Battle of Heaven's Will

The war between Dali and the Divine Kingdom raged on. With the appearance of that God of Initial Martial, Dali advanced like a hot knife through butter, storming into the Divine Kingdom's territory and seizing vast swaths of land. The Queen, meanwhile, suffered defeat after defeat. First, she had lost to Heavenly Star and lost all her elites. Then, Li Hao had slaughtered a great number of her deities. And now, she had been soundly beaten by the God of Initial Martial, left with no choice but to watch helplessly as her territories were steadily swallowed up. Though her believers were ferocious and bold, they were ultimately not a regular army and fell back at every turn. The King of Dali possessed fewer troops, storming cities and tearing down fortresses as he advanced. To ensure his rear remained stable... he slaughtered mercilessly. Fanatical believers were difficult to deal with, so to eliminate any future trouble, the barbarian king truly launched large-scale massacres—even putting entire cities to the sword! Li Hao knew of all this and saw it with his own eyes. He did not intervene. They were not his people, so why should he care? Pitting Dali against the Divine Kingdom had been intended to let both sides clash and weaken each other. Once this war concluded, they would be blood enemies. Dali had suffered no small losses, and their spoils... aside from territory, there was nothing else. What else could there be? The Divine Kingdom possessed an abundance of faith power, but little ambient energy. Faith power could not be absorbed indiscriminately; the believers did not worship you, so in truth, nothing was gained from the war. Such a war was not what any faction truly sought. Yet to put Heavenly Star at ease, the King of Dali had no choice but to launch this offensive. Even though the God of Initial Martial possessed fearsome combat prowess, after making that single strike, he had not acted again. How could the King of Dali dare rely entirely on that fellow? He preferred to become powerful himself, for only then would he have the right to compete in this struggle, and only then would Dali have a chance to preserve its independence rather than being annexed into Heavenly Star as a vassal domain. The war was still ongoing. However, the King of Dali had already made preparations to quietly depart. The ten-day deadline was drawing near. *** The Great Desolation. Heaven and earth were enveloped in primal chaos. The final batch of residents was currently being evacuated. After today, the Great Desolation would become a barren wasteland, devoid of all human presence. Many of them were unwilling to leave. To abandon their ancestral homeland and suddenly move to the Central Plains—an unfamiliar place filled with strangers—the people of the Great Desolation did not want to go. Yet... they had no choice. Countless powerhouses continuously entered the Great Desolation, and even the King of Dahuang personally showed himself to urge all parties to evacuate swiftly, warning that staying meant certain death. Innumerable people harbored resentment. They resented the King of Dahuang and resented Li Hao... but Li Hao did not care in the slightest. Relocating the people of Heavenly Star had been easier, as they had witnessed Li Hao's mighty power. Even if the people of the Great Desolation hated him, he did not care. Once they settled into the Central Region, a few years would pass, and they would forget everything. Outside the Great Desolation. Li Hao hovered in midair. Around him, more and more people converged. The four major ancient cities were guarded by four Saints, who were currently stationed in various parts of the world and not present here. Even so, a great number of experts had gathered in this place. The disturbance was considerable. Over the past few days, Li Hao had been frantically cultivating, drawing upon the power of heaven and earth and the power of the Great Dao. Heaven's will had also remained restless, seeming eager to plunge into the Great Desolation and eradicate it. "Rise, wind!" Li Hao murmured softly. In the next instant, fierce gales swept up, sending yellow sand billowing across the sky. Heaven and earth changed color. "Gather, clouds!" Dark clouds blotted out the sky, instantly plunging the entire world into gloom. As the wind howled and clouds surged, the entire territory of the Great Desolation sank into semi-darkness, obscuring the sun. Li Hao looked up toward the sky. The moon seemed to be descending in this direction once more. With such a massive disturbance, could Li Daoheng guess what he was doing? Or did he merely assume that Li Hao was compressing the Great Desolation? Li Hao had no way of knowing whether the other man understood. Above his head, heaven's will was even beginning to take faint shape. It looked... like a sword! A sword of heaven! Several sword cultivators looked on with grave expressions. Heaven Sword, Hong Yitang, Bright Light Sword, and the others wore solemn faces. Heaven's will had converged into what resembled a sword; in this world, everything seemed tied to the Dao of the