, then he beat you in the open, and on top of that, your parents beat you twice… In other words, you were beaten four times, yet had no recourse whatsoever…" The Ninth Division Commander gave an awkward look. Yes, that was exactly how it had been. That was why… once he reached the Peak Realm, he didn't even stay in Sword City and left immediately. Being around that person was simply too suffocating. From childhood to adulthood, he had always been the cautionary tale, while his brother was the exemplary child on everyone's lips. Yet all their peers hated him, with no way to do anything about it. At this moment, Li Hao smiled. "If that's the case… it's only natural that he would do something like this! 'I want everyone to know I was involved, but only as a minor accessory; the real protagonists are the Zheng family'… using that to conceal a great deal. Brilliant!" At this point, he was certain. Li Hao quickly calculated. Even if you were certain of some things, it was useless; no one would believe you if you spoke of it. If you went to Zheng Yu or the Red Moon Sovereign and told them, they would treat you like an idiot. *Li Daoheng?* *We know him!* *Just a minor character!* *Plotting against us?* *What a joke!* *Would a Sovereign and a half-step Sovereign be outwitted by him?* *How could that be possible?!* "The young master of the Zheng family holding everyone back…" Li Hao suddenly chuckled. "Zheng Yu wouldn't say that about himself; he wouldn't admit to holding anyone back. But in reality, in your brother's eyes, he's just dead weight holding everyone back! Confident, arrogant, complacent, conceited! With talent like that, Zheng Yu makes the perfect front for the rebel army's leader! When everyone believes that, tell me, if your brother steps forward in the end to clean up the mess, won't everyone be grateful to him? Perhaps… upon returning to Neo Martial, even the Human King would look upon him with newfound respect, because everyone would believe he endured humiliation to turn the tables, saving Silver Moon and saving Neo Martial…" The Ninth Division Commander froze. "He betrayed them…" "What if he claims he was controlled, later broke free, endured hardship, slew Zheng Yu, and dealt with the Red Moon Sovereign? With all witnesses dead, who could prove he truly betrayed them?" The Ninth Division Commander zoned out for a moment. After a long while, he nodded. "If he truly dealt with the Zheng family, dealt with the Red Moon Sovereign, revived Silver Moon, opened the Star Gate, and returned to Neo Martial, everyone would be grateful to him! Setting things right—truly worthy of being called the Li family's pride!" At this moment, he began to believe it, because that was his brother; he had acted that way since childhood. Everyone would sing his praises! Yet his mood grew increasingly complex. If things were as Li Hao said, his elder brother was even more terrifying than a Sovereign… How could that be? "Then… what about the rest of the Li family?" he asked suddenly. Li Hao said softly, "Dead. Every last one of them!" "What?" "He killed them!" Li Hao said calmly, "It's only natural. The people of the Li family must have known something, including the matter of the seal…" The Ninth Division Commander froze. "Impossible…" Then he added suddenly, "If they're all dead, how did you… how did the Li family bloodline on the outside come to be?" "First, it could be a bloodline he left behind." Li Hao smiled. "Second, he could have easily picked any Li family member to walk out carrying the Starry Sky Sword; not everyone knew the full truth." "Third, stripping the bloodlines of the dead and modifying an arbitrary person—would that be difficult for a powerhouse?" "Fourth, perhaps there never was any so-called Li family bloodline at all. Maybe the Starry Sky Sword simply retained some of the Sword Venerable's aura and altered certain individuals. Otherwise, why couldn't the true Li family bloodline control the Starry Sky Sword?" "What?" The Ninth Division Commander froze again. "Hasn't the Starry Sky Sword always been in your hands…" "My ability to wield the Starry Sky Sword has nothing to do with bloodline!" "..." The Ninth Division Commander was completely dumbfounded. Li Hao grinned, baring his teeth. "If that's the case, Li Daoheng must be quite surprised that someone was actually able to wield the Starry Sky Sword…" At that moment, Li Hao laughed heartily. "My teacher truly is incredible!" *What does this have to do with your teacher?* Li Hao merely smiled without answering. From the very beginning, his ability to wield the Starry Sky Sword had been entirely due to the Five Animals Art! Even now, Li Hao had never quite understood why the Five Animals Art could wield the Starry Sky Sword. Why was that? It had nothing to do with bloodline! His teacher could also wield the Zhang family's saber, but that didn't mean his teacher possessed the Zhang family bloodline. The Five Animals Art shattered certain bloodline restrictions. The Five Animals Art corresponded to five kinds of force, which corresponded to the Five Elements Great Dao… Perhaps it was related to the Great Dao! All manner of thoughts surfaced once more. Li Hao looked toward the Five Elements region, feeling a sudden pang of longing. *Teacher, when will you revive?* *If you were still here, perhaps things would be much easier for me.* Furthermore, the Great Dao and force had to be intimately linked. Li Daoheng's inability to find the Great Dao universe all this time might have been related to force; perhaps he had simply never paid attention to the emergence of force before. Until he and his teacher used force to step into the Great Dao universe. Force originated from heaven and earth! The Dao originated from heaven and earth!