Slaying Saints

Heaven’s will went on the attack. The white horse roared. At this moment, the white horse formed from the intent of chaos instantly transformed into a colossal beast, unleashing an earth-shaking roar at the greatsword. Boom! The two intents collided, stirring up a monstrous surge of energy across the Great Desolation. Right then, Li Hao closed the very last crack. Heaven’s will seemed to sense something, but it was too late. The white horse roared in frenzy. At the same time, a black hound appeared, devouring heaven and earth as it transformed into a gigantic beast, lunging forward to snap at the greatsword in one massive bite! The white horse and the Black Panther fought heaven’s will together. The heaven’s will manifested as a sword, seemingly realizing only now that it had been duped. Thunderous rumblings burst forth as lightning exploded, the lightning sword piercing through heaven and earth. In the distance, the King of Dali’s expression shifted abruptly. In the next instant, his consciousness blurred as though muddied with confusion, and he threw a dazed punch toward the Black Panther in the void. At the same time, Princess Jun, clad in golden armor, let out a sudden roar. Spear in hand, she lunged to strike at the King of Dali! For a moment, both seemed to have lost part of their wits, puppeted by heaven’s will and the intent of chaos. The combat power of both sides soared instantly. Boom! Fist and spear collided. Heaven and earth trembled as countless divine characters materialized, threatening to tear the world apart. At this point, Redwood took root rapidly into the world, stabilizing the domain. Others took up positions on all sides as well, sealing off the four cardinal directions. All of this had been anticipated. Meanwhile, Li Hao’s body trembled slightly as he stabilized the domain over the Great Desolation. The clash between chaos and heaven’s will shook the domain continuously. Beside Li Hao, rolling thunder rumbled as more heaven’s will materialized—will that had not yet converged earlier. Not only that, but far away, an eruption of heaven’s will seemed to gather and surge forward as well. Across the entirety of Silver Moon, a sword seemed to hang over the sky, poised to cleave the Great Desolation to pieces! Li Hao’s eyes flickered. Block it? Or not? Blocking it meant making an enemy of heaven’s will. Not blocking it meant the Great Desolation would shatter, and all his schemes would turn to smoke. At this moment, Li Hao made his decision. High above the surrounding lands, ancient cities hovered in midair, vibrating violently as they swallowed heaven and earth and stirred the wind and clouds, shaking heaven’s will once again. A portion of it had no choice but to pull back to suppress the wider world. Yet the majority of heaven’s will remained converged right where Li Hao stood. Li Hao’s expression shifted slightly. A longsword manifested in his grip, and he slashed straight up into the firmament! …… “He made his move!” The moment Li Hao struck, the sword-bearing man above the Silver Moon let out a soft sigh. Once he struck... he forged a blood feud with heaven’s will. It seemed Li Hao had ultimately chosen not to endure it passively. The man had assumed Li Hao might tough it out, refuse to fight back, or find a way to hoodwink heaven’s will. Yet... Li Hao had neither done so nor even considered doing so. He truly chose to make an enemy of heaven’s will. For the man, this was good news. Yet such a Li Hao... showed a bit less cunning and a bit more reckless valor. He hardly knew whether to feel pleased or disappointed. …… At that moment, Li Hao roared fiercely, drawing his sword as he took to the air. “Kill!” Boom! Ten thousand bolts of lightning flared. Heaven’s will had seemingly failed to comprehend before, but in this instant, realization dawned, followed by blinding fury. This favored son of heaven had rebelled! In the Silver Moon world, Li Hao had received the greatest blessing from heaven’s will, and yet... he had revolted! It was as if heaven’s will had been betrayed by its most beloved son! Infuriating! Meanwhile, in the surroundings, Ying Hongyue’s face changed. Above him, heaven’s will hovered, beginning to gather. Heaven’s will itself did not possess overwhelming combat strength; whether lightning or sword, it possessed great momentum but mediocre lethality. It needed a vessel! Now gathering near Ying Hongyue, it seemed intent on descending into his body to lend him aid, controlling him to fight on its behalf and eradicate rebels like Li Hao! Another portion converged in another direction. Over there, the Queen was overjoyed. Sure enough, the Prophet had been right: heaven’s will would favor her once more. Her thoughts differed entirely from Ying Hongyue’s... Since heaven’s will offered its favor, of course she would accept it! In an instant, heaven’s will turned into a surging momentum that merged into her body, causing her aura to skyrocket! At that moment, she seemed to break past the worldly barrier. Not far away, Ying Hongyue’s expression shifted rapidly through various calculations. In the next moment, he suddenly launched an attack toward the sky, throwing a punch that boomed like thunder and rattled heaven’s will! Heaven’s will seemed enraged... Had this one rebelled as well? Heaven and earth belonged to it! Today, it had sought to bestow favor upon this man, yet this man dared to rebel? Amid its fury, it wished to strike him down, yet the greatest