Sword. Heaven's will, which had previously only stirred up winds and clouds, could now faintly manifest a sword form. It was evident that over this period, heaven's will had grown substantially. And now, Li Hao had displayed an intention to resolve the calamity of the Great Desolation. Most of the heaven's will that could be gathered across the world had converged here. Had heaven's will not refrained from throwing everything into a single wager, it might well have abandoned everyone else and gathered entirely in this spot. Still, heaven's will remained scattered after all. Although much of it had assembled here, it was not the complete heaven's will. It was distributed across the whole of Heavenly Star, not confined to one place. Li Hao looked up again, catching a faint glimpse of the bright moon through the dark clouds. Would Li Daoheng strike at this moment to seize heaven's will? To capture heaven's will? Heaven's will could help him take another step forward, making it easier to control heaven and earth, wield the Great Dao, and walk out from the moon. Would he make a move? Li Hao did not know. Just then, several figures emerged in the distance. The King of Dali had arrived. Not only the King of Dali, but also Empress Dowager Shuiyun, Jiang Li, and even the King of Dahuang. Aside from the Queen, the rulers of the other three domains had all arrived. Li Hao waited in silence, greeting no one. He merely continued to hover in the air and cultivate. Above his head, heaven's will had nearly condensed into a physical blade. Within the Great Desolation, the white horse grew increasingly restless. It, too, sensed an impending catastrophe. Princess Jun repeatedly tried to soothe it, but with little effect. A faint aura of chaos manifested on the white horse's body, churning within the Great Desolation as though preparing to resist heaven's will. *Once heaven's will is encroached upon, it will surely strike back,* Li Hao thought, glancing at the sword hanging overhead. This was merely a portion of it. Once the heaven's will gathered here was wiped out, the remainder would certainly retaliate. Yet heaven's will itself possessed no innate ability to directly kill; it would inevitably retaliate through the hands of others. As a thief of heaven, if he did not even understand this much, he would have thought far too little of himself. *The Queen and Ying Hongyue—these two modern martial masters are the most susceptible to receiving heaven's will's empowerment. Once I resolve this portion of heaven's will, it will very likely focus on the two of them, granting them swift control over a part of the world and driving them to kill me...* When that time came, he might have taken control of the Great Desolation, but the remaining heaven's will would likely be divided between those two. Although being the focus of heaven's will was not necessarily safe, for the moment, it would bring them immense benefits. The corner of Li Hao's mouth curled slightly upward. Every time he advanced, those people reaped benefits—especially Ying Hongyue. Those figures truly nurtured him, the 'bandit,' to exceptional effect. Fostering the bandit to bolster their own standing—perhaps that was their current state. Many wished for those figures to suppress and deal with him. Thus, every time he advanced, while others found it excruciatingly difficult to keep pace, Ying Hongyue and his ilk soared smoothly upward. Across heaven and earth, several chess players used them as pieces, placing them continuously to suppress Li Hao, the fellow who wished to leap outside the board. At this moment, Li Hao looked toward the Black Panther. Then he looked back at the sword of heaven's will. He was pondering a question: if the Black Panther swallowed heaven's will, would heaven's will know it had been done under his orders? Heaven's will was immature and lacked complete sentience. At present, it was like a young child. If heaven's will did not realize it had been his doing, and the Black Panther devoured it... would heaven's will want to kill him, or would it want to kill the Black Panther? If it only wanted to kill the Black Panther... perhaps he would still be a favored candidate for heaven's will. For the sake of vengeance, might it continue to favor him and bestow its blessings upon him? Of course, that was treating heaven's will entirely as a fool. If it possessed even a sliver of intellect and deemed the Black Panther to be in league with him... it would almost certainly turn against him. Still, what if it truly was that foolish? Li Hao smiled faintly. At that moment, Lin Hongyu flew forward and transmitted, "Marquis, everything is arranged." Li Hao gave a slight nod. Looking at Lin Hongyu and the others, he pondered for a moment and transmitted, "Heaven's will is the will of the people, and man's will can conquer heaven! Of course, saying it is one thing; whether man can truly overcome heaven remains uncertain. If heaven's will is foolish, there will be no need for you to intervene... but if it is not, I have not labored so painstakingly just to make wedding garments for others!" He paused, then