Pure Audacity

Dali. Li Hao had arrived once more. This time, he was entirely alone, not even accompanied by Black Panther. When the King of Dali saw Li Hao, he was utterly rendered speechless. Just one person? Really? What happened to mobilizing troops and dispatching generals? What happened to the pack of Saints he had promised? They were going up against an entity that was quite possibly the skeletal remains of an Early Martial God—not to mention Ying Hongyue was involved... Words failed him entirely. With just Li Hao alone, plus the two of them, could they possibly handle their opponents? This was practically marching to their deaths! "Li Hao!" The King of Dali could no longer hold back. Had he truly come alone? "Don't panic!" Li Hao smiled radiantly. "No need to worry about me, I'll be fine!" Who's worried about you? I'm worried about myself! Given the circumstances, going there was nothing short of suicide, wasn't it? The King of Dali sighed pessimistically. "Alas! Perhaps... this king shouldn't have pinned so much hope on you!" Li Hao chuckled. "Goading me, are we?" "..." Who has the energy to goad you? I'm being dead serious! Helpless and resigned, the king thought... Fine, let's take a gamble. If you, Li Hao, aren't afraid of dying, why should I be? "Are we just heading straight over like this?" "Of course not. We need to be careful—ideally keeping everyone in the dark. Otherwise, if anyone finds out, not to mention the others, Ying Hongyue is very likely to pull something, and then we'll be in serious trouble!" Fair enough. The King of Dali also felt that lying low was the way to go. Among their trio, only Li Hao was reasonably formidable; neither he nor Jiang Li would cut it. At merely the seventh layer of the Sun-Moon Realm, encountering a top-tier powerhouse would get them beaten to death. The trio rapidly fled into the void. After they departed, an ethereal phantom manifested within the Divine Temple. Watching their retreating backs with a faint trace of perplexity, it cast a few extra glances in Li Hao's direction... Why did it feel as though this Li Hao was somewhat different from the one seen the first time? Strange. Naturally, with limited understanding of the New Dao, perhaps the boy had simply advanced again. His strength indeed showed considerable improvement, being quite formidable. Such power, even if inferior to that skeleton, shouldn't fall too far behind. Coupled with Jiang Li's Early Martial bone and the King of Dali's Overlord Gauntlets, there ought to be some hope. Of course, merely hope! Musing over this, the phantom stared a bit longer at the spot where Li Hao had vanished... It still felt slightly discordant. Had some minor misstep during cultivation caused this dissonance? …… At the same time Li Hao departed with his companions. In the Forbidden Sea. Ying Hongyue's expression shifted continuously. After a long silence, he abruptly opened his eyes and snorted coldly. As expected, you've come after all! I knew a fellow like you wouldn't let things rest so easily. Coupled with the kid's immense cunning, Ying Hongyue had known all along that the bastard would set his sights on him—on the Forbidden Sea! Giving away the Hong family's hammer had indeed been worth it! At this moment, his body trembled, and shortly after, he merged into the Forbidden Sea. Deep within the seabed, a skeleton resembling white jade snapped its eyes open, looking faintly dazed. Ying Hongyue murmured, "A pity... It's missing several bones and remains incomplete. Still... that fellow Li Hao might just deliver them to me!" With that, his brow furrowed slightly. How many people... did Li Hao bring? If there were too many, they would be difficult to deal with. Thoughts flashed through his mind. Soon, several figures materialized nearby, almost all of them Saints—not just one, but several. Ying Hongyue frowned slightly. "Scatter across all directions of the Forbidden Sea. Do not congregate here!" "Yet... if they truly launch an assault, we fear we won't arrive in time to assist..." "No matter!" Ying Hongyue said softly. "Securing the complete skeleton... takes a bit of time. If everyone swarms together all at once, will Li Hao even dare to come? Go!" The figures vanished from the spot in an instant. And yet... Ying Hongyue still felt a lingering unease. Looking back at the skeleton once more... A pity it was incomplete. Of course, after this encounter, perhaps it would be whole. In life, this skeleton's strength must have been terrifying, perhaps not inferior even to a Half-Emperor! If all the bones were gathered, then perhaps... there would be hope of matching a Half-Emperor as well. Only then would he truly possess the capital to contend against everything. "Li Hao..." He murmured under his breath. You scheme well, but don't underestimate me either. Lately, it has been you winning every time. It's time for my turn. And once I win, it won't be just a minor victory! …… At the same time. Near the headwaters of the Forbidden Sea, Li Hao