Dividing Heaven and Earth

Force blended into heaven and earth; it originated from heaven and earth. For martial masters of the new era, the most crucial element was force. Li Hao had integrated force into his divine characters, and the divine characters into the Great Dao. Thus, wielding his divine characters now meant wielding force, which had allowed him to enter the Bright Star Realm in the first place. At this moment, Li Hao fell into deep contemplation. Even without force, one could still comprehend the Great Dao. Yet with it, perhaps things were fundamentally different. He recalled when he had first grasped force and comprehended the five animal forms. His teacher had once told him that force formed domains, and a domain formed its own independent heaven and earth. Yet the only use Li Hao had ever found for his domain was serving as a protective shield for Neo-Martial powerhouses. Because force did not increase his strength as rapidly as bursting open meridians, Li Hao had merely maintained a basic practice of force lately, no longer delving deeper into it. Back then, his original ambition had been to comprehend the forces of the myriad Daos, grasp all paths, and fuse the divine characters of ten thousand Daos… Later, he had realized how exceedingly tedious that was. Opening meridians and pioneering the Dao directly was far faster. Yet now, he was lost in thought once more. Force formed domains! Enveloping heaven and earth! Existing separate from heaven and earth, even repelling the interference of heaven's will and the world. Force truly was extraordinary. The key to the Five Animals Art lay in the fusion of the five great forces. Relying on the strength of that fusion, his teacher had ultimately managed to hold back a Saint—even when his teacher had only possessed combat strength barely at the mid Sun-Moon Realm at the time. Fighting across realms with such staggering power was utterly terrifying! Previously, because Li Hao had advanced so rapidly, he had cast force aside. Yet now, because of Li Daoheng, he fell back into contemplation. "Force forms a domain, comprehending heaven and earth, even assimilating and engulfing heaven and earth… The Ancient Human King used an internal world to engulf the origin universe, thereby becoming the master of the Great Dao and the lord of the world…" The domain his teacher had been tirelessly researching actually carried the shadow of the Ancient Human King's internal world. This, too, was a broad and open avenue! Looking back at the river of stars and the myriad Great Daos, Li Hao realized that he currently relied solely on the divine character for "Dao" to maintain some semblance of control. In truth, because he had comprehended so few forces, he had already abandoned understanding supernatural Dao meridians and had turned all his efforts toward cultivating non-elemental Dao meridians, hoping to convert them into a sword dao supernatural ability. "Li Daoheng… if my deduction is correct, might have already entered the Bright Star Realm. He might even be just like me, ruling over a portion of the Great Dao stars in another region of the Dao universe… For instance, the stars of the Prophet God and the others have never been found. "If a conflict erupts in the Dao universe in the future, that man has cultivated for countless years. His intellect, courage, and power are all peerless. In the Dao universe, the only thing I can rely on is the first-mover advantage of the 'Dao' divine character… I might not necessarily beat him! "The star of the first-generation Moon God might be among them as well. As the first god since ancient times, her intrinsic star is likely horrifyingly powerful, and right now, it might already be under Li Daoheng's control." The universe was simply too vast. Li Hao had only explored a small region so far. For example, he still had no idea where Zhang An's intrinsic star was. In fact, he did not know where the stars of many people were located. That sudden wave of deductions gave him new ideas and a sudden surge of urgency. The enemies on the surface had all revealed themselves. This time, the enemy he had come west to find was someone from the Li family. Yet now, matters seemed far more troublesome than imagined. In his previous assumptions, Li Daoheng of the Li family was at most a Heavenly King. Having slain a Heavenly King before, Li Hao was not afraid of that. But what if… the man was not merely a Heavenly King? "Right now, all my cards are exposed. I have no secrets left. Everyone knows my situation and understands some of my arrangements in the Dao universe, including the existence of Battle Heaven City! "And the moon…" Li Hao's heart stirred. The existence of that moon might be monitoring everyone, watching over the entire world. Li Daoheng had not created the moon simply for concealment. Rather… all under heaven falls within my sight! Nothing could escape his gaze. Perhaps everything anyone did—be it great or small, grand schemes or petty intrigues—unfolded right before his eyes. That man might truly be surveilling the entire world. He was the true mastermind behind the scenes. As for Zheng Yu and the Red Moon Sovereign, both were trapped within ruins or seals. They lacked an adequate grasp of the outside world and knew far too little about Li Hao and his allies, which was why they suffered defeat after defeat. Thousands of thoughts surfaced. Li Hao reached a conclusion in his heart. The reason Li Daoheng ignored everyone and merely watched the show was likely because he had absolute confidence in his ability to suppress all of them. In his eyes, everyone might be nothing more than clowns. And Li Hao himself was also under the man's surveillance. Even his opening of Dao meridians was likely being watched. "Force is formless and intangible… "It forms a domain, engulfs heaven and earth, and isolates heaven's will…" At this moment, he understood even more clearly what martial masters of the new era truly needed. "Forming a sword dao supernatural ability from non-elemental Dao meridians is undeniably powerful! However, he probably already knows about using non-elemental abilities to form sword dao abilities. If he studies Dao meridians, he might easily figure out what my trump card is… a sword dao supernatural ability!" That meant he had no secrets and no concealment before the man. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles! Li Daoheng understood him intimately, yet Li Hao knew almost nothing about Li Daoheng. "If he wants to refine the Red Moon Sovereign… then the seal won't easily break! Zheng Yu and the others have constantly worried that stepping out would shatter the seal. Perhaps… that was an illusion Li Daoheng fed them precisely to keep them trapped!" Li Hao pondered. If his guess was right, would Li Daoheng casually allow the Red Moon Sovereign to break the seal and emerge? He would not! That was why the Zheng father and son had never dared step out… never even daring to try. The conviction that stepping out would shatter the seal had taken root in their minds, but how had such a thought originated? It had to be someone subtly influencing them over time, or using heaven's will and the world to interfere. And the most suitable medium was that omnipresent Moon God! The moon was right there! Realizing this, Li Hao had a flash of clarity. If Zheng Yu forced his way out, it might not actually cause that much of an impact. Even spatial severing could no longer harm him; he could have stepped out long ago! "How… ridiculous!" Li Hao suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh. Zheng Yu was undoubtedly a pawn, yet remained blissfully unaware, forever believing he could change everything, that he was the darling of heaven and earth, a genius without peer. Zheng Yu believed that the moment he emerged would be the moment the Red Moon Sovereign broke free. That, too, might be an illusion! Even if he came out, it would be useless. The seal would not break. The keys to the seal lay in the Silver Moon where the Moon God resided, the Qiankun Bagua array, and that crucial pawn, Ying Hongyue. "There's another point. Li Daoheng possesses Red Moon power—perhaps even more than I do! The true body of the Moon God is still suspended above the Red Moon Sovereign. While the Red Moon Sovereign uses Red Moon power to resist the seal, the Moon God's body is likely constantly siphoning that Red Moon power. If Li Daoheng absorbs it, continuously transmitting it through the body of the Silver Moon, and has already entered the Dao universe… then that means this man has likely absorbed an astronomical amount of Great Dao power!" Li Hao's expression changed slightly. "In that case, his strength must be advancing at a terrifying pace, surpassing even mine. But I control the 'Dao' divine character. If he wants to break through the limits, there is one thing he must obtain… the favor of heaven's will!" Li Hao had gained the favor of the Heavenly Dao, which allowed him to grow stronger without limit. Li Daoheng was likely half a step behind him. The man might be able to attain boundless strength within the Dao universe, but if he wanted to step out into the world, he had to secure the favor of heaven's will! Heaven's will! Li Hao's eyes flickered. In other words, Li Daoheng either had to find a way to earn the recognition of heaven's will, or… directly plunder it! How could one plunder it? Heaven's will was formless and traceless, making it extraordinarily difficult to seize—unless it gathered around certain individuals. People like the King of Dali, Li Hao, the Moon God… or rather, the fake Moon God and real Queen. Heaven's will converged near them. Beyond that, there was the Great Desolation! That white horse. If that white horse were eliminated, heaven's will would surely converge, engulfing the territory of the Great Desolation and expanding its power… Li Hao continued to deduce rapidly. These were not groundless speculations. As long as one thread was confirmed, the other threads could be unraveled. Therefore, if Li Daoheng wanted to walk out freely and descend from the moon, the one thing he had to do right now was plunder heaven's will. "He might not be able to step out in person… At least for now, if he surpasses me, he cannot emerge! Heaven and earth will not allow anyone on the new Dao to surpass me… It would draw the attention of heaven's will and the Heavenly Dao. "Thus, heaven's will is his most pressing priority! "I carry an immense concentration of heaven's will… which might put me in grave danger! The fake Moon God and true Queen also enjoys the favor of heaven's will, meaning she is a crucial step in his scheme to seize it. If I had tried to kill the Queen earlier, she might have broken through to the Saint tier in an instant! But because I didn't kill her, she couldn't break through… He is actively regulating the speed of her progress." In an instant, everything became crystal clear! Li Hao finally saw through the purpose of the Queen as a chess piece. "And Ying Hongyue is certainly another pawn he laid out! First, to weaken the Sovereign's power! Second, to distort the judgment of Zheng Yu and the Red Moon Sovereign. Third, perhaps also as a step to attract heaven's will… "Even I… am a pawn!" A thought struck Li Hao. The Li family's Starry Sky Sword was in his hands, and it had very likely been deliberately brought out into the open by Li Daoheng, perhaps also to attract heaven's will. Even without the new Dao, the man would still capture heaven's will. What about the King of Dali? The King of Dali was another person wrapped in heaven's will. Was the King of Dali his pawn as well? "What marvelous methods. Using all living things under heaven as pawns? "Sun Xin being left alive might not have been an accident either, but a