rebel was still fighting it. In its rage, heaven’s will chose not to deal with Ying Hongyue after all, quickly dispersing to pour toward the Queen in the distance instead! Ying Hongyue’s expression shifted continuously. He had given up a chance to grow stronger! And yet... he did not regret it much. This kind of power was no blessing. Accepting heaven’s will meant being forced to battle Li Hao right now. He was also astonished that Li Hao truly dared to betray heaven’s will and even strike at it actively—the boy had terrifying nerve. However, fighting Li Hao at this moment was not Ying Hongyue’s objective. Beside him, a Saint frowned. “Why did you refuse?” Turning to look into the distance at Li Hao, who was fighting heaven’s will alone with his sword, the Saint said in a deep voice, “Right now, he has been forsaken by heaven’s will; this world can hardly contain him. This is the perfect moment to slay him! The Saints across the four quarters are stirring up turmoil... Li Hao has brought this upon himself. The opportunity is ripe. If we strike to kill him now, we are guaranteed to succeed!” The opportunity had arrived! There were ten Saints—actually more, since four gods were present as well. Added to the Queen and Ying Hongyue, that made sixteen top-tier powerhouses. Li Hao, on the other hand, dared not unseal the Great Desolation. If he opened the Great Desolation, heaven’s will would escape. And if he fled into the Great Dao Universe, his seal would likely shatter. Even if he could escape, they could ruin Li Hao’s plans, see him cast aside by the world, and even slaughter Redwood and the others. Sixteen Saint-level powerhouses could bring down even a Heavenly King! The timing could not be better! Furthermore, an ancient Saint said gravely, “Now that heaven’s will is targeting him, he might not even be able to open the Great Dao Universe. We might be able to wipe him out in a single stroke!” Several people turned their gazes to Ying Hongyue. Li Hao had brought this upon himself; if they did not kill him now, when would they? Before setting out, Zheng Yu had told them to obey Ying Hongyue. Yet seeing him refuse the embrace of heaven’s will, everyone felt dissatisfied. Another Saint spoke up: “Right now, Li Hao is the enemy of heaven and earth. If we join hands to kill him, we might receive the favor of heaven’s will. Even if we cannot govern this world, heaven’s will will lean toward us, and we won’t be targeted by heaven and earth again!” “Ying Hongyue, what are you waiting for? Strike with us!” Several Saints called out one after another. Ying Hongyue frowned and shook his head. “We cannot...” “Ying Hongyue!” A Saint barked furiously, “Whose side are you on? Is your enmity with Li Hao genuine or fake? This is a rare opportunity...” Boom! A thunderous blast rang through heaven and earth. In that instant, the Queen made her move. Right now, she seemed the most favored child between heaven and earth. Heaven’s will swept in all directions, draping the Queen in golden light. Lightning parted around her, and she bathed in radiant energy. Her scepter swung forward, carrying the force of the entire world with incomparable majesty! Even as formidable as Li Hao was, wielding the power of Dao Integration, he seemed on the brink of peril at this moment. The Saints could hold back no longer! “Ying Hongyue...” They were furious that Zheng Yu had told them to listen to such a coward. Ying Hongyue’s brow furrowed tightly. “Seniors, it may not be safe. Could Li Hao truly not know this would happen? He knew, yet he dared to do it, which means he is confident he can handle it. If we charge in, we might walk straight into his trap...” “What trap?” A Saint raged, “What trap could there possibly be? He is at his absolute limit, sealing the Great Desolation on one side while fighting heaven’s will on the other... The Saints of Battle Heaven City are busy controlling the major cities, roiling heaven and earth to prevent more of heaven’s will from gathering! If we don’t strike now... when will we ever get another chance?” Excuses! This man was simply a coward terrified of death, which infuriated them to no end. A Saint said in a deep voice, “A general in the field is not bound by rigid orders! Since you refuse to go... though the master told us before leaving to listen to you, you clearly fear Li Hao. In that case... ignore him, everyone! If he won’t attack, we will!” The auras of the ten Saints churned. In the distance, the other gods stirred up their auras as well. Clearly, all were preparing to strike now and execute Li Hao. Ying Hongyue’s expression shifted, and he said darkly, “It is definitely not that simple. Let me think... perhaps... this is precisely what Li Hao wants to see...” He scanned the surroundings. An ambush? Not necessarily! No ambush? Then... what trick was he playing? He racked his brains, and soon a spark of realization struck. Looking across the four quarters, a thought formed: perhaps... what Li Hao wanted was for heaven’s will to favor them, even to enter their bodies! Disturbing heaven’s will! The will of the people could be harnessed! In that instant, Ying Hongyue understood. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a Saint said coldly, “Pay him no mind! Foolish, timid rat—no wonder Li Hao chased him until he had nowhere to run!” Ying Hongyue’s face changed slightly. Looking at them, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and sighed softly. “The master sent me here precisely because I am cautious. If you do not believe me, there is nothing I can do! If you trust me, then stay...” Before he could finish, several Saints soared into the sky. The remaining few hesitated for a moment, and some quickly followed after. In the end, two Saints actually chose to remain. Ying Hongyue glanced at them, unsure whether they stayed to keep an eye on him or truly trusted his judgment. The other eight Saints who left seemed unconcerned with the two who stayed behind. With the eight of them, combined with the deities from the Divine Kingdom... such strength was more than enough to slay Li Hao. Ying Hongyue’s eyes flickered. He looked at the Queen flaunting her might, shaking the world with her scepter and forcing Li Hao back step after step, his expression wavering. Empowered by heaven’s will, the Queen was unimaginably formidable! And yet... that might not be a blessing. As for himself, could he fish for some benefits amid this upheaval? At this moment, heaven’s will surged, sweeping across all directions. It enveloped the entire Great Desolation. Inside this shroud, no powerhouse could perceive what took place. Even if Saints died here, there would probably be no disturbance, and no one outside would sense a thing. …… In the distance, above the Great Desolation, Li Hao’s sword pierced through heaven and earth, striking with power that cracked the sky. Bang! Explosions rang out relentlessly. The Queen was in high spirits as her scepter bore down, suppressing the sword intent completely. A smile spread across her face; unlike the others, she had not been wholly puppeted by heaven’s will. Her excitement mounted. Li Hao, who had repeatedly suppressed her, had actually chosen to betray heaven’s will, giving her the advantage. She felt her strength climbing toward the Heavenly King Realm in this very moment! Too powerful! Countless energies poured into her body. Every move she made felt aided by the world, suppressing Li Hao with the sheer momentum of heaven and earth. No matter how strong Li Hao was, he found it difficult to endure. Even if you’ve killed a Heavenly King, it’s useless now. At that moment, the four gods attacked from all directions. As they made their moves, each seemed to receive the blessing of heaven’s will! Heaven and earth were uniting to suppress the traitor Li Hao! The power of the God of Misfortune and the God of Disaster became particularly terrifying. Empowered by heaven’s will, their attacks brought endless misfortune, unrelenting disasters, and doom crashing upon Li Hao! A single sword strike from Li Hao suddenly tore the void apart, but countless void rifts burst outward, detonating against Li Hao himself with a thunderous roar. Such was the fate of one who opposed heaven! Blood gushed from Li Hao instantly. He frowned slightly. Heaven’s will... seemed intangible, yet once one truly opposed it, its malice became painfully real. In that instant, he glimpsed destiny—his own death, his doom of being slain! That was the influence of the God of Destiny. Having had her physical body destroyed by the God of Initial Martial earlier, she had manifested once more. Though her strength had plummeted considerably, she seemed to have recovered under the blessing of heaven’s will. The Prophet God also strove to foresee the future, yet heaven’s will was in chaos here... Every prophecy yielded a single result: Li Hao would die! Because heaven’s will demanded his death! Thus, every foreseen outcome was Li Hao’s demise—the interference of heaven’s will creating the most probable future. Five great powerhouses joined forces, all empowered by heaven’s will. Boom! Li Hao was sent flying by a strike from the Queen’s scepter. Just then, eight more auras soared into the sky. A cold-faced Saint declared in a booming voice, “Li Hao, your wickedness knows no bounds, and heaven has forsaken you. Today, we shall execute you, the demon, right here!” One who could defy heaven was called a madman. One without the power to defy heaven was merely an idiot. Li Hao had no power to defy heaven; casting aside the favor of heaven and earth, he had turned traitor. If he didn’t die, who would? “Did Ying Hongyue and Zheng Yu’s clone not come?” Li Hao stepped back several paces and suddenly staggered as the void exploded. He gave a self-deprecating laugh. What terrible luck. His legs were mangled with blood and flesh. Indeed, offending heaven’s will truly left one with nowhere to run between heaven and earth. The eight Saints charged forward rapidly. At this moment, a full thirteen top-tier powerhouses converged, all empowered by heaven’s will to deal with the rebel Li Hao. Facing such an outcome, even a Heavenly King would find it hard to turn the tables. Within the Great Desolation, the Black Panther and the white horse besieged the greatsword of heaven’s will with savage frenzy. The others remained in place, suppressing and stabilizing the domain. Everyone’s faces drained of color! Thirteen! This far exceeded their expectations—far too many. They had known it would be dangerous, but they had assumed Zheng Yu’s faction would not learn of it so quickly, nor would the gods realize it immediately. Perhaps by the time they found out, everything would already be accomplished. Yet... they had arrived far too swiftly. Much faster than imagined! Far too fast, and far too many—thirteen in total! It was over! At this moment, Director Zhao and the others stepped forward, preparing to leave the Great Desolation. Qian