came to a halt. His domain enveloped the surroundings as he frowned slightly. "Something feels off... The Forbidden Sea hasn't stirred in the slightest... Perhaps the other side has some scheme. Let's call more people over... Wait a little while, and summon all the Neo-Martial Saints!" The King of Dali instantly breathed a sigh of relief! Damn it, you finally know fear! I was terrified you wouldn't be scared and would just blindly charge in. You nearly scared me to death! Soon, messages were sent out one after another. The three settled down to wait. Now that the world could accommodate Saints once more, it wasn't long before Saint auras rippled across the distance. The King of Dali grew overjoyed. They were coming—and more than one! It seemed Li Hao was truly playing for keeps this time! …… At this moment, everything appeared secretive. Yet the moment Saints mobilized, those on Li Hao's side were practically bathed in the spotlight. Before long, others caught wind of the movement. Hurricane City. Zheng Yu smiled and cast a glance at the Flying Sword Immortal. "It seems... Ying Hongyue's plan to refine the Forbidden Sea will be difficult to realize! Li Hao has just emerged from seclusion with a massive surge in power. Right now, he might not be any weaker than an ordinary Heavenly King! Of course, that's merely a possibility... but he's exceedingly troublesome, regardless! With several Neo-Martial Saints joining in, there's a good show to watch!" Behind him, a Saint spoke up: "My Lord, should we intervene?" Zheng Yu pondered for a moment and chuckled. "Hurricane City is close to that area... but don't draw too near. We'll play it by ear depending on the situation. Besides... that's within Dali's borders. Moving too close might stir up trouble!" Everyone looked pensive, saying nothing. The Flying Sword Immortal suddenly asked, "Can he truly rival a Heavenly King?" "It's possible!" Zheng Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. "Never underestimate the prodigies of any era. Were it not for that, why would I have targeted him continuously? It's precisely because people like him advance too rapidly. Furthermore, Li Hao is meticulous and sharp; he quickly deduced that Ying Hongyue was refining the Forbidden Sea... If he doesn't stop him now, once Ying Hongyue obtains the Forbidden Sea, he might truly be able to exert the combat strength of a Heavenly King—and the sole Heavenly King capable of walking freely between heaven and earth at that... Li Hao striking now is indeed the optimal timing!" The Flying Sword Immortal fell silent for a moment. "My Lord knew this as well?" "I guessed a thing or two... I'm well aware of what Li Hao has been doing these past few days!" Zheng Yu laughed. "That rascal never wastes effort on useless endeavors. Making multiple trips to Dali... wasn't it all to deal with Ying Hongyue?" The Flying Sword Immortal wondered, "What is your intention, My Lord? Shouldn't we join hands with Ying Hongyue right now to eradicate Li Hao?" "No need." Zheng Yu took a sip of tea and chuckled softly. "Just watch!" With that, he looked up at the sky and smiled. "I am not the only one... At this moment, everyone is watching, wanting to probe Ying Hongyue's bottom line! Whether Ying Hongyue can stage a turnaround hinges entirely on this occasion! Laying bare whatever foundation he has wouldn't be a bad thing either!" The Flying Sword Immortal spoke no further. Perhaps everyone was glad to see Li Hao clash with Ying Hongyue—the only two hegemons of this era... Indeed, one was Li Hao, and the other was Ying Hongyue. Figures like the King of Dali were never truly taken seriously by anyone. And today... the two might finally clash in earnest! Would Li Hao prove slightly superior, or would Ying Hongyue's cunning prevail? …… At this very moment, high in the heavens. Others were watching as well. The silver moon began drifting toward the north, crossing Mount Cang. Angry though she was, the Moon God had quieted down. Within the divine temple, the situation within Dali faintly surfaced—yet it was hazy, offering only a vague outline, extremely blurry. "Can we truly not investigate further?" the Moon God asked softly. "Is that Early Martial God... truly so difficult to deal with?" "Exceedingly difficult!" The man carrying a sword on his back chuckled, then knitted his brows slightly. "Those two choosing to clash within Dali's borders is likely deliberate, meant to evade our eyes. With that fellow present in Dali, neither I, nor Zheng Yu, nor even the Red Moon Sovereign—who might already have begun infiltrating—can see too clearly..." Dali was a fine location! Clashing here meant that even if certain trump cards were exposed, only Dali's Early Martial God would know. Everyone else could merely perceive vague outlines, unable to discern any specifics. Elsewhere, however, was clear enough. At this moment, the Moon God remarked, "Battle Heaven City's Old Turtle, the Little Locust Tree, along with Li Daozong, Li Fuhai, Redwood, and