deliberate act. Through Sun Xin's mouth, the betrayal of the Zheng family was revealed, as was his own existence. Casting the Zheng family as the principal and himself as secondary provided a reasonable explanation for everything… "The bloodlines of the eight families…" Li Hao's eyes stirred slightly. What was so special about the bloodlines of the eight families? Or perhaps the bloodlines themselves were not inherently special; rather, it was the duties and missions assigned to the eight families. Someone had endowed them with something unique. Who? The Blood Sovereign! Li Hao's gaze sharpened abruptly. Yes, the Blood Sovereign. His saber could only be approached by those bearing the bloodlines of the eight families. And the eightfold division of heaven and earth had been executed by him. Even the Qiankun Bagua array had been set up by the Blood Sovereign—which was the very array sealing the Sovereign today. It had not been laid down by the Sword Venerable; the Sword Venerable was not skilled in arrays. "The Blood Sovereign…" Li Hao murmured in his heart, feeling as if more veils were being pulled back. He faintly understood. The eight families were not inherently special. What was special was that when the eight families founded the cities back then, the Blood Sovereign had personally visited Battle Heaven City and endowed it with special significance. The Blood Sovereign might have been scheming something in this small world. He had bestowed certain missions upon the eight families, resulting in their bloodlines becoming unique simply because their mission remained unfulfilled. And Ying Hongyue gathering the bloodlines of all eight families was certainly tied to the Blood Sovereign's saber and whatever resided within it. The Blood Sovereign might have laid out this arrangement casually, not necessarily to guard against any Red Moon Sovereign, but perhaps for the cat within the saber. Li Daoheng had likely discovered something about it and exploited the setup to trap a Red Moon Sovereign. Several mysteries were growing increasingly transparent. As for the Sword Venerable… what role had he played in all of this? Had the Sword Venerable disapproved of whatever the Blood Sovereign was doing with the small world, and thus directed Li Daoheng to do something? Yet… Li Hao had previously witnessed a memory where the Blood Sovereign urged the Sword Venerable to devour the small world early on. Could it be that because the Sword Venerable was unwilling to devour it, the Blood Sovereign decided to take advantage of the situation? "Who cares!" There was no need to dwell on that for now. A smile appeared on Li Hao's face. He might have figured out the secret of the eight families. Li Daoheng most likely knew as well. In fact, what was special might not even be the eight families, but the eight divine weapons. Leaving those divine weapons outside had served to bestow the so-called power of the eight families' bloodlines upon those wandering outside. And the bloodlines of the eight families in the ancient cities must have come into contact with the eight divine weapons in the early years as well. The Old Turtle! At this moment, he thought of the Old Turtle, the only divine weapon that still possessed sentience to this day. Whether the divine weapons or the bloodlines were the true key… the Old Turtle might know. Even if it did not know the ultimate secret, it certainly knew whether its creation was connected to the Blood Sovereign. The Old Turtle was not present right now. However, someone else was beside him. Li Hao turned his head toward the Ninth Division Commander, who had remained by his side, and asked, "Who forged Guardian Turtle?" "What?" "I'm asking, who forged that turtle shell?" The Ninth Division Commander blinked in surprise, thought for a moment, and said, "That… it was already there when I was very young. I'm not sure… General Locust might know." Li Hao vanished instantly. The next moment, he appeared before General Locust. General Locust hurriedly manifested an avatar. Without wasting time on pleasantries, Li Hao asked directly, "Who crafted Guardian Turtle?" General Locust was also taken aback. After pondering for a long while, it finally said, "Guardian Turtle… Forging divine weapons using the souls of the demon race was abandoned very early on, because after the Human King unified the world, it was strictly forbidden! Therefore, Guardian Turtle's original body was born in the early days of the Neo-Martial era." Pausing, it continued, "It should… it should have come from the Blood Sovereign! The Wang family was a collateral branch of the Blood Sovereign, and back then, they were also people of Yang City. Yang City was the hometown of the Human King, the Blood Sovereign, and the strongest god of initial martial arts, the Sun God. Guardian Turtle's original body was likely a protective artifact bestowed upon the Wang family by the Blood Sovereign in those early years, right?" It was not entirely certain, but the fact that a divine weapon crafted from a demon's soul could still be used openly and brazenly in the later era meant that the demon sovereigns had raised no objections. It had to possess an extraordinary origin. Otherwise, the demon race had sovereigns of their own—would the Wang family have dared to use it? And use it so openly? Li Hao exhaled in relief and nodded. Indeed! "Was the forging of the Starry Sky Sword related to the Blood Sovereign?" "That… I have no idea. Rumor has it that the Human King and the Forging Sovereign forged it together." Li Hao fell into contemplation, then asked, "How was the relationship between the Blood Sovereign and the Sword Venerable?" "This…" General Locust felt somewhat uneasy, but still replied, "It was fine, very good! His Majesty the Human King, the Iron Head Sovereign, the Blood Sovereign, the God-Splitting Sovereign, the Sword Venerable, the Supreme Being, the