added, "However, when that moment arrives... it will likely draw the attention of the Zheng family. Zheng Yu might come to disrupt things. For now, he believes I am merely resolving the Great Desolation, so he has left me alone. "Once they intervene, Saints may emerge. It is hard to say how many Saints they currently possess, and at that moment, I will not be able to easily enter the Great Dao Universe. I will be in grave danger!" Lin Hongyu took on a solemn expression. "Then... if it truly comes to that, Marquis, please prioritize the greater situation and simply withdraw. As long as the green mountains remain, one need not worry about firewood!" If everything went smoothly, that would be ideal. Stealing heaven and replacing the sun without a hitch was the best possible outcome. Yet once heaven's will was offended... how could things go so smoothly? Even if Zheng Yu truly had not noticed, heaven's will would lead him to discover it. Such was the power of heaven's will: guiding people toward revelation. "Yes, I will keep that in mind... Regardless, at the critical juncture, you must make proper arrangements! Perhaps this will be a war of human will against heaven's will... Let us hope man can overcome heaven!" Li Hao gave her a few instructions and looked up at the sky once more. After a moment of thought, he transmitted again, "You are now the Governor-General of Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office, a leader of an entire region. In truth, you also enjoy a measure of heaven's will's favor..." Lin Hongyu's eyes flickered slightly. Li Hao hesitated briefly before continuing, "Are you willing to step out? Forfeiting this opportunity might lead to another, or it might not... Furthermore, with heaven's will stirring, the Queen might come. Even if she does not wish to, others may compel her to do so." "The Marquis wants me to ambush the Queen?" Lin Hongyu's gaze wavered. She was only at the seventh level of Sun Moon, whereas the Queen was at least at the ninth level, if not at the Dao Integration level. There was a notable disparity between them. Moreover, the Queen was accompanied by several Saint-path deities. Ambushing her... would be as difficult as scaling the heavens. It would be fortunate enough not to be slain in return. "How could I?" That would be sending her to her death. "Next, the four major ancient cities will erupt, drawing upon the energy of heaven and earth, churning the world, and severing communications across the realm... Everyone is watching my people! But there is a group that no one is watching: beneath the ruins of Heavenly Star Town, there is still a group of students, and some among them are willing to join us!" Li Hao looked at her and transmitted, "Return to Heavenly Star City and summon them. There are hundreds of students, and at least a hundred are willing to join our cause. Though they currently inhabit puppet bodies, they possess the strength of the Sun Moon Realm! "If things go smoothly on my end, you need do nothing. But if things go awry... "The Queen will have come here, the King of Dali will have come here, and everyone else will be here... You will lead those students to the west, annihilate the armies of the Divine Kingdom and Dali, invade their territories, and incorporate them into Heavenly Star!" Lin Hongyu's expression changed slightly. Glancing out of the corner of her eye at the nearby King of Dali, she transmitted, "That God of Initial Martial..." "No matter. That fellow will likely not step out of Dali rashly! Striking once was enough... Of course, if you truly run into him, that is fate, mere bad luck, and nothing can be done! What I speak of is only a contingency! Or you can simply be cautious and expel Dali's forces... while completely exterminating all resistance in the Divine Kingdom! "Seize the territory of the Divine Kingdom, become a regional hegemon... and if heaven's will does not favor you, establish your own independent faction and build another City of Supernaturals..." "I would not dare!" Lin Hongyu was thoroughly shocked and hurriedly said, "Marquis..." "Say no more! I am speaking only of a worst-case scenario. If heaven's will truly turns hostile toward me, you can set up independently to deceive it. Heaven's will is not that intelligent... Once you annex the Western Divine Kingdom, the Queen will be useless. How much heaven's will could she retain? In terms of talent, you are not inferior to her; she merely had someone constantly aiding her. Although Redwood is willing to help you, it can barely look after itself, so its aid is limited!" Lin Hongyu's talent was by no means inferior to the Queen's. She was merely a few years older. Li Hao considered the matter; this was merely a precaution, as anything was possible. Even if Li Daoheng possessed ability, he was still lacking at present... he had few people at his disposal. In this era, the ones truly rising to prominence were all on Li Hao's side. "Lin Hongyu, this time, you will either gain nothing, or... you will receive a massive amount of heaven's will's favor, potentially advancing three levels in a single day! The