Wuliang snapped in a low voice, “You cannot! This place is sealed; if you step out and heaven’s will escapes, who will take the blame?” Sky Sword roared furiously, “If we don’t go out... it’s over! Give up on crushing heaven’s will and let him escape into the Great Dao Universe!” Qian Wuliang felt helpless; this senior was not someone he could reprimand. Just as he was wondering how to handle it, Hong Yitang said softly, “Enough, pay it no mind! Suppress this place first and stabilize the domain. If he wanted to leave... he would have left long ago. Quiet down, everyone, hurry—stabilize the domain and suppress it with force!” With that, his Earth-Overturning Sword momentum rippled outward. Their role was not to fight heaven’s will; anyone who attacked heaven’s will would easily be marked by it. Right now, they had only one goal: suppress and stabilize the Great Desolation. They could not let Li Hao’s domain shatter. Hearing this, the others’ faces shifted with anxiety and helplessness, but they had no choice but to unleash their momentum to suppress and stabilize the area. Many were drenched in cold sweat. Thirteen of them! This was truly dire. …… In a single exchange! Boom! Li Hao grunted as seven or eight bloody wounds opened across his body, his orange armor shattered. The instant the thirteen powerhouses struck, he was wounded. And these thirteen powerhouses, even the eight Neo-Martial experts, were all empowered by heaven’s will at this moment. Clearly, the enraged heaven’s will was well pleased with those who aided it in slaying the rebel! The eight Neo-Martial experts were equally pleased. Splendid! It was normally far too difficult for Neo-Martial practitioners to gain the blessing of heaven’s will. Yet now, they had achieved it. Merely striking at Li Hao once had granted them this. If they killed him, they would receive a massive blessing and favor from heaven’s will, allowing them to cultivate much faster in the future, rendering ordinary foes unable to kill them, and enabling them to unleash even greater power. Their luck would reach the absolute pinnacle! The Queen seemed slightly displeased by these newcomers intervening. However, she had previously restored the four gods with Zheng Yu’s assistance, so she said nothing now, only glaring coldly at Li Hao. He had inflicted heavy losses on her time and again. Today, she could finally avenge her grievances! “Kill him!” The Queen barked, and in the next instant, everyone unleashed their attacks, threatening to tear heaven and earth apart! Li Hao’s expression was icy. Thirteen Saints—forget about him, even a Heavenly King would perish in regret! Had all of them struck? Ying Hongyue truly hadn’t come! Good that they struck! Just as everyone moved to execute Li Hao, he let out a fierce roar. Suddenly, the Great Dao Universe trembled, and countless Dao meridians hovered overhead. Li Hao bellowed, “Common folk, aid me!” “Humanity shall conquer heaven—slay the demons!” A ferocious roar shook heaven and earth. In that instant, hundreds of millions of living souls seemed to sense Li Hao’s will. Countless people chanted silently, *Humanity shall conquer heaven!* Surges of force rose across the world. Heaven and earth trembled; heaven’s will shuddered as its consciousness was disrupted by the combined will of countless living beings. The powerhouses who had received the blessing of heaven’s will suddenly felt as though something had exploded in their minds! Their thoughts turned to chaos! At this moment, a single thought echoed in their heads... *Humanity shall conquer heaven!* It was a collective thought formed by hundreds of millions of common folk. All thirteen powerhouses had received the blessing of heaven’s will, plunging them into momentary confusion. And this was precisely the outcome Li Hao desired. A single instant was all he needed! The will of mankind might not match heaven’s will, but it was certainly enough to interfere for a brief moment. Had these thirteen Saints not received heaven’s will’s blessing, Li Hao would have been doomed, completely outmatched. Yet these people were too greedy! They had insisted on striking at this very moment. Then again, how many people were truly free of greed? *Li Daoheng... did you fail to calculate this? Or did you anticipate it and simply not care?* Li Hao said nothing. In that very instant, dazzling radiance burst from his sword. A small sword emerged from his body and merged into the Starry Sky Sword, cleaving through heaven and earth! “Kill!” Before the closest powerhouses could regain their senses, a boom resounded as their physical bodies were severed and their spirits wiped out. Li Hao closed in swiftly and slashed again, shattering the firmament as a Saint was ground into dust. In the distance, the two Saints beside Ying Hongyue blanched in horror! How could this happen? The thirteen powerhouses seemed frozen in place, left entirely at Li Hao’s mercy! “Dodge!” The two shouted, their voices trembling with shock and lingering terror. How had this happened? Heaven’s will had actually fallen into chaos! Only then did a majestic voice echo between heaven and earth: “Humanity shall conquer heaven! Slay the demons and defend the Dao!” The “demon” here was not Li Hao. It was heaven’s will! Heaven’s will churned in all directions, rattling continuously, while the figures empowered by it grimaced in agony. Li Hao slashed with his sword, and another Saint shattered. Spinning around, he threw a punch with a