Suicide

Following the three somewhat bizarre surviving remnants, Li Hao walked forward. In his heart, however, his thoughts churned relentlessly. If nothing else, this visit to Sword City had untangled many threads. Silver Moon held virtually no secrets from Li Hao anymore, though a few minor puzzles still remained unanswered. However, that did not affect the overall situation. All in all, the sealed Sovereign possessed the fewest backup plans and the fewest tricks up his sleeve, yet he was undeniably the strongest in raw power. After all, his arrival had been sudden and unexpected. Originally, the invaders had aimed to conquer everything in one fell swoop without bothering with complicated schemes. More than five Sovereigns had descended to deal with just two... yet the outcome clearly had not been favorable for them; the other enemy Sovereigns had likely all been slain. Beyond the Star Gate, Neo-Martial had most likely emerged victorious. If Red Moon had won, they would have charged in long ago and counterattacked the Neo-Martial homeland. Only if Neo-Martial won did it make sense that the front line required the Sword Venerable's reinforcement, prompting his departure. Of course, all of this was merely his deduction. The war outside might just as easily have ended long ago. His real fear was... that they were still fighting out there! That in itself was not terrible; what was terrifying was if they were fighting right outside the Star Gate... It was said that the flow of time in the chaos differed. If a hundred thousand years had passed here while only a few days had elapsed outside... and those Sovereigns were still locked in combat... busting through the gate only to find a bunch of Sovereigns brawling in a massive melee would be an absolute disaster! Li Hao shook his head, almost amused at himself. He laughed at his own unwarranted worrying! Silver Moon was plagued with more than enough internal trouble right now, yet here he was, fretting about the outside world. "What's wrong with you?" The woman manifested by the Sword Tree looked puzzled. In such perilous circumstances, he was actually smiling? Was this man insane? Did he not have a shred of worry? With a solemn expression, she said, "That sword definitely possesses a spirit! The three of us have battled it for countless years. As you pointed out, it has grown stronger while we... have grown weaker and weaker! Even without anyone wielding it, that sword possesses the power of a Heavenly King! Perhaps... even stronger!" Her gravity deepened. "Going by what you said, if it has deliberately used us to temper itself, it will only be all the more formidable! A divine weapon imbued with spirituality... can essentially be treated as an authentic cultivator! Take the Wang family's Black Tortoise Shield, for instance. You've probably seen it—it's at the Saint Dao level! Back then, it was merely a sacred weapon... So what do you think this sword is? A Heavenly King weapon, or a half-step sovereign weapon?" Weapons devoid of spirituality were actually very weak without a master wielding them. Even Heavenly King weapons, or even sovereign weapons—like the Blood Sovereign's saber—if left masterless and without a birthed spirit, were merely sovereign weapons. They were exceedingly powerful when wielded, but unattended, their independent explosive might was not all that great. A Heavenly King would likely have a chance of seizing it directly! However... if it possessed spirituality, like the Old Turtle who had achieved full sentience, a Heavenly King weapon possessed the combat power of a Heavenly King, a sacred weapon possessed that of a Saint, and a sovereign weapon followed the same rule... While they might be slightly weaker than human cultivators of the same rank, a Heavenly King crushing a Saint was an absolute certainty! With a spirit, it could be treated entirely as a genuine cultivator. Without a spirit, it was just a proper weapon requiring an owner's control. Li Hao nodded. Indeed. If only a weapon had been left here... it meant Li Daoheng was supremely confident that no one could take it away. To warrant such confidence, the sword possessed at least the strength of a Heavenly King—and that was underestimating it. Mid, late, or even peak Heavenly King realm was not out of the question. Presently, Li Hao had virtually completed the cultivation of the Dao Integration third tier, 108 meridians, and three great cycles. Roughly speaking, he stood around the late to peak Saint Realm. Of course, as a practitioner of the new Dao, combined with his assortment of tricks, taking on a pseudo-Heavenly King was manageable. Hence, when he dealt with Heavenly Kings before, it was always done in one-on-one confrontations. Such was Li Hao's combat strength: roughly early Heavenly King level. His ability to fight above his realm was not particularly extraordinary. Compared to certain monstrous geniuses, Li Hao's capacity to leap realms in combat... had never been dazzling. It was said that the ancient Human King could easily cross several tiers and still slay mighty foes. Li Hao, however... rarely fought across boundaries; at the late to peak Saint level, he merely picked fights with a few early Heavenly Kings. In truth, this inherited what his teacher had once told him: as long as my realm is high enough, there is no need to force fights across realms. As long as I scheme well... my opponents will always be of the same realm. Or even lower! I can simply crush you through cultivation realm! Thus, Li Hao's battles had always gone remarkably smoothly. His most perilous engagement to date had been during the assault on Boundless City, when he fought a Saint while still at the Sun and Moon level—a situation where no further scheming was possible. Today... the opponent was at least at the early Heavenly King level. However, he now held a trump card in his grasp: a sword containing authentic Longevity Sword Intent! Yet... whether this single sword strike could deal with the other blade remained uncertain. "Where exactly did