choice is yours. If you are unwilling, I can send Qian Wuliang instead; he would likely be more than eager..." However, Qian Wuliang had advanced too quickly, already stepping into the seventh level! Li Hao still needed to rein him in appropriately. Fueling his desires would only ruin him. There was no need for that! If the goal had been to trap and kill Qian Wuliang, this would be an ideal opportunity to stoke his ambitions. But Li Hao still needed to use him, so there was no point in letting his ambitions swell time and again. If it were Qian Wuliang, even without unexpected developments, he might well take the initiative to attack. That did not align with Li Hao's intentions. Lin Hongyu thought rapidly, already understanding Li Hao's reasoning. Once things went awry here and heaven's will turned against Li Hao, it would certainly seek someone to empower. Ying Hongyue would most likely not dare accept it. The Queen dared, but if she lost the Divine Kingdom and had no territory left, how could heaven's will favor her? Moreover, the immense commotion here would likely mask the changes in the Divine Kingdom. Furthermore, the personnel would all be those puppets from Neo-Martial's Yuanping Martial Arts University, drawing even less scrutiny. Still... if she continued under the banner of Heavenly Star at that time, it might not work. Would she have to declare independence? Thoughts raced through her mind. Lin Hongyu quickly transmitted, "Marquis, just me... or should more people be assigned?" "Just you alone! If too many leave, people will take notice... Return to Heavenly Star City now and begin preparations. Distribute sky screens everywhere. Be cautious, but not overly so; at the very least, convey the impression... that I may harness the people's will to combat the backlash of heaven's will! That is the contingency I want them to see." Lin Hongyu nodded repeatedly. Li Hao was someone who planned three steps ahead for every step he took. Whether he could pull off this deception remained to be seen. Yet if anyone assumed Li Hao was merely stealing heaven's power and nothing more, they would surely suffer a loss. At this moment, Lin Hongyu felt more than ever that this young marquis had grown increasingly mature, calm, and ruthless! Just now, he had spoken lightly of exterminating the resistance in the Divine Kingdom... which would undoubtedly leave fields strewn with corpses! Moreover, the several rulers, including the King of Dali, were all present here. Furthermore, all of them would enter the Great Desolation. Lin Hongyu understood now: perhaps... this was to strip them of their share of heaven's will, leaving heaven's will with no candidates to choose from and minimizing hidden risks. These rulers of various realms each enjoyed heaven's favor as well. As these thoughts crossed her mind, Li Hao ceased transmitting and spoke aloud, "Governor-General Lin, this time you must return to oversee Heavenly Star and prevent unrest! You may miss out on this opportunity... but no matter, it is merely a minor chance, nothing significant! Shan Qi is the key to this endeavor. If Shan Qi can take another step forward, you will certainly not be mistreated!" Not far away, Redwood was startled and hastily took on human form. "The Marquis must be joking; all of this is due to the Marquis's brilliant strategy..." It was very worried that Li Hao might harbor dissatisfaction because of this. It had now become the leader of the demon plant army, commanding many demon plants, and had reached the Saint level itself. Lin Hongyu's standing was second only to Li Hao's, making her the head of the five regional governors-general! It and Lin Hongyu were on the same side. Furthermore... something many did not voice was that Qian Wuliang originated from the City of Supernaturals. While he had been forced to join Li Hao's camp back then, now that he was part of it, lacking any foundation of his own, he subconsciously leaned toward the City of Supernaturals faction. Lin Hongyu, Redwood, and Qian Wuliang. Just these three alone... occupied exceptionally pivotal positions. With Li Hao suddenly speaking in such a manner, how could it not worry? Redwood was anxious, and even Qian Wuliang's expression shifted slightly. Not daring to look at Li Hao, he cautiously glanced at Lin Hongyu. Seeing her calm demeanor, he looked away, feeling slightly more at ease. Between Li Hao and the Silver Moon martial masters, there was the affection of elders and juniors, whereas with these individuals, it was primarily a matter of hierarchy. Seeing Redwood speak, Li Hao smiled and said, "Senior Shan Qi misunderstands. Mutual assistance is only natural! Nowadays, resources are not distributed equally; one receives according to their contribution. Whatever you obtain, even if you give it all away... I will not interfere! It is the same for everyone! What I must do is deliver the most suitable resources to the most suitable people. Whether you use them yourselves or give them to others... that is up to you. But if you fail to keep up, next time, there may not be an opportunity for you!" After a few