Cang Emperor—they all had very good relationships, exceptionally close! In the Neo-Martial era, there was actually another faction with immense strength: Star Suppressing City! Star Suppressing City's Heavenly Suppressing Sovereign possessed peerless combat power and was the disciple of the Sun God. The Sun God was the strongest initial martial god, a supreme figure who roamed the universe alone, capable even of battling world masters! Because that faction was so strong, even though their relationship with the Human King was also very good… relatively speaking, they were slightly more distant." Li Hao nodded slightly. After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "During the founding of the eight main cities, did the Blood Sovereign personally come to Silver Moon?" "Yes." "Did the Sword Venerable know?" "Of course! Even Battle Heaven City was named by the Blood Sovereign. The Sword Venerable naturally knew." Li Hao nodded, gaining more understanding. He continued, "The Jade Light Sword, the Longevity Sword, the Bloody Lion King Fist, the Overlord Sovereign's Gauntlets, the Human King's Empress's Sword, the Blood Sovereign's Saber, the God-Splitting Spear Technique… do these inheritances all belong to the faction of the Human King and the Blood Sovereign?" "Yes, the Jade Light Sword and the Bloody Lion King Fist both came from the battle techniques of powerhouses from Demon Martial!" Li Hao added, "The ancestor of the Zhang family—I mean the one from Dingheaven City, the Zhang family saber technique—that should also belong to the Human King's lineage, right?" "Correct." At this point, General Locust could not help but say, "Everyone belonged to the Human King's lineage. I only meant that beneath the Human King, they were broadly divided into two factions. That doesn't mean Star Suppressing City wasn't part of the Human King's camp. Please don't misunderstand, Marquis." Drawing such rigid lines was not a good thing. It sounded as if there had been internal strife within Neo-Martial. Li Hao had no such intention. However, he now understood the broad strokes: the inheritances in Silver Moon almost entirely stemmed from lineages outside of Star Suppressing City, whereas Star Suppressing City's secret arts had been passed down through families like the Zhengs. Of course, that was not the most critical matter. Judging by the situation, the Sword Venerable and the Blood Sovereign must have had other agreements and objectives they intended to realize in Silver Moon, but had run out of time. The inheritances they left behind were clearly weighted toward their own side. After turning it over in his mind, Li Hao asked again, "The concept of force did not appear overnight. Back in the Neo-Martial era, there was also talk of force, right?" "Yes." "It's just that there was no detailed system back then. People only spoke of gathering an invincible force and the like, without cultivating force specifically, correct?" "Correct." General Locust was growing increasingly bewildered by the questions. Li Hao pondered for a moment before continuing, "So the battle technique system of Neo-Martial is actually somewhat connected to force as well. When cultivated to the pinnacle, can it give birth to force?" "This… I don't know." How would I know that! It felt quite helpless. It was just a tree and had never cultivated Neo-Martial battle techniques. However, after some thought, it offered, "If modern people cultivating ancient martial arts can develop force, it might be related to the disappearance of the origin path! When the origin path had not yet vanished, cultivating battle techniques to their peak meant comprehending the origin! One would form their own Dao within the origin—swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, forks, metal, wood, water, fire… All the Daos under heaven are nothing more than that! Force, according to my understanding, is likely the product of the origin no longer being cultivable, dissipating outward to form a unique system… a system that can attach itself to heaven and earth, or to the new Dao! In truth, force should also be able to attach itself to the Dao of origin and form an origin path!" Li Hao's eyes lit up. That was a fascinating perspective! The emergence of force might have occurred because the origin had vanished, severing the connection to the origin path. Now that the new Dao had appeared, force could latch onto it instead, acting as a medium connecting to the Great Dao. And when force formed a domain, it carried that exact uniqueness, capable of connecting to or shielding against the Heavenly Dao and heaven's will at any time. Li Hao nodded repeatedly. "Thank you, Senior!" General Locust was somewhat confused, but said no more. Why thank me? It had barely answered anything. Its thoughts on force were just ordinary musings. Besides, force seemed utterly inconsequential right now. Li Hao had already begun cultivating non-elemental Dao meridians, abandoning supernatural abilities and divine characters alike. Having force or not made little difference. Right then, Li Hao suddenly asked, "If—and I mean if—at the dawn of creation, how would one open up a world?" "..." This time, General Locust was completely stunned. How… how would I know that? You want to create a world? Isn't that aiming a bit too high? That's far too distant! Li Hao did not actually intend to create a world. His idea was to sever the Great Desolation and envelop it in his domain, preventing heaven's will from encroaching upon it. Even if the chaos was expelled, it would exist solely within his domain. That way… if Li Daoheng tried to seize heaven's will, even if he succeeded, he would only obtain the current, weakened heaven's will rather than an augmented one. He wanted to swallow a piece of the world! Yes, since everyone was scheming to take over this heaven and earth… he would carve out a