even that Vajra Wood from the Martial Arts Alliance, have all headed over..." Six great Saints! Counting Li Hao, that made seven Saint-level combatants. "Not just that!" The man with the sword on his back laughed. "Look more closely!" The Moon God searched the surroundings but found nothing. The man waved his hand, and a chaotic image suddenly formed, revealing three powerhouses—Lin Hongyu, Hong Yitang, and Black Panther—lurking in secret right along the fringes of Mount Cang. The Moon God sighed in admiration. "Our comprehension of the New Dao remains insufficiently deep; they nearly slipped past our senses. From the looks of it, Li Hao is extremely vigilant... There are far more than seven Saints. Counting these three... it's a full ten. He's emptied out his entire household for this battle!" The sword-carrying man nodded slightly. The whereabouts of these three were so secretive that even he had nearly missed them. It had to be said that having cultivated the New Dao to this stage, they were exceptionally difficult to grasp. Yet... the man with the sword on his back frowned slightly, scanning the surroundings once more before remarking, "Did Galaxy City not come to watch the commotion?" After searching for a good while... he soon located Galaxy City. However, upon drawing slightly closer, the sword-carrying man looked no further. A Great Dao Book hovered over the city; under such circumstances, he could easily be noticed. Galaxy City was also near Mount Cang... By the looks of it, it might intervene at any moment. Now that was interesting! "Well, everyone is gathered now..." He chuckled. "It seems everyone is quite intrigued by this clash between the two prodigies of the new era. It can also be considered the first formal clash born of blood-soaked enmity. Ying Hongyue slaughtered Li Hao's entire family; Li Hao killed several of his wives and foiled his plans time and again... This time is truly the most entertaining occasion in a hundred thousand years!" The Moon God agreed. "Indeed..." As she spoke, she suddenly snorted coldly. "She dares to come as well!" Right at that moment, an exceedingly magnificent figure manifested within the projected image. She abruptly raised her head to look skyward, her eyes blazing as radiantly as moons. The moment she gazed toward the sky, the image blurred instantly. Seeing the Second Generation Moon God... the Moon God seethed with rage! The man with the sword on his back chuckled. "It's only natural for her to come. With powerhouses from all over the world rushing here, she can sense it as well. The battle of the Forbidden Sea might very well determine who the true hegemon of this era is!" "Who do you think will win?" "Fifty-fifty!" The sword-carrying man smiled. "Both possess confidence and assurance, both wield immense strength, and both are powerhouses who climbed up step by step from insignificance in this era. One is audacious and resolute, daring to use himself as bait! The other is young and spirited, possessed of unmatched genius, born alongside the Dao... Whichever one wins... wouldn't be surprising in the least!" The Moon God inquired no further. To command the attention of the entire Silver Moon for this single battle, both men had truly arrived at the pinnacle of this era. …… Meanwhile, the King of Dali grew increasingly nervous! Saints were beginning to congregate, piling immense pressure upon him. In the distance, the Forbidden Sea seemed to be churning. Unsure whether Ying Hongyue had noticed, he was on pins and needles, terrified that Ying Hongyue would discover them or that the Forbidden Sea would flee! "Still not striking?" He looked at Li Hao, his expression rather grave. Li Hao smiled. "No rush!" No rush? The King of Dali cursed under his breath! This guy never hurries when he ought to, yet hurries more than anyone when there's no need. What an infuriating pest! Meanwhile, Li Hao's gaze flickered. After a long pause, he coughed lightly. "Wait a little longer. As soon as darkness falls, we strike!" Darkness falls? To powerhouses, what difference did day or night make? Did you really need a sense of ritual? Is ambushing under cover of night more satisfying? What an utterly... pointless guy! …… At the same time. The Great Dao Universe. The river of stars shone brilliantly! The starry river that had originally sunk into the depths of the universe suddenly condensed into a human silhouette, walking out from the universe's abyss. A voice echoed in all directions: "Director Zhang!" The sound rippled outward. The Great Dao shook! A moment later, a star ripped across the void, vaguely revealing a human figure. It trembled slightly with utter disbelief! Li Hao? If Li Hao was here... then... who was the Li Hao in Dali? Expressionless, Li Hao said calmly, "I will tear through the void to enter Galaxy City! I'll need the Great Dao Book to conceal me!" The star shone brightly, remaining silent for a time. Li Hao said nothing more either. After a long while, the star vibrated, as if in