brief remarks, he turned to the King of Dali and the others. "Sirs, please enter the Great Desolation first!" The King of Dali, the King of Dahuang, and Empress Dowager Shuiyun exchanged glances. Saying nothing, they flew toward the Great Desolation. As for whether Li Hao intended to trap and kill them... had he harbored such thoughts, they would have been killed long ago. This time might truly be an opportunity. Naturally, there were gains and losses. Losing the favor of heaven's will was not necessarily a good thing. Empress Dowager Shuiyun was relatively fine, as she walked the Neo-Martial path and did not possess much of heaven's favor to begin with. The King of Dahuang was even more so, as the Great Desolation stood opposed to heaven's will. However, he was a sovereign after all. Now that the Great Desolation had been defeated, once the chaotic aura dissipated, heaven's will might not hold a grudge, and he too could become an alternative candidate. "Go on ahead!" Li Hao said to Lin Hongyu. Lin Hongyu said no more and swiftly tore through the void. Li Hao, meanwhile, continued to wait. No one knew what else he was waiting for. *** Winds howled and clouds churned. Above the Great Desolation, dark clouds veiled the sky. Hurricane City. A sky screen materialized in Zheng Yu's hand as he gazed toward the Great Desolation. The view was indistinct, causing him to frown slightly. Li Hao had been hovering in midair for days. Was it to deal with the chaotic aura of the Great Desolation? What was that fellow thinking? He could not fathom it. After a moment of silence, he commanded, "Have Ying Hongyue come see me!" Soon, someone outside the hall departed. A short while later, Ying Hongyue entered, a smile on his face. "Does my Lord have instructions for me?" Zheng Yu looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and slowly said, "Li Hao lingers in the Great Desolation without leaving. Now, he has gathered the experts of Silver Moon together in one place. Tell me, is he trying to eradicate the chaos of the Great Desolation? If he eliminates the chaos... the world will undergo further recovery, and Heavenly Kings may emerge... He has few Saints under his command; if a Heavenly King truly emerges and joins forces with several Saints, it would be enough to destroy him!" That was a path to self-destruction! Would Li Hao do such a thing? Ying Hongyue raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and said, "Li Hao will not seek his own death! He claims he is not afraid of death... but if he can survive, he will not willingly throw his life away. Therefore, even if he truly intends to resolve the chaos of the Great Desolation, he must possess a method to prevent the revived world energy from leaking out! Perhaps he even intends to turn it into cultivation resources for them..." Zheng Yu fell into deep thought. After a long while, he nodded. "That makes sense... But when the Great Desolation is destroyed and heaven's will expands, the energy will certainly be distributed evenly. It will not deliberately focus on a single place... unless..." He pondered for a long time, then said, "Unless he intends to suppress even heaven's will..." Ying Hongyue began to ponder as well, nodding. "That is possible! However... heaven's will is omnipresent and exceedingly difficult to suppress. He still enjoys its favor; if he possesses a suppression method, he might indeed attempt it! Since he has remained in the Great Desolation all this time, it indicates he truly harbors such intentions... and he might actually succeed." They lacked an understanding of domains, but judging by Li Hao's actions, perhaps... that fellow truly harbored such designs. "Do you wish to go take a look?" Zheng Yu looked at him. At this moment, Ying Hongyue was stronger than before, his eight bloodlines more stable, having already acquired the inheritance behind the Zheng family's stone gate. Ying Hongyue's heart stirred. "My Lord wishes to go see?" "He has been staying in the Great Desolation all this time. Do you not find it... highly improper?" Ying Hongyue nodded. "Somewhat! Li Hao is difficult to kill... but if we can disrupt some of his plans... that would be good as well!" He said this aloud, but in truth, he did not care all that much. Li Hao growing stronger brought benefits to him as well. He could simply reap the rewards without effort! Of course, ever since Li Hao had made that remark about merging him into his bloodline... he had grown very wary. Reaping rewards effortlessly was fine, but Li Hao's ever-growing strength put immense pressure on him. Depending on the circumstances, disrupting Li Hao's plans would be ideal. Just then, Zheng Yu suddenly said, "In that case, take ten Saints and head to the Great Desolation! In addition, arrange for people to go to the various major cities, while my clone... will head to the ruins of Star Suppressing City. Even if we cannot kill Li Hao, wiping out a few of those Neo-Martial fellows would still be fine!" *I am to lead them?