thunderous detonation, destroying yet another. Reaching out, he clamped his hand shut with a snap, crushing a god into powder as boundless energy exploded and swept across the world. Heaven’s will seemed to be fighting back! Li Hao knew the window would not last long. He had to slay as many powerhouses as possible. Speed was everything! Strike and slaughter! Crack! With another strike, a Saint was hacked into pieces once more. The spirit body barely emerged before Li Hao obliterated it with a fierce roar. Heaven and earth cracked! At this point, the expressions of several figures shifted, their bodies shuddering. It seemed heaven’s will was about to overcome the influence of the common folk. Li Hao swept his gaze across them. In this instant, he had killed four Neo-Martial Saints and two gods—only six slain. Too few. Not enough! “Kill!” The Demon Sword pierced through heaven and earth. As he struck, Li Hao himself transformed into a sword, skewering another. This opportunity was too precious. In the distance, Ying Hongyue and the two Saints were pale-faced, not daring to approach. It was utterly shocking! Thirteen powerhouses had been paralyzed for a single instant. Another Saint was slain by the Starry Sky Sword, and Li Hao’s true body obliterated one as well... Eight! Six Neo-Martial Saints and two gods. Only five remained! Among the five, Li Hao had avoided targeting the Queen. Striking her might trigger an unforeseen chain reaction, and he already sensed that the survivors were about to awaken. Striking now, he might be able to kill one more. Yet... Li Hao did not strike. Instead, seizing the brief moment of chaos in heaven’s will, he let out a low bark and expanded his domain, engulfing all of them into the Great Desolation—along with the dissipating energies, heaven’s will, Saint paths, Origin energy, and divine power... In that instant, Li Hao enveloped them all. And in that precise split second... the five woke up. Without time to think, the five retreated instantly. In the next moment, exchanging glances, they were petrified with terror! The Queen was drained of all color! In that single instant, the God of Misfortune and the God of Disaster had been slain. Their destiny stars remained unbroken, meaning they might still be resurrected, but doing so would cost an immense price each time. The two remaining Zheng family Saints were even more horrified. How had this happened? “Li Hao!” The Queen gritted her teeth. “You plotted against us!” Li Hao exhaled raggedly. Right now, the entire Great Desolation was expanding and churning wildly. Having killed so many powerhouses at once, their energies had practically materialized into substance, blanketing the Great Desolation while even more heaven’s will converged together. Over on the other side, the Black Panther and the white horse had nearly succeeded in swallowing the small sword, but the sword suddenly swelled. The heaven’s will that had previously entered those Saints coalesced once more, striking the Black Panther and the white horse until they shrieked in agony. Li Hao looked at the five Saints and laughed softly. “Just a simple contest... It can only be said that your wills were too weak, allowing yourselves to be manipulated by heaven’s will!” Their expressions were cold, burning with fury! Li Hao had actually thrown heaven’s will into chaos for a moment. Damn him! In that single instant, they had lost eight powerhouses—an excruciatingly heavy loss. The Queen was equally furious, gnashing her teeth, but Li Hao smiled. “The five of you... how many of you will remain behind today?” The two Neo-Martial Saints exchanged a glance, suddenly glancing outward. Ying Hongyue and his companions were still out there. Could Li Hao still shake heaven’s will now? They could enter this place... or simply attack from the outside to shatter the Great Desolation domain! Even with so many dead, they still had enough strength to deal with Li Hao. Just as that thought crossed their minds, Li Hao vanished, reappearing directly above the white horse. Opening his maw impossibly wide, he swallowed the white horse of chaos in a single gulp. Everyone was dumbfounded by the sight; even the Black Panther was stunned! In that instant, the chaos Dao meridian inside Li Hao’s body thrashed violently. The white horse roared, and Li Hao let out a ferocious bellow as divine characters emerged across the sky, followed by Dao meridians surfacing one after another. Gritting his teeth as cracks split his body, Li Hao laughed wildly: “Chaos enters my flesh; heaven and earth part for me!” Boom! The domain collapsed inward! At this moment, a full thirty-six divine characters appeared, anchored by the divine character for “Dao,” transforming into thirty-six Dao meridians—all of them supernatural Dao meridians. Within Li Hao’s body, forty-eight Dao meridians also manifested. All of them were non-elemental Dao meridians. A total of eighty-four Dao meridians emerged like eighty-four colossal dragons. Among them, eighty-three dragons merged together toward the colossal dragon of chaos. “Stop him!” The Queen’s face shifted drastically as she charged forward in an instant! The Black Panther and the others were struck with utter astonishment and shock! None of them had seen this coming. Li Hao had not simply intended for the Black Panther to devour the chaos intent and heaven’s will—he was taking heaven into himself! It defied all imagination! Everyone felt a surge of boundless power. As Li Hao