reply. A faint smile curled upon Li Hao's lips. The void instantly cracked open along the star before him. In a flash, an ancient city emerged, crowned by the Great Dao Book overhead. Treading across the void, Li Hao stepped into Galaxy City in an instant. Within the city, the inhabitants looked completely dazed. Zhang An also arrived in a flash. Looking at Li Hao, he spoke not a word, his gaze thick with profound bewilderment! The one in Dali... was not Li Hao? Yet that mighty aura, that dense Great Dao power... how could it not be Li Hao? Then who was this Li Hao standing here? Furthermore... he faintly evoked a sense of trepidation. Li Hao reached out, and a mirror materialized out of thin air. After scanning it, Li Hao said, "Come with me!" Zhang An frowned slightly. Li Hao said calmly, "Have the Great Dao Book shield me!" Zhang An's brows drew together tighter. "Where to?" "You'll know once we go!" At this moment, Li Hao was exceedingly overbearing! Zhang An pondered for a moment and nodded. Just as he was about to speak further, Li Hao looked toward the others and said calmly, "Everyone, this place will be sealed for a short time. No one is permitted to leave!" "You—!" Li Hao glanced at the speaker, then asked calmly, "Director Zhang, can you manage this?" Zhang An thought it over and nodded. "Understood!" With that, he turned to the crowd. "Activate the main city's grand formation. No one is to enter or leave. Before I return... anyone who dares to force their way out of the main city will be executed on the spot!" At these words, everyone's expressions changed slightly, and none spoke another word. Meanwhile, Zhang An retrieved the Great Dao Book, and a City Lord seal immediately floated into the air! In his hands, this City Lord seal was in no way inferior to the Great Dao Book. In an instant, a phantom silhouette manifested, standing tall in the void as though wielding a pointer. Yet every single person in the city instantly wore an expression of veneration! The Supreme! At this moment, even the gazes that had been prying into this area vanished instantly. Whether it was the sword-carrying man, Zheng Yu, or anyone else, all promptly retracted their gaze! A phantom of the Supreme! In the hands of others, it might be ordinary, but in the hands of the Supreme's grandson, it could very well unleash terrifying, staggering might. Meanwhile, shielded by the Great Dao Book, Li Hao and Zhang An vanished in an instant. …… Dali remained quiet. Waiting for nightfall! All parties were eerily silent. At this moment, deep beneath the land of Silver Moon, a man traversed the underground. Inspecting their surroundings, Zhang An said in a deep voice, "Have you truly thought this through?" "Yes." "You truly intend to go to the City of Thunder... If what you say is true, there may very well be multiple Heavenly Kings within..." "Yes! That is precisely why no one will believe I would appear there. If even Senior Zhang doesn't believe it, would anyone else?" Li Hao was remarkably calm. "Because no one believes it—not even Ying Hongyue—I am going to appear there of all places! Storm the city and annihilate them in one fell swoop! Heavenly Kings? So what if they're Heavenly Kings? Right now, they possess zero vigilance, believing themselves invincible under heaven. Though they cannot emerge, neither can anyone enter! "They are merely a bunch of pseudo-Heavenly Kings who attained that realm later on through the corruption of Red Moon power! "Even if they have numbers... right now, they are entirely unguarded, perhaps even slumbering. What is there to fear? If this battle can annihilate them, severing Red Moon's claws, cutting off an arm of the Sovereign and an arm of Ying Hongyue... I will turn him into a stray dog with nowhere to run!" Zhang An remained silent, feeling only... a profound sense of awe and exasperation. You are out of your damn mind! Your courage has truly burst through the heavens! Li Hao was actually leading him to find the City of Thunder—a city that might have been completely overrun by experts of the Red Moon world, a city that might house multiple Heavenly Kings. This fellow... had ostensibly gone to attack the Forbidden Sea. Even Zhang An had taken it for real, and the entire world was eagerly anticipating seeing his first formal clash with Ying Hongyue. Yet... he hadn't gone! And yet... was that one truly not Li Hao? None of them were blind. If it were truly an impostor, someone should have seen through it long ago. Granted, with the figure situated in Dali, no one could see very clearly—that was true... But however unclear the vision, they wouldn't mistake the sheer caliber of power. Li Hao suddenly asked, "Can Director Zhang handle a Heavenly King?" "A pseudo-Heavenly King, yes... A genuine one, no." "Then that's good enough." Zhang An couldn't help but retort, "I never said I would take part in the battle!" You're making decisions for me now? The two of us aren't even officially on the same side! Li Hao replied with utter