* Ying Hongyue's heart stirred. "My Lord means..." "You lead the team, and you make the decisions!" Zheng Yu looked at him. "You are a clever man! As long as you do not intentionally trap them to their deaths, that is fine. Act as opportunities arise; if something favors us, you may have them strike at any time! Furthermore, ten Saints are not as useful as the inheritances behind the other seven stone gates, and I know where every one of those stone gate inheritances lies. Do you understand?" Ying Hongyue's heart leapt, and he hurriedly said, "My Lord misunderstands; how could I do such a thing? It is only that... will the other seniors be dissatisfied?" "My word is an order!" Zheng Yu said coldly. "Just do it; no one will oppose you!" "Then... I thank my Lord for your trust!" Ying Hongyue said no more. Zheng Yu certainly possessed great audacity and held him in high regard, directly putting him—an outsider—in charge. Act as opportunities arose? He said nothing further, still contemplating Li Hao's objective. Could that fellow truly isolate heaven's will and swallow the Great Desolation? That would be terrifying! If that truly happened... with heaven's will devoured and the Great Desolation consumed, wouldn't the remaining heaven's will seek him out? At this thought, he was suddenly startled. That was definitely not a good thing! It might bring him considerable benefits, but the consequences would be even more troublesome. Could Zheng Yu's decision to send him... mean he had already deduced something? After all, as a Half-Emperor, he must understand these matters well; perhaps... he harbored such intentions. In that case, the purpose of having him lead the team became abundantly clear! When that time came, he would become the core force used to deal with Li Hao. More crucially, it might provoke an even greater crisis—heaven's will was not something easily claimed. As he walked outward, he pondered the situation. Would the Queen go? If she went... how could he dump these burdens onto her? He certainly did not want them! Rashly getting involved when he was already Li Hao's mortal enemy, and then becoming the favored champion of heaven's will... that would be even more troublesome. Thoughts flashing through his mind, Ying Hongyue soon assembled his forces and left Hurricane City with several Saints. Zheng Yu watched them depart in silence. A moment later, he manifested a clone and left as well. Perhaps it was time to visit Star Suppressing City. *** The Great Desolation. Heaven and earth trembled as a translucent membrane materialized above the Great Desolation. From Li Hao, the power of the Great Dao surged. Dao meridians manifested one after another, resembling colossal dragons encircling heaven and earth. The disturbance grew increasingly immense. The sword of heaven's will hovering overhead seemed to believe that Li Hao was about to eradicate the chaos. It began to focus, shrinking into a miniature sword, eager to launch an assault inward. If the will of chaos was slain, the entire Silver Moon would once again be unified. Within the Great Desolation, the white horse let out a roar, filled with unease. The Black Panther simply mounted the white horse, lying on its back to soothe it... giving off the vague impression that it was up to no good. Li Hao paid them no heed. His Dao meridians unfolded, blanketing heaven and earth. He let out a low shout: "Shan Qi, stabilize heaven and earth!" Redwood's branches blanketed the void, drawing in vast quantities of chaotic aura. Across heaven and earth, a redwood tree blotted out the sky and sun, overwhelmingly powerful. "King of Dali... focus heaven's will!" The King of Dali's expression shifted slightly. Without a word, he let out a roar, and above the void, heaven's will converged, though far weaker than what gathered around Li Hao. At this moment, Li Hao projected his thoughts into the void: "Attack the Great Desolation! Slay the will of chaos! Seize the Great Desolation and unify heaven's will! I beseech the heavens to lend me aid!" Heaven's will surged. The entire Silver Moon world seemed to churn at this moment. *** "It has begun!" Upon the moon, the sword-bearing man said softly, "It seems... it is just as I anticipated. However... that fellow might truly know of my existence." With that, the moon seemed to mirror the entire world. A moment later, he spoke again. "That Lin Hongyu seems to be up to something..." "The officials of Heavenly Star are urging the populace to remain indoors today, and they have distributed countless sky screens... along with a vast quantity of energy stones..." the Moon God replied. The sword-bearing man sighed with emotion. "How imaginative! Countering the backlash of heaven's will through the Dao of the populace? A fine idea! Li Hao is a man of vision; perhaps he truly has a chance of resisting... Heaven's will is also a reflection of the people's will. If that is the case... Li Hao might just neutralize the fallout." That fellow truly possessed a sharp mind. "What should we do, then?" "No rush. We have not seen the outcome yet; whether the people's will can overcome heaven's will remains uncertain! Li Hao has ruled the world for too short a time... Heaven's will is vast and