swallowed heaven and earth into his body, the Great Desolation was compressed rapidly with thunderous rumbles, compressing into a gigantic sphere that surged into Li Hao’s flesh. Li Hao’s physical body cracked, even bursting open in places! Yet at this moment, his strength far surpassed what it had been before. Wielding the sword of chaos, he slashed forward! Boom! The five Saint-level powerhouses were sent flying backward, their faces filled with horror. So strong? Li Hao, however, frowned slightly. Still not enough! He glanced at the Queen. The heaven’s will upon her was too dense and continued to empower her, making her formidable... He lacked the strength to wipe them all out. Outside, Ying Hongyue and the two Saints felt the heaven-shattering disturbance and blanched. They had initially intended to join the fray, but seeing Li Hao suddenly turn into a colossus of chaos, all three retreated a few paces in terror. Li Hao frowned slightly, looked at the five, and laughed. “It seems... you can hold on a bit longer!” With that, wielding chaos as his sword and drawing the Great Desolation into his body, he unleashed strike after strike. Heaven and earth dissolved into chaos, while heaven’s will poured swiftly into the five survivors, bolstering their strength once more. At this point, Li Hao could no longer call upon the will of the people; harnessing the hearts of the millions was effective only once. Repeating it would yield little effect, as heaven’s will had developed resistance. Embodying the colossus of chaos, his sword slashed again and again, driving the five back step by step in the blink of an eye. At this moment, those five represented heaven’s will, while Li Hao represented chaos! The two sides appeared evenly matched. …… Above the moon, the sword-bearing man marveled, “What methods!” He had not been surprised by the initial use of the people’s will to create chaos and kill several foes—not in the least. Yet this time, Li Hao had swallowed the chaos intent of the Great Desolation, directly drawing chaos and heaven and earth into his body. That did surprise him. This young man had actually forcibly devoured a realm; no wonder he was so confident! The Moon God spoke: “Formidable... He is almost approaching the Heavenly King Realm... Yet having opened only eighty-odd Dao meridians, he should theoretically be at mid-Saint level at most... He is nearly at the peak of the Saint stage...” “It’s different. Blessed with chaos intent, the Great Dao, and supernaturals... and being a top-tier swordsman on top of that, do not view him as an ordinary Saint!” The Moon God did not pursue the point, saying instead, “If this continues... the second generation may not be a match for him... Of course, heaven’s will is only part of it; there may still be a chance... Should we channel more Silver Moon power into her so she can advance rapidly...?” Right now, the five still had a chance. Li Hao had forcibly swallowed heaven and earth. His physical body was not strong enough, so he had to end this quickly, or he would self-detonate in the very next moment. As long as the five held on for a while without being killed by Li Hao, an opportunity remained. Of course, whether these people could seize such an opportunity was another matter. The sword-bearing man smiled. “Channel some into her! I would also like to see where Li Hao’s limit lies!” The Moon God said nothing more, and the moon shimmered with faint radiance. Down below, the Queen’s expression shifted. In an instant, a boundless surge of Silver Moon power entered her body, instantly restoring her strength and causing it to climb rapidly! Where the five had been retreating steadily, the Queen now struck out with her scepter. With a resounding clash, she actually blocked Li Hao’s sword of chaos! The other powerhouses breathed an immediate sigh of relief. Just then, Li Hao chuckled. “The Silver Moon power has grown stronger again!” He glanced up at the sky. *Cheating again, are you?* *If not for your repeated meddling... you wouldn’t stand a chance against me!* *Since you choose to cheat, don’t blame me for being ruthless.* With a ferocious roar, Li Hao’s armor flared with brilliant light. At that exact moment, a mad slaughter erupted within the territory of the Divine Kingdom. Above city after city across the Divine Kingdom, puppets manifested. With no gods stationed to guard them, divine shrines were shattered and countless believers slaughtered in the blink of an eye! Lin Hongyu stood at the border of the Divine Kingdom, gazing across at the opposing Dali army. Her eyes were cold as she barked, “Dali, withdraw your troops!” Across the way, Dali generals stepped forward. All were furious! Lin Hongyu barked once more, “Dali, withdraw immediately! This land... is hereby taken over by Heavenly Star!” “You go too far!” A Dali general raged. This was utter bullying. And yet... they dared not strike at her. If they did, they would most likely lose. They had hoped the God of Initial Martial would intervene again and simply obliterate this woman with a single punch. How hateful! They had paid a steep price to fight their way into the Divine Kingdom, only for this woman to order their withdrawal. Amid their fury, a sigh echoed across heaven and earth: “Withdraw to Dali!” The indignant generals blanched. In the next instant, without another word, they bellowed, “Obey the divine will! Withdraw!” Lin Hongyu glanced into the distance, seeming to glimpse an illusory figure. She