tranquility, "Then forget it!" "..." Zhang An was speechless. Right at that moment, Li Hao's eyes flickered. A gleam of sharp light flashed through his gaze as he smiled. "Found it!" Zhang An looked ahead. Deep within the earth, submerged even within magma, a city floated soundlessly, motionless, without a shred of aura leaking outward. The Hong family's City of Thunder—also known as the Thunderstorm City. It was eerily quiet! It seemed completely devoid of living souls, as though long since extinguished. Yet at this moment, golden light flickered incessantly within Li Hao's eyes as he said softly, "Quite a few powerhouses... I can already sense exceedingly thick Red Moon power. Nor are there few Heavenly Kings—perhaps... no fewer than five!" Zhang An almost gasped! We're really doing this? Even if they were pseudo-Heavenly Kings... they were still Heavenly Kings of this era. Frankly speaking, even he was intensely wary of them. One was fine—he could fight one! Two... would be immense trouble! If there truly were more than five... one ought to run as far away as possible. Staying behind would mean being beaten to death. Yet Li Hao smiled. "So much Red Moon power... so much Immortal power, Heavenly King power... so, so much energy! Once we take this place, I guarantee a massive cohort of powerhouses will emerge under my banner! What a treasure land!" To hell with your treasure land! As refined and scholarly as Zhang An was, he felt like cursing aloud right now! He couldn't shake the feeling... that when this fellow went mad, he was even more extreme than the Human King. One Saint—no, counting himself, two Saints—going to attack a horde of Heavenly Kings! Under such circumstances... if he spoke of this, no one would believe it. Li Hao had even racked his brains setting up a bunch of diversionary smoke screens. Zhang An felt that even without them, no one would believe you'd go attack the Red Moon world's old nest. Of course, doing so reduced unforeseen variables to the absolute minimum. Li Hao looked at Zhang An. "Can you infiltrate soundlessly?" Zhang An thought for a moment and nodded. "Barely, yes!" Li Hao smiled. This was precisely why he had sought Zhang An out. The grandson of the Zhang family's Supreme! Many grand formations originated from that very Supreme, and as his grandson and a true member of the core echelon, Zhang An ought to understand them intimately. "Once inside, each of us finds a Heavenly King... ambush and execute them swiftly, taking out two first... Then, seal the city, drag it into the Great Dao Universe, and kill them all, leaving none alive!" Zhang An couldn't hold back. "Heavenly Kings—do you think you're butchering pigs?" "Could they be any tougher than pigs?" Li Hao said softly. "I refuse to believe that after hiding for a hundred thousand years without facing a single threat, Heavenly Kings could maintain a hundred thousand years of vigilance... If they had that kind of capability, would they have been so easily corrupted and infiltrated by a Sovereign? Talents like that would have been top powerhouses back in Neo-Martial! It's not that I look down on them... but don't go comparing a bunch of trash cast aside by Neo-Martial to me, or to you! The grandson of the Supreme, a veteran who fought in the Neo-Martial wars, and myself... Could the two of us possibly be inferior to trash discarded even by a small world?" Arrogant in the extreme! Yet after listening, Zhang An nodded. Fair enough! He was, after all, the Supreme's grandson! Someone who had fought shoulder to shoulder with the Human King. As for Li Hao... he lacked neither methods, wisdom, nor strength. One truly couldn't compare those individuals to Li Hao. Still, Zhang An couldn't completely set his mind at ease. "Just what level of strength have you reached?" "Don't know." "You—" "You're quite naggy!" Li Hao frowned slightly. "As an early-era Neo-Martial powerhouse, how can you be so motherly?" I... Zhang An was at a loss for words. I'm worried you'll end up dead, and you... you truly leave people speechless! The two began sneaking toward the giant city. …… At the same time. Dali. The Forbidden Sea. Ying Hongyue's frown deepened. Still not making a move? What are you waiting for? Li Hao... do you truly think I haven't noticed you? Thoughts flickered in his mind, and he felt a faint twinge of unease... Strange! However, the Hong family's hammer was still on Li Hao. Thoughts flashed one after another, and he glanced at the eager Early Martial skeleton... Furrowing his brows, he rapidly calculated in his mind. After a long while, he shook his head. There shouldn't be any mishaps, right? What mishaps could there be? Li Hao was right here, and his people... were mostly here as well! Outside, Zheng Yu was watching, and that person was watching from the heavens above. In truth, the greater Li Hao's fame, the more tightly he was watched! He couldn't pull any tricks! Yet deep down, a sliver of unease still lingered. …… Meanwhile. Beside Mount Cang, the