piece, isolate it with his domain, and prevent them from ever gaining a complete Silver Moon world! Was this feasible? It certainly was! Li Hao thought to himself: I am not creating a new world from scratch. I am merely bringing the territory previously invaded by chaos into my domain. Furthermore… why shouldn't I capture heaven's will myself? If the chaos dissipated and heaven's will gathered, while he covered the newly cleared land with his domain, once heaven's will entered, why couldn't he seize it? Both the Ninth Division Commander and General Locust stood in a daze, thoroughly bewildered, unable to grasp what Li Hao meant. Opening a world? What does that have to do with you? Whether you can even master a world as vast as Silver Moon in this lifetime is still an open question. Are you actually thinking about creating another world? Li Hao asked no further questions, merely saying softly, "Let us leave it at that. By the way, both of you, do not think about or mention the words spoken today. Let them rot in your hearts!" The two nodded without saying much. As immensely powerful Saints, as long as they chose not to speak, even a Sovereign could not peer into their thoughts. The Ninth Division Commander asked, "Then what next…" "Kill!" Li Hao smiled. "Kill Ying Hongyue, kill the Queen. They won't die easily. I was worried before that killing them would release that Sovereign… but now I am certain that if I hunt them down, they will continuously grow stronger! Stronger and stronger… until they can match me!" Both of them frowned. Could that be true? Growing stronger just because they wanted to? You are already a Saint! And ordinary Saints were no match for Li Hao. Li Hao smiled. He was convinced those two would not perish easily. Li Daoheng would not let them die. When Ying Hongyue was on the verge of death, Red Moon power would surely pour into his body to strengthen him! And when the Queen was about to die, Silver Moon power would surely surge into her body to empower her. Furthermore, both of them would likely believe it was their own ability that accomplished it. They would never suspect that someone else was feeding them power. Since they would not die easily… and the seal would not shatter easily, then of course he would continue hunting them down, forcing them to provide him with even more nourishment. He would leave them with no way to heaven and no door to the earth! At the same time, this would gather more heaven's will around him. In addition… the King of Dali! Li Hao pondered. The King of Dali also enjoyed the favor of heaven's will. How could he strip the heaven's will from the King of Dali? The more heaven's will converged, the larger the territory he could seize once his domain formed, and the more heaven's will he could capture. "Ying Hongyue barely carries any heaven's will… Is it because heaven's will disfavors him, or does he know that being favored by heaven's will is not a blessing?" That was another question. If Ying Hongyue knew, it meant that fellow had deduced a few things as well. How intriguing! "Lastly, to strengthen the domain, I must comprehend more forces! Condensing more divine characters won't be for opening Dao meridians, but… for expanding the domain!" What his teacher had wanted to do back then was expand his domain and engulf heaven and earth. Unfortunately, Li Hao had never paid much attention to it. After discovering the Dao universe, he had tossed the matter aside entirely. Having comprehended the vast universe of the Great Dao, why would he care about a tiny domain? "So, was Teacher's death… truly just an accident? Or was it an inevitable outcome forced upon me… because he could not allow Teacher to keep expanding his domain!" Li Hao's eyes turned sharp. Moving against Boundless City had been his own decision, but back then, forced by circumstances, he had no other choice. Neo-Martial was unwilling to help, and the situation had developed to the point where he had to act. If so… had someone been secretly pushing events toward that conclusion? Zheng Yu had suddenly dispatched a clone from seclusion, determined to kill him, allying with the four kingdoms to place crushing pressure upon him. Li Hao had survived, but his teacher's death had perhaps been an inevitability. Facing three Saints, how could his teacher have countered one of them without the technique of fusing the five elemental Dao meridians? Aside from Li Hao, only his teacher had possessed the ability to hold off a Saint at that time! With his teacher dead, no one would ever research domains again. Everyone would be studying the Great Dao and Dao meridians. Who would have the idle time to study a domain that seemed to have little practical use? "That… must be it! A man's wealth invites calamity… In the end, Teacher died because of the Five Animals Art, died because of research that outpaced the era…" Li Hao reached a conclusion in his heart. His teacher's death had not been an accident; it had been an inevitability. His domain had already begun interfering with certain plans. A smile touched Li Hao's lips. If that is the case… do you think I'll let you have your way? The reason you haven't made your move yet is that you still can't deal with the Sovereign, isn't it? Then… let us race against time! In that single instant, Li Hao drew out several divine characters from heaven and earth: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Light, Darkness, Sword, and Dao—eleven divine characters in total, representing the eleven kinds of force he had comprehended. The forces of the five elements were the strongest. Among the others, the sword force was decent, the "Dao" character was inherently endowed, and the rest were somewhat weaker. With the "Dao" character as the core, the eleven divine characters unified. In an instant, they formed a halo of light, creating an independent space even within the Dao universe. Watching