majestic, and defying heaven is exceedingly difficult at present. Li Hao... might suffer a severe setback! Just like last time, when he suffered a backlash from the people's will!" "Is he gambling that the strength of the people's will can surpass heaven's will?" "Perhaps." The sword-bearing man pondered for a moment and said no more. Perhaps. There was still hope of success; even if it merely disrupted heaven's will for a short while, that might suffice. Such a concept, such an approach, was beyond ordinary men. In today's world, there were few left who could still harness the hearts of the people. *** At the same time. Heavenly Star City. The ruins of Heavenly Star Town. Lin Hongyu looked at the somewhat restless group of puppets and said softly, "The Marquis says that Director Zhang has appeared and led away many Neo-Martial experts. Those willing to follow Director Zhang may wait here; he should arrive soon to take you with him! "If you wish to make your own way... break free of Neo-Martial's influence, and see if you can go further, you may join us in a grand undertaking! "Right now, an opportunity presents itself, but... it requires doing things you may be unwilling to do, or hesitant to do. The Marquis wants you to accompany me to the Divine Kingdom, seize it, and eliminate those who resist! The Divine Kingdom possesses countless believers, so it may become a massacre... Powerhouses slaughtering the weak... is not what the Marquis desires, yet this era permits no softheartedness!" She looked around at them. "Those willing to follow me, step forward. Those unwilling... simply wait for Director Zhang!" Among the crowd of puppets, some remained silent while others hesitated. However, quite a few stepped out directly without uttering a word. As for Zhang An, their teacher... everyone had their own path. Their teacher's way was not necessarily the right one. To them, their teacher was worthy of respect, but they did not need to follow him in everything. The Divine Kingdom was not Neo-Martial. What was there to care about? Slaughter was slaughter! Lin Hongyu glanced over them; there was a considerable number, nearly a hundred. There were quite a few students from Yuanping Martial Arts University—nearly four hundred in total—but many wished to stay behind and continue waiting for Zhang An. She did not mind. It was enough! Nearly a hundred puppets, almost all possessing the strength of the Sun Moon Realm, was plenty. Now, if the various deities had departed... the Divine Kingdom was nothing to fear. Even if a Saint remained... with so many puppets present, combined with her seventh-level Sun Moon strength, even if they could not kill the Saint, they would not necessarily fear them. "Then I must trouble everyone... A large group is too conspicuous. Please compress your puppet bodies and enter the earth-drilling shuttle to leave with me..." The puppets raised no objections. Leading them was a robotic cat. Lin Hongyu was relatively familiar with them and called out, "Senior Li!" The robotic cat turned its head to look at her. Lin Hongyu said politely, "Senior... will you be coming along as well?" She had seen this person long ago. Reportedly, she had emerged alongside Jiang Yingli back then. Later, Jiang Yingli chose to submit to Li Hao, while this person had remained undecided. Why had she chosen to join today? Li Shengzhang remained silent for a moment before speaking. "To purge the remnants! The Zheng, Zhou, and Liu families all hail from Star Suppressing City. Previously, I did not know they had rebelled. Now, Teacher has never taken action against these traitors. I do not know what Teacher is thinking, but as far as I am concerned... these people have defiled Star Suppressing City! Star Suppressing City is not a land of betrayal; it is the sacred ground of Neo-Martial and its backbone! "Countless powerhouses emerged from Star Suppressing City: the two Sovereigns, Shen and Chen, who founded Neo-Martial; the other families who guarded humanity for countless ages; and the Li family ancestor who stabilized the realm... who is also my ancestor! Star Suppressing City is a holy land, a place of honor, not traitors in the eyes of the Silver Moon people!" She truly had not intended to join Li Hao's side. Yet... three families of Star Suppressing City had actually betrayed their cause! For someone hailing from Star Suppressing City, this was sheer torment and humiliation. Therefore, she resolved not to wait for Teacher any longer. Hearing this, Lin Hongyu nodded. "The Marquis also believes and understands that those people do not represent Star Suppressing City!" With that, she said no more. Leading the group, she entered the earth-drilling shuttle. Soon, the shuttle activated, and the group vanished. The remaining puppets wore conflicted expressions. Another group had departed. Their classmates of old had now gone their separate ways. The students fell silent for a time. Just then, a figure abruptly materialized before them. Several cried out in excitement, "Teacher!" "You have returned!" Zhang An looked around. Seeing that quite a few were missing, he