frowned slightly but said nothing. Behind her, the slaughter continued. Agonized screams filled the heavens! Lin Hongyu produced a banner that unfurled in the wind, sweeping toward the distant royal capital of the Divine Kingdom. Countless believers took to the air, all of them powerhouses seeking to stop the Tiger Banner from descending. Yet in an instant, they were cut down one after another! A suffocating, baleful aura rolled off the banner. A scimitar appeared in Lin Hongyu’s hand, and she chuckled softly. “It has been many days since I last killed!” Who would believe she had once governed the City of Supernaturals with its million supernaturals? Many thought of her as a gentle woman. Yet back then... she had nearly annihilated the Lin family itself before submitting to Li Hao. Who would have guessed she was a butcher? Her scimitar swept across heaven and earth! Countless corpses rained down as blood permeated the world, her murderous intent soaring. With combat strength above the seventh layer of the Sun-Moon Realm and beyond the peak of the Immortal Realm, she swept through everything in her path. Without Saints to stand in her way, no one could halt her slaughtering stride. The Western Queen... had actually taken all the gods with her. What an utter fool! Lin Hongyu had come prepared to battle Saints, yet not a single one had remained behind. “Destroy all shrines! Slay every resisting believer!” “Acknowledged!” Cries of assent shook heaven and earth as puppets butchered in all directions, demolishing shrines. Rumble! “O God... save us...” “Moon God, save us!” “Where have the gods gone?” “...” First their army had been slaughtered, then their gods had been slain, then Dali had invaded, then vast territories had been ceded... and today, countless shrines were demolished while believers were cut down... Suddenly, the Divine Kingdom began to crumble. A collapse of faith! Where were their gods? Why, when slaughtered again and again, did they never see the majesty of their deities, only endless death? “Moon God... Prophet God... you are false gods!” In their final moments, believers shrieked in despair. The Divine Kingdom was being massacred! Where had they gone? The shrines were destroyed, the most devout believers butchered, the cities wiped out... Why did no one come to save them? Boom! Above the Divine Kingdom, a vast reservoir of faith power suddenly collapsed! …… Above the moon, the Moon God, who had been funneling energy to the Queen, suddenly felt her statue crack. In the next moment, she roared in fury, “Curse them! Curse them! Curse them!” Three curses in a row! The Silver Moon shook, and the moon above trembled as well, the statue fracturing and shedding fragments. The sword-bearing man’s expression shifted slightly. He turned to look, but could not see clearly. In the next instant, the moon vanished from its position and flew toward the Divine Kingdom. Before long, the wretched scene below came into view: countless cities destroyed, countless believers slaughtered! Rivers of blood! Believers wept and roared in fury, crying out to their deities. Receiving no answer, they abandoned their faith one after another! The power of faith was collapsing! The sword-bearing man’s face changed as he looked toward the Great Desolation, muttering, “I thought you wouldn’t do this... You are... more venomous than I imagined, than I ever knew!” Li Hao had actually ordered Lin Hongyu to lead a slaughter through the Divine Kingdom! These were experts who were at least at the Peak Realm, yet they were butchering weaklings who were at most at the Mountain-Sea Realm. A hundred such warriors could wipe out tens of thousands in an instant. In this brief span, at least hundreds of thousands—perhaps millions—had been slaughtered in the Divine Kingdom! Resentment surged to the heavens! The stench of blood filled the sky! Li Hao was far more sinister and ruthless than he had anticipated. Behind him, the Moon God sounded somewhat weakened and thoroughly enraged: “Damn them! They’ve destroyed the faith of the Divine Kingdom...” An undeserved disaster! She had taken the blame for the second generation. The true Moon God was not as useless and incompetent as the believers imagined. But now, in the hearts of the people, the Moon God was the Queen—and the Queen had been defeated time and again, lowering the believers’ expectations each time. And now, this catastrophic massacre! All the pent-up resentment, dissatisfaction, and despair caused their faith to collapse completely. The sword-bearing man frowned slightly. He had made a misjudgment. Li Hao’s earlier actions had all been within his expectations, but having Lin Hongyu slaughter the Divine Kingdom... he truly had not anticipated that. It did not fit the image of a swordsman in his mind, nor did it match the demeanor Li Hao usually displayed. Such a Li Hao... appeared utterly cold-blooded, even more so than the Human King of Neo-Martial! Though ruthless, the Human King would never massacre harmless civilians... “Li Hao!” The sword-bearing man murmured. In the next instant, he said in a low voice, “Tell the second generation to flee immediately! With faith collapsing... and the Divine Kingdom falling, even if heaven’s will blesses her, a conflict will arise between faith and heaven’s will...” The Moon God dared not hesitate, swiftly transmitting her thoughts to reach the Queen. …… At that moment, in the Great Desolation, the Queen, having received a massive surge of