this, even the Ninth Division Commander was astonished. Li Hao pondered for a moment and drew upon some Great Dao power, attempting to breach the domain. Remarkably, the Great Dao power failed to penetrate it. A strange glint flashed in Li Hao's eyes. He had never used the power of a domain within the Dao universe before. Only now did he realize that it could even isolate Great Dao power. Fascinating! He looked toward the depths of the universe. If Li Daoheng was also inside the Dao universe, his Great Dao power was likely even stronger than Li Hao's… But what if Li Hao isolated Great Dao power entirely? Unfortunately, the domain was still too weak right now. He only had eleven divine characters. As he had grown stronger, he had cast aside divine characters and force—which might have been precisely what the other man wanted to see. When had he begun to feel that force and divine characters were insufficient? Right! It was during his clash with the Queen. He had felt that opening meridians—opening more Dao meridians—was the only way to become stronger, and that supernatural Dao meridians were simply too slow! After dealing with Boundless City, that conviction had grown even heavier. Every supernatural Dao meridian required comprehending force, which was far too troublesome… How could it compare to non-elemental Dao meridians, which could be opened whenever he pleased? "If even this was part of your calculation… then you truly are formidable!" Li Hao thought to himself: If even the methods I cultivated on my own were within your calculations, then you truly are capable. Yet this trip to the west had still allowed him to uncover a few clues. The moment he had approached the moon, if Li Daoheng had been inside, had he felt surprise or tension? Perhaps not. Perhaps he had felt even more excited. Thoughts flitted through Li Hao's mind. The eleven divine characters vanished. The next instant, he disappeared directly from the Bright Star Realm. …… The Western Divine Kingdom. Li Hao reappeared between heaven and earth, without merging the divine characters to form a domain. A faint smile appeared on his face. The Western Divine Kingdom had an advantage: it was rich in faith power, rich in Great Dao power, and home to numerous deities. As a result, the faith power here possessed highly distinctive attributes. Comprehending things here might allow him to grasp unique forces and form a distinct system of divine characters. He would cultivate non-elemental meridians while also comprehending force; the two did not necessarily conflict. Only this time, it was not for opening meridians, but for… dividing heaven and earth! To walk, to observe, to comprehend heaven and earth… It had been so very long since he had done so. Back then, he had suffered immensely to comprehend force, yet now it had been tossed aside unused. What a pity. In an instant, Li Hao dissolved into the wind and vanished from the spot. Behind him, the Black Panther quickly kept pace, riding the wind and disappearing along with him. …… In the distance. Several figures were fleeing swiftly. Ying Hongyue frowned continuously. Beside him, the Flying Sword Immortal and the Haotian Mountain Master were filled with fury and despair. After fleeing time and time again, only the three of them remained on the run from the Three Great Organizations and Mount Haotian. The Queen's face was ashen as well. The Divine Kingdom had fared even worse! She was the only surviving deity. They had originally believed that with dozens of Immortals, they stood a great chance against Li Hao. And the result? The result was that the man was carrying a massive horde of powerhouses with him. "Shameless scoundrel!" The Queen was furious. "He actually hid Battle Heaven City inside the Dao universe! Dammit!" Who could have anticipated that? Ying Hongyue remained silent, scanning the surroundings before speaking: "It's too late to dwell on that now! We must find a way to contact the Zheng family and the Red Moon faction… Their people were killed, so they should know that Li Hao must be restrained. Otherwise… all will be lost!" At these words, the Queen shot him a suspicious look. Li Hao had not pursued them frantically. Earlier, he had merely killed those Immortals and let the rest go, leaving her with a set of deeply meaningful words before parting. And now, Ying Hongyue wanted to contact more powerhouses… Why did it feel as though he was constantly feeding fuel to Li Hao's fire? Not only that… Ying Hongyue had been on the run the entire time, yet his strength had been steadily advancing without slowing down. It seemed that every time a loss was suffered, only the others paid the price, while his strength continued to rise. The Queen grew increasingly wary. This man's strength was progressing far too quickly. Li Hao had fought a hundred battles, faced all manner of powerhouses, slaughtered relentlessly, discovered the Great Dao, and even grasped the Dao universe. He had slain Saints and Heavenly Kings… yet even today, Li Hao was merely at the threshold of the Saint Realm. As for herself, she was the reincarnation of the Moon God, so there was no need to compare. Yet Ying Hongyue… this fellow had never fallen behind. Though currently inferior to a Saint, he was not far off. And all he had done was run for his life. How was that possible? The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was deeply wrong with this man! Ying Hongyue glanced at the Queen and said softly, "Your Majesty, the more people we have, the safer we are! Perhaps we can negotiate further, in hopes that both you and I can step into the Dao Integration tier! As for those who died… at this point, we can only look out for ourselves." At this moment, the Haotian Mountain Master, who had remained silent all this while, spoke softly: "Ying Hongyue, almost everyone else is dead. You have been dragging me and the Flying