guessed they had left with Li Hao's people. He said little, looking at the remaining crowd. "Are you still willing to come with me?" "We are!" Many answered hastily, and one asked impatiently, "Teacher, we heard you have already rallied several Neo-Martial powerhouses. Why not take the initiative to attack and deal with the traitorous factions of the Zheng family and the others? Even if we cannot kill Zheng Yu, Saints seem to have appeared in the Zheng family now... we should wipe them out completely!" "Rest assured, it is only a matter of time," Zhang An said. "Let us not speak of this now. Since you are willing to follow me... then leave with me! It will likely not be peaceful in the near future, and Silver Moon may soon see a clear resolution... I will restore your Neo-Martial bodies for you. Let us go!" With a wave of his hand, a book materialized, resembling a warship. The students stepped aboard one after another. Zhang An closed the book and looked around. The Heavenly Star ruins were now completely deserted! He had lingered here for a time. Taking one last look, he said nothing and swiftly exited the ruins. He then cast a glance toward the east, where clouds churned as though a thunderstorm were about to descend. *The Great Desolation... the power of a domain?* Li Hao had arranged a few contingencies, but they might not be enough. His adversaries were all terrifying. Zhang An looked up at the sky again, spotting the bright moon descending toward the east. *Is it there?* Even if it was, he likely could not emerge in the short term. With these thoughts, Zhang An swiftly vanished. His heading was not toward the east. Since Li Hao had chosen to act there, he would resolve it himself. The place Zhang An was heading toward was the north. With Li Hao creating such a massive disturbance, Zheng Yu would inevitably focus on it. In Hurricane City, Zheng Yu's true body remained. However... the Zhou family's Galaxy City, which was aligned with Zheng Yu, did not have Zheng Yu's true body present. Before him, figures manifested upon the pages of the book. Zhang An's voice echoed within the volume. The book was like a world of its own, allowing the group to remain inside without suffering the suppression of heaven and earth. "Take Galaxy City! First wipe out the Zhou family! After capturing Galaxy City... we must enter the seal... It will be perilous; if any of you are afraid, you may withdraw and join Li Hao's side..." "Who would be afraid? Neo-Martial warriors never know fear! If Director Zhang dares, what have we to fear? Director, your status is noble, and we shall certainly stand with you. Neo-Martial people will resolve all troubles on our own!" someone responded quickly. Zhang An smiled faintly. "Slaying a Sovereign... is impossible! However, taking Silver Moon is still within reach... Sword City is also inside, and it should be empty now. Once we take Sword City, capture Galaxy City, and seize Silver Moon... only then will we have hope of becoming a fourth faction!" This 'Silver Moon' did not refer to the world, but... the true body of the Moon God! Within the book, the crowd chimed in, "We shall obey all of the Director's commands!" Zhang An said no more and swiftly disappeared. A rare opportunity! Seizing this chance to take Galaxy City and pilot it into the seal would give Zheng Yu quite a shock. *** At this moment, all factions were plotting their moves. Above the Great Desolation, heaven's will converged as thunder roared, poised to strike into the Great Desolation at any moment to obliterate the will of chaos. Li Hao wore a solemn expression. Success or failure hinged on this single stroke. Glancing toward the north, and then up at the sky, Li Hao suddenly revealed a faint smile... *Will any of you come?* Silver Moon, in the end, belonged to the people of Silver Moon. "Black Panther, get ready!" Li Hao barked. In the next instant, with a single thought, the sword of heaven's will hovering overhead shot forth, streaking straight toward the white horse in the Great Desolation. Li Hao's voice resonated in all directions: "Slay the chaos, unite Silver Moon, heaven's will cannot be defied—kill!" Boom! Heaven's will swept forth as clouds churned across the four directions. Countless streams of energy surged inward, almost instantly filling the void above the Great Desolation. Transformed into a great sword, heaven's will slashed straight toward the white horse! Meanwhile, the opening that had originally been left in the Great Desolation's domain... gradually began to close. All of Li Hao's Dao meridians manifested, divine characters appearing one by one, with the "Dao" character suspended between heaven and earth. He was going to seal off the Great Desolation! Rumble! From the white horse, an overwhelmingly powerful force of heaven and earth erupted as chaos surged in all directions. Its roar reverberated across the world. Heaven's will and the will of chaos made contact! Thunder erupted everywhere! At this moment, the entire Silver Moon world seemed to tremble, and countless people were gripped with terror, as if sensing the dawn of a cataclysm.