Silver Moon power, had grown rapidly stronger. Yet suddenly, her expression shifted violently as a deafening rumble erupted within her. Divine power collapsed and dissipated from her body in waves! Seeing this, Li Hao’s eyes flashed. The other two gods suffered the same fate, their faces filled with panic! Right then, Li Hao lunged with his sword like a nocturnal assassin, unleashing ten thousand Daos at once! Squelch! He skewered straight through the Prophet God, a voice whispering in the deity’s ear: “Thank the Moon God for me. Thank her for sending me even more Silver Moon power...” Crack! The Prophet’s face twisted in horror as his body shattered into pieces. Li Hao spun around and threw a punch with a thunderous roar, smashing the God of Destiny into utter oblivion. He shook his head. “The God of Initial Martial told you last time: the weak should not attempt to alter the destiny of the strong. You didn’t listen!” Bang! The divine body detonated! Two deities were slain in an instant. Because their destiny stars were not in the Great Dao Universe, Li Hao could not destroy them permanently, but they would hardly be able to resurrect anytime soon! The Queen vomited blood repeatedly, her mind consumed by disbelief and a single overwhelming urge... to flee! The two Neo-Martial Saints blanched, cursing in fury! How could this happen? Just moments ago, the Queen had displayed terrifying strength, yet in the blink of an eye, three gods were ruined. Were these gods made of paper? Too many reversals had occurred. On the perimeter, Ying Hongyue exhaled a breath. *I knew it!* Indeed! Li Hao was becoming more insidious by the day. Something must have happened in the Divine Kingdom, causing the gods’ faith to collapse. More than a dozen Saints had attacked, only for a mere three to remain in the blink of an eye. Whether these three could escape was now an open question. “Run!” He snapped in a low voice, turning to the two beside him. As they hesitated, Ying Hongyue hissed, “If we don’t leave now, none of us will! Once he finishes off those few and completes his absorption of heaven’s will... we’re all dead!” The two Saints’ expressions changed. Right then, a bloodcurdling scream rang out as one Saint was obliterated on the spot by Li Hao. The other was gathering energy, clearly preparing to self-detonate! Seeing death close in, the two dared hesitate no longer. Filled with terror, they fled madly alongside Ying Hongyue! They couldn't comprehend how it had come to this. So many powerhouses... enough to kill a Heavenly King! How had they vanished in an instant? Heaven’s will had failed to defeat Li Hao, instead dragging everyone it had blessed straight to their graves! Behind them, a thunderous explosion erupted! The final Neo-Martial Saint chose to self-detonate, the blast resounding across heaven and earth. The Queen spat blood continuously! Just as she thought all hope was lost and she was doomed to perish here, Li Hao suddenly smiled and said softly, “Expel heaven’s will, and I will let you go!” The Queen froze. In the next instant, without a word, she cast out a sword from her body. At that moment, a tiny fissure opened in the void, and heaven’s will seemed eager to flee through it, only to be suppressed by Li Hao’s sword! Seeing the opening, the Queen fled madly without looking back! The moment she passed through, the rift snapped shut. “Marquis!” Near the opening, Redwood was taken aback. Why? Li Hao had let the Queen go! Why on earth would he do that? Li Hao began to laugh. “She is a good person!” “...” Everyone was dumbfounded. She had just joined forces to kill you! “She is a good person. She delivered the power of twelve Saint bodies to me to stabilize the new world! She gathered more of heaven’s will for me and brought me a vast amount of Silver Moon power. As long as she lives, she is the Moon God!” Li Hao laughed! He laughed like a madman! In this moment, he seemed entirely possessed. He looked up at the sky! Moon God? The foremost deity between heaven and earth? Why don’t you kill the Queen yourselves? Otherwise, as long as she lives, she will drag every single one of you down sooner or later... I eagerly await that day. You contributed boundless Silver Moon power and faith, and now, all of it belongs to me! This time, if not for the Queen stepping up and displaying formidable power, those Neo-Martial Saints might not have dared charge in... In one stroke, I’ve made a killing! The Queen—truly a good person. First and last, she had bestowed countless benefits upon him. Defeated this time, she might stage a comeback next time. Who knew if she could bring another grand harvest? Li Hao’s smile was blindingly bright! …… Above the Silver Moon, the Moon God remained silent, while the sword-bearing man raised an eyebrow without a word. Li Hao... might actually succeed. What a shocking outcome. The crucial factor had been the second generation: blessed by heaven’s will, endowed with Silver Moon power, given everything... only to be instantly routed by Li Hao! How... utterly helpless it made one feel! After a long silence, the Moon God’s voice drifted out: “Just kill her... If this continues, the Moon God... will become the greatest laughingstock in the world!” It was infuriating! In the eyes of everyone in the Divine Kingdom, the Moon God had become a useless failure who lost every single battle! Their very faith had collapsed! In all her countless years as a deity, she had never suffered such humiliation.