Sword Immortal along all this way. It has been exhausting for you to carry two burdens… Why don't you let us leave on our own?" He had watched so many people die without saving them, yet he had stubbornly protected the two of them. Even in the direst peril, he had consistently strived to rescue the leaders of the Three Great Organizations and the Haotian Mountain Master. Anyone should have been deeply moved. He was far too loyal! Yet now, the Haotian Mountain Master wanted to leave. Ying Hongyue raised an eyebrow slightly and said gently, "Haotian, leaving on your own with Flying Sword is far too dangerous! Li Hao will not let you off lightly. With us around, you still have some measure of safety. Without us, it will be… very difficult for you to survive!" The Haotian Mountain Master fell silent. The Flying Sword Immortal's expression shifted before she said, "He might not necessarily hunt us down…" "No, no, no, he definitely will! He wants to sever my wings and make me taste loneliness and despair. That is why he will kill everyone around me… while in no rush to kill me." Is that so? Neither of them said anything further, but the Queen faintly sensed something amiss. Ying Hongyue was cold and merciless! Bringing the Flying Sword Immortal along was understandable—Ying Hongyue's fondness for beauty was well known. But keeping the Haotian Mountain Master with him was truly dead weight. Was he genuinely so kindhearted? And both of them wanted to leave… had they noticed something as well? Ying Hongyue said no more, merely scanning their surroundings before murmuring, "If he stays in the west and refuses to leave, we will be in great trouble! I cannot easily die, and neither can Your Majesty… Even setting aside the Red Moon Sovereign, the Zheng family understands this… We must get the Zheng family to send more powerhouses. Immortals might not be enough… I will try to stir the Taboo Sea. Perhaps it can raise the world's ceiling again and allow Saints to step out!" The Zheng family feared the seal shattering, so they certainly could not allow Ying Hongyue and the Queen to die. Therefore, no matter what, they would send reinforcements. However, Immortals were simply no match for Li Hao now. Only Saints would do. "You can make Saints step out?" The Queen was surprised. Ying Hongyue said softly, "I can try! The power of the Taboo Sea is immense. Stirring it to release energy, coupled with Li Hao reaching the Saint tier, will shift the world's limit along with him. Even if mid or late-stage Saints cannot emerge, early-stage Saints might be able to. If one isn't enough… three or five, seven or eight, or even more will suffice." "The Zheng family still has that many Saints?" The Queen was shocked. "Where did they get so many?" "After so many years, and with energy crystal veins at their disposal, they naturally have a fair number of Saints. Moreover, some Saints from back then even had hopes of reaching the Heavenly King level…" "Is that so?" The Queen fell into thought. Ying Hongyue added, "You and I must also step into the Dao Integration tier as quickly as possible. The Zheng family will make things convenient for us, and the Red Moon Sovereign likely will as well. If we grow stronger, the Silver Moon power will diminish, weakening the seal—an outcome he would be glad to see…" The Queen said nothing. The Red Moon Sovereign hoped she would siphon more Silver Moon power to weaken the seal, while the Zheng family hoped Ying Hongyue would draw away more Red Moon power to weaken the Sovereign and reinforce the seal. Thus, their existence barely maintained an equilibrium. For now, neither side was willing to break this balance. And that was their opportunity. Yet the Queen could not help but wonder: Why was Ying Hongyue so certain? That fellow seemed to be hiding a great deal as well. Dammit! Why did it feel as though everyone knew so much, while she alone was completely in the dark? Li Hao spoke in riddles, and so did Ying Hongyue. She felt angry, yet utterly helpless. Because she knew nothing, she had no choice but to stay with Ying Hongyue. Otherwise, left alone, she feared Li Hao would strike her down! Right at that moment, a sword intent pierced through heaven and earth, tearing toward them. The Queen's face drained of color. Dammit, here he comes again! Ying Hongyue's brow furrowed slightly as well. He had arrived too quickly! This made no sense… Li Hao had not even waited for the Zheng family's reinforcements. Based on Li Hao's temperament, he should not have struck so soon, but waited for the Zheng family to arrive before harvesting them all together! Had something gone wrong? His expression shifted. The murderous intent radiating from Li Hao this time seemed genuine—he looked intent on wiping them out completely! "Run!" Ying Hongyue barked. Li Hao's renewed assault shattered his expectations. The man no longer seemed interested in isolating him from his allies; he truly wanted him dead! Boom! Sword qi soared into the heavens, altering the colors of the sky. Behind them, Li Hao strode through the air. A broken sword rested in his hand, baleful aura surging to the heavens, yet his expression remained gentle and mild. "My friends… I'm afraid you won't be escaping!" Li Hao let out a light laugh. "Ying Hongyue, we've played this game long enough. It's time for you to be on your way. If the seal shatters, perhaps things will become even more interesting! I find myself somewhat impatient…" Ying Hongyue said nothing, fleeing at top speed. The Queen was beside herself with rage, gritting her teeth. "Li Hao, if you kill us, the Red Moon Sovereign will break free! Is that what you want?" "Only after I kill you will I know if the seal breaks. If I don't kill you… how can I be sure he will break out?" Li Hao's smile remained soft, his laughter light. A long sword swept across heaven and earth. High in tension, the fugitives