Queen gazed coldly toward the distant expanse, also knitting her brows as she cursed under her breath. What is that fellow Li Hao still waiting for? Let this queen see where that arrogance of yours—looking down on everyone—truly comes from! If you can't even beat Ying Hongyue... that would be an absolute joke! If you can't even defeat the enemy who slaughtered your family, what right do you have to mock this queen? At the very least, this queen defeated the true Moon God once! …… The Hong family's City of Thunder. Within the city, all was tranquil. Of course, living people were present, and quite a few of them at that. They lived in considerable comfort as well. High in the air, a blood-colored moon faintly hung, exuding wisps of Red Moon power. Similar to the other main cities, this city was vast. The center housed the residences of the powerful, and at present, quite a few manors appeared open. Near the city's perimeter stood a blood-red tree swaying gracefully, bearing numerous fruits that emitted a sweet, extraordinarily tantalizing fragrance. Unlike the other main cities, there was scarcely any Origin Power within the City of Thunder; almost everything exuded Red Moon power. The few powerhouses walking about outside were clad almost exclusively in crimson robes. Here, there seemed to be not only ancients, but also modern martial masters... Even figures who had practically been forgotten were here—for instance... Cyan Moon of the Seven Moons. Several of the Seven Moons had perished, leaving behind Red Moon, Cyan Moon, and Purple Moon. Purple Moon was rumored to have died in Dali, while Cyan Moon had long since vanished without a trace. Not just Cyan Moon, but several others resided here as well, currently engaged in idle conversation. "This time... several Saints departed the city. I wonder if they can wipe out Li Hao in one blow!" "Difficult!" "The Chief said we might inflict heavy wounds, but killing him... will be extraordinarily difficult! As long as the Great Dao Universe exists, he is hard to kill! Still, if all goes smoothly, we might be able to slay a few Saints..." "..." Within a luxurious manor, Cyan Moon chatted with several others, including some veterans of the Red Moon organization. These individuals were quite at ease. They were nowhere near as destitute as one might imagine. Quite the contrary, whenever Ying Hongyue was mentioned, they spoke with deep reverence and fervor—seemingly possessing even more trust and fanaticism than the Silver Moon martial masters had for Li Hao! "Li Hao is merely a clown jumping on a beam! Sooner or later, he will die by the Chief's hand. Were it not to use him to divert the attention of the Zheng family and that Li family, the Chief could have killed him long ago!" "Indeed! Li Hao imagines he has unified the world and is utterly invincible, but it's nothing more than a reflection in water or flowers in a mirror! A pity about those who fell... but to die for the Chief's grand ambition is a worthy death. Once the world is unified, there is still hope for resurrection!" "..." They conversed aloud—or rather, their voices weren't truly loud, yet in this spacious, empty city, they sounded somewhat conspicuous. Outside the city, the red tree continued to sway gracefully. Its aura was exceptionally mighty. It was significantly stronger than General Locust and the others, faintly approaching Zheng Hongyuan's level. This was a Heavenly King-level tree! Within the city, several more such auras existed. The entire city was like an iron bastion! Saint auras, Immortal auras, Peak auras... permeated everywhere in this city without the slightest concealment. Nor was there any need to hide; concealing one's aura was exhausting. Inside this city, everyone knew one another intimately, so there was no point. In this era, no one could possibly conquer this city. Yes, no one! If Zheng Yu's true body emerged, there might be a chance... but he couldn't come out. Thus, there was naturally no need to worry about anything. Who cared about Li Hao or Zhang Hao? Would you dare step inside? Could you even get inside? You don't even know where this city is! Upon the red tree, a faint face surfaced with contentment, greedily absorbing the Red Moon power drifting in the air. No one could have imagined that the entire City of Thunder had become the Red Moon's stronghold! This was the true stronghold of the Red Moon organization, and the true stronghold of the Red Moon Universe! As for everything else, it was mere misdirection. Whether it was Di Yao left in the ruins or Zheng Yu's infected cohort, they were all nothing more than smoke screens. …… At this moment, Li Hao entered the city. Zhang An entered the city as well. Not only had they entered, but the place where the two appeared was extraordinarily peculiar—right inside the City Lord Manor! Moreover... not far from them, a Heavenly King aura surged aggressively. Li Hao looked at Zhang An, who remained completely silent. Why are you looking at me? The core of the grand formation is right here. Appearing here was unavoidable. All around them, several more Heavenly King auras churned. The moment they were discovered and surrounded... the two of them would be done for! At that instant, Li Hao enveloped himself in a layer of domain, glanced at Zhang An, and sent a voice transmission: "Have you identified them?" "Five Heavenly Kings. Saints... there are actually twelve left; it seems not many went to the Forbidden Sea... Immortals... over a hundred! Peak Realm cultivators abound as well... Unbelievable, there seems to be a group of cultivators practicing the New Dao as well." "Yes, his Ancient God Guards!" Li Hao understood immediately. "The Ancient God Guards were Ying Hongyue's elite force back then, rarely ever exposed. Later, when relocating the people from the Three Great Organizations, there were too many personnel, and some seemed to have appeared and died in battle... Ying Hongyue is certainly willing to spend resources and has the means; I've already sensed several Sun-Moon auras!" Nurturing so many Sun-Moons and Mountain-Seas in such a short period—for this alone, Ying Hongyue must have paid a steep price. Indeed, there truly were multiple Heavenly Kings. A full five Heavenly Kings—no small number. Plus over a dozen Saints... and over a hundred Immortals! Moreover, this place was blanketed by Red Moon power. It was safe to say that even if an outside Heavenly King entered, they would first be invaded by Red Moon power, then forced to face a siege by five Heavenly Kings... In all likelihood, they wouldn't survive! Li Hao took a deep breath. "If you can't manage, find the one with the weakest aura! Among the five Heavenly Kings, the one in the City Lord Manor is considerably strong, and the tree outside the city isn't weak either... The remaining three are slightly weaker... Pick one!" Zhang An couldn't be bothered to argue with him. Without bothering to probe deeply, he simply judged by their auras and said, "I'll take the one in the City Lord Manor... You pick whichever you want... Also, if we truly succeed in killing them, how do you plan to shift the city into the Great Dao Universe? Do you have a plan?" "Don't worry... small matter!" Li Hao smiled. At this moment, both possessed audacity that bordered on madness; surrounded by a host of supreme powerhouses, they still had the leisure to chat. Zhang An glanced at him... feeling a surge of emotion. This little kid he had toyed with at will back at Yuanping Martial Arts University had truly grown, and at a frightening pace! Li Hao spoke no more. Drawing a wisp of Red Moon power to cloak himself, his form became half-visible as he walked straight toward the city exterior! He was going to chop down that tree! This Heavenly King tree anchored the City of Thunder. With this thing here, shifting the grand city would be difficult; only by slaughtering it could he hope to smoothly move the city into the Great Dao Universe. As he walked, black armor enveloped his body. Just like an Ancient God Guard! Arriving at the city gates, Li Hao barely bothered to conceal himself anymore. Openly and boldly, he strode right toward the distant tree. Not far away, several Ancient God Guards patrolled, but not one cast an extra glance at Li Hao. Such daring could only be described as insanity! Yet Li Hao was convinced no one would care. If anyone still bothered to police people in a place this secure... that would truly be failing to treat Heavenly Kings with respect! With unhurried strides, Li Hao walked straight toward the Heavenly King tree. This was his first time seeing a demon plant at the Heavenly King level. What's more... those red fruits were tantalizing from afar! What kind of tree is this? These fruits... what effect do they have? Li Hao looked up at the towering tree, a touch of greed surfacing in his eyes. Such a gaze fell directly into the eyes of the face upon the tree trunk, yet... the entity paid it no heed. Here, greed was normal. Under the shroud of Red Moon power, everyone was consumed by boundless greed! Not being greedy... that would be the true red flag! Beneath that guise of greed, Li Hao took another deep gulp of Red Moon power, appearing all the more voracious. The tree thought to itself, *Foolish brat, seeking death. Absorbing too much Red Moon power and stoking excessive desire isn't necessarily a good thing.* *One ought to exercise a bit of restraint.* *Of course, that has nothing to do with me!