frantically counterattacked to obstruct him while fleeing for their lives. The Queen felt more Silver Moon power surging into her body and let out a quiet breath of relief. The earlier incident had made her fear she would no longer be able to mobilize Silver Moon power. Meanwhile, Ying Hongyue's expression shifted continuously. How could this be? Why was Li Hao hell-bent on killing him right now? Did he truly not fear the seal shattering, or was there another reason? Because this time, Li Hao was clearly fighting in earnest. Vanishing in an instant, duplicates of Li Hao manifested in all directions, unleashing various Great Dao supernatural abilities. The void cracked open, and the phantom of Battle Heaven City even faintly emerged! Suppressing heaven and earth! He was leaving them no way out! Red Moon power surged around Ying Hongyue. At that very moment, far to the north, the Taboo Sea suddenly trembled violently—the Taboo Sea had erupted into chaos! …… The Taboo Sea spanned heaven and earth. Yet at this moment, as if having received word in advance, powerhouses of Silver Moon appeared across the colossal sea channel. The Taboo Sea swept in all directions, erupting with boundless energy! In the lands of Mount Cang, a vast number of demon beasts were suddenly engulfed, their agonizing shrieks echoing between heaven and earth. Dali was also rocked by turmoil as mountain ranges collapsed. The Taboo Sea spread rapidly, corroding everything in its path. The King of Dali looked furious, roaring continuously as he suppressed the Taboo Sea. In the Central Region, although the Taboo Sea had manifested and cleaved heaven and earth, Li Fuhai emerged within Boundless City, steering the ancient city to suppress the violent Taboo Sea between heaven and earth! In an instant, the energy in the air grew extraordinarily rich. A sky screen manifested, and Lin Hongyu's voice resonated across the world, poised and confident: "In consideration of the growing number of new Dao cultivators and the scarcity of energy, and to provide cultivators with a better cultivation environment, Marquis Li—that is, Governor-General Li—has opened the world's seal and unleashed the Taboo Sea, allowing energy to overflow and aid the common people in taking another step forward, so that every person may become like a dragon! Everyone, there is no need to worry; cultivate in peace. However, do not step into the Taboo Sea, for it possesses the power to corrode all things!" In an instant, cheers and jubilation erupted across the world. Fervor! The world was gripped by fervor once more. The Governor-General—no, the Marquis—cared so deeply for everyone. Knowing their energy was insufficient for cultivation, he had opened some world seal and the Taboo Sea… No wonder the commotion was so immense! The Marquis truly was divine; when he refrained from acting, all was calm, but the moment he moved, the earth shook and mountains crumbled! The entire world seemed to be undergoing a transformation. The ambient energy grew increasingly dense. At the same time, numerous powerhouses absorbed the energy voraciously, including traces of Red Moon power. Ying Hongyue had once released an immense amount of Red Moon power into the Taboo Sea, and today, that Red Moon power was beginning to disperse. The powerhouses of Silver Moon were aware of it, yet no one stopped the populace from absorbing the energy. This, too, was the Marquis's order… As for whether problems would arise, the Marquis would handle it himself. …… Inside Hurricane City. Zheng Yu's expression shifted. The Taboo Sea had awakened! And the people he had sent out were all dead! Evidently, something had gone wrong. Even without contacting that side, he knew it had to be Li Hao's doing. Li Hao had slaughtered everyone, and now he was definitely hunting Ying Hongyue. Ying Hongyue stirring the Taboo Sea was a signal… he could no longer hold out! He needed reinforcements! Zheng Yu looked up at the sky. The seal remained, but it was trembling slightly. His eyes narrowed as he spoke in a low voice: "The world's energy has revived, just enough to barely accommodate some early-stage Saints… My clone will go out. The rest of you, come with me to the west!" With that, he selected several individuals. In an instant, eight Saints, along with his clone, departed together—a total of nine Saint-level combatants. It was not that he did not want to send more, but if too many left, he worried something would go wrong with the seal before they could suppress it. Li Hao! You truly have gone mad! You clearly know Ying Hongyue cannot be killed, and the Western Moon God cannot be killed, yet you stubbornly persist… It seems the death of your teacher has driven you completely insane! This is mutual destruction! Right now, he had no confidence in dealing with the Sovereign, even if the Sovereign had been sealed for countless years. That bastard Li Hao! If he had managed to seize Silver Moon and control the new Dao, he would not be in such a passive position. That damnable wretch! The nine powerhouses left Hurricane City in an instant, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Zheng Yu's true body remained standing in the city, gazing up at the sky. At this moment, the Red Moon Sovereign was probably delighted. He frowned continuously. If this continued, the seal would grow weaker and weaker. Even with Ying Hongyue siphoning Red Moon power, it would not suffice. Anxious, his thoughts turned once more to the ruins of Star Suppressing City. Perhaps… he should send more people to investigate the Star Suppressing City ruins. The only worry was that the Saints of Battle Heaven City might be there, which would cause great trouble. Zheng Yu gently rubbed his temples and sighed. What a nuisance. A mere junior cultivator of the new era had managed to give a half-emperor like him such an immense headache. What an absolute bastard!