* It couldn't care less about what happened to these weaklings. If you want to inhale, inhale to your heart's content. Someone incapable of reigning in their greed... dying would be no loss. Watching him walk over... the tree scoffed inwardly. Overcome with greed, could he be looking to pluck a fruit? Since these people had entered, such occurrences had happened more than once. And on those prior occasions... those fools had all become its fertilizer. Even if Ying Hongyue knew, there was nothing he could do about it. Besides, Ying Hongyue wouldn't bother policing this; anyone who couldn't control their inner greed and was killed by the tree died in vain! At this moment, several nearby Ancient God Guards spotted him. Some frowned, while others considered shouting a warning. Yet seeing the figure head straight for the tree, whose branches were swaying as the red fruits released their intoxicating scent... Those Ancient God Guards departed at once. This fragrance was a temptation in itself. Evidently, the tree had also noticed Li Hao and had begun actively luring him, eager to partake of a meal of fresh blood and flesh. At this juncture, no one cared about Li Hao's fate anymore. If he died, he died; one more or less made no difference. Meanwhile, the crimson glow in Li Hao's eyes was almost uncontrollable! He gazed with boundless greed upon the tree... What a fine tree! A Heavenly King tree! Heavenly King fruits! Even in the Neo-Martial era, trees at the Heavenly King level couldn't have been numerous, could they? "Can these fruits... be eaten? What purpose do they serve?" Li Hao murmured. The tree spoke up softly, its voice carrying an enticing warmth: "This fruit is named the Heavenly Fragrance Fruit! Eat one, and you prolong your life and maintain eternal youth! Eat two, and you achieve immortality with boundless longevity! Eat three, and a mortal ascends straight to the Peak Realm in a single stride! It takes thirty thousand years to blossom, thirty thousand years to bear fruit, and thirty thousand years to ripen—maturing only once every ninety thousand years. Now, with Silver Moon sealed for a hundred thousand years, this is its very first maturation, yielding ninety-nine fruits... Do you... wish to eat them?" The tree's voice was laden with seduction: "Eat all ninety-nine, and becoming a Saint in a single day is well within reach!" The thicker the desire, the tastier the meal! It was thinking of Li Hao, not the fruits. "Become a Saint in a day? Then if I eat the entire tree... can I become a Heavenly King?" The tree was momentarily taken aback. It had seen people with intense desires who wished they could gobble up all its fruits, but in all its life, this was truly the first time it had heard someone ask if eating the tree itself could make them a Heavenly King! Just... what degree of greed was this! To think there was such an avaricious fellow among the Ancient God Guards—inconceivable! The tree chuckled. "Perhaps... you could?" "Truly?" "Why not give it a try?" The tree continued to tempt him, eyeing him like food. *How delectable!* Meanwhile, Li Hao licked his lips... *How delectable!* He couldn't shatter the fruits; they were far too delicious, looking utterly mouthwatering! A sword materialized in his hand, and he seemed almost bashful: "Then I'll start cutting the fruits. Senior, please don't cry out in pain!" "..." The tree felt that this person was not merely greedy, but insane! Cry out in pain? A laughable joke! That sword of his, though, seemed quite decent. Vaguely, it even looked somewhat familiar. Familiar? Could it be a replica of some powerful divine weapon? At this moment, it unfurled several branches. *Time's about up, little one. Step inside and feed me!* Meanwhile, Li Hao gripped his longsword and, entirely fearless, thrust outward with a single strike! What a truly lovely tree! Completely defenseless, even opening its arms wide in embrace... In all my life, I have never slain a powerhouse who was this easy to kill. The longsword pierced into its body! A Heavenly King physique—let alone a Sun-Moon, even a Dao Integration expert couldn't easily pierce it. Yet at this moment, the Heavenly King trunk proved as soft as tofu under the sword's thrust, and a blood-red Heart of Life was run straight through! Upon the tree, a face surfaced, filled with bewilderment. Pierced through? It was pierced through! Bewilderment transformed in an instant into sheer shock and disbelief! How could it be pierced through? It couldn't even process what had happened! Was I not a Heavenly King? A Heavenly King's body—and the Heart of Life, the sturdiest of all areas—how could it possibly be pierced? Is this a joke?! "Doesn't this sword look like the Starry Sky Sword?" Li Hao's voice rang out beside the tree with a trace of laughter. Withdrawing his blade, he thrust his hand forward. With a sickening crack, his hand morphed into a bloody palm that tore straight through the bark, clutching the shattered Heart of Life in his grip. The next instant, the Heart of Life vanished. Everything transpired in a single breath. The next moment, a screech of utmost agony resonated between heaven and earth! "My heart... is gone!" The bloodcurdling shriek rocked the entire ancient city! My Heart of Life is gone! Boom! A towering aura erupted in an instant, yet wavered unsteadily. The giant tree promptly morphed into humanoid form, filled with disbelief, a blood-soaked wound piercing straight through its chest! Enemy attack! For the first time in a hundred thousand years, an enemy attack!