the Sword Venerable reside?" Li Hao asked. The Sword Tree looked ahead toward a desolate mess of ruins and said, "The Sword Venerable's residence is enclosed within an array! To avoid disturbance... and because so many people sought audience with him, the residence was concealed behind a formation." "And his residence... connects directly to the true core of Sword City..." "Is Sword City truly the Starry Sky Sword?" "I don't know." The Sword Tree shook her head, not withholding anything deliberately this time, and explained, "The Sword Venerable actually hadn't used a sword for a very long time. In the late Neo-Martial era, there weren't many battles, and the Sword Venerable rarely carried a blade day to day. Even when he did... he used the one in your hands! But under normal circumstances, he only drew it to instruct juniors, never against enemies! So if you ask me whether Sword City is the true Starry Sky Sword, I cannot give you an answer." Li Hao nodded slightly. He no longer used a sword. At that level, a sword did indeed become a shackle. All things could serve as swords! Still, Li Hao was certain that Sword City was, in all likelihood, the authentic Starry Sky Sword. As Li Hao pondered, the three unique beings were quietly watching him. They were brimming with curiosity toward him. Earlier, they had been driven to utter despair... The realization that they had slaved away for their enemy for a hundred thousand years made them want to die on the spot. Yet this young man's comforting words, coupled with his unflappable composure—even smiling just now—suddenly made them feel that perhaps it wasn't the end of the world after all. This fellow was astoundingly calm. Was Li Hao powerful? They had briefly clashed with him earlier... He wasn't overwhelmingly strong; in their eyes, his cultivation realm was comparable to theirs, and his combat power was roughly on par, perhaps only a smidgen greater. Was he truly not nervous at all? The Sword Tree refrained from asking, but the stone spoke up in its booming, muffled voice: "Your name is Li Hao, right?" "Yes." Li Hao smiled. "I haven't asked for your esteemed names, fellow Daoists." "Just call me Stone!" "I am Sword Seal!" "Everyone calls me Sword Tree... Names don't matter." Li Hao nodded with a chuckle. "Very open-minded. A name is merely a label after all." Stone picked up the conversation: "Are you... the most powerful human of this era?" "Most likely." Li Hao smiled. "Perhaps... there was someone who could rival me before, but not anymore. Excluding the old fogies, I should be the strongest!" As for the Queen... he had never viewed her as a rival. As for the King of Dali... let him finish absorbing the skeletal remains first; even if he did, Li Hao still wouldn't consider him a true opponent. Whether at the same realm or slightly stronger... as long as an opponent wasn't equally gifted in wit and brawn, there would always come a time when Li Hao could outscheme them. "Sword Tree said you've only cultivated for a year?" "That's right." Li Hao nodded, then added, "Still, there's no need to measure it by time. If we go by time, the prior hundred thousand years saw heaven and earth dormant and the Great Dao extinguished... Those hundred thousand years can essentially be discounted as having little relevance! Some rise borne on destiny; time is not the sole factor..." Though his cultivation span was short, Li Hao felt no urge to brag about it; he only brought it up as leverage when people doubted him. Cultivation time nowadays... a single year could rival a hundred thousand years of the past! This was an era meant for breaking records. Heaven and earth were reviving, myriad Daos were emerging, and everyone was born with an innate Dao body. The foundational conditions were simply too bountiful. The accumulated energy of heaven and earth over a hundred thousand years was rebounding in full force, and the momentum was extraordinary. Stone asked again, "Do you... actually have confidence? If not, shouldn't we discuss how to handle it? Are we really going straight in right now?" There wasn't a shred of a plan! Just rush in and brawl? Even I'm getting nervous listening to you. Li Hao maintained his smile. "Let's take a look first. No rush! It hasn't finished tempering itself yet, and given my modest realm, the odds of it instantly erupting to slaughter us all on sight are slim. At worst, we'll be heavily injured. As long as we don't die, we can always reconsider our options." What kind of reasoning was that?! Yet Li Hao's thought was that armchair theorizing was pointless; getting a rough sense of the enemy's condition was enough. Besides... did these three truly understand that sword? The intelligence they gave him might not even be reliable. Taking it at face value would be the real disaster. ... Before long, the group—one human and three spirits—arrived at a relatively open clearing. The Sword Tree spoke up, "This is where the array is." Li Hao activated his Sword Eye and nodded slightly. He saw it. A dome of light enshrouded the vicinity. Walking straight toward a translucent section of the light barrier, he pointed and asked, "Is this the entrance?" Seeing golden light gleaming from his eyes, combined with the Longevity Sword Intent he had displayed earlier, the three harbored complex emotions. These were the Sword Venerable's hallmarks. Coupled with the Starry Sky Sword at Li Hao's waist... they might have believed it if someone claimed he was the Sword Venerable reincarnated. The Sword Eye, the sword intent, the carried sword... "You three go in first!" Having shown no fear earlier, the Sword Tree now hesitated slightly. "Is it... really that strong?" They hadn't feared it before, but now they felt a twinge of apprehension. Li Hao chuckled. "Those of the sword press forward without retreat! Go on!" Hearing this, the three hesitated no longer. Since he put it that way... charge! The array parted, and the three experts melded instantly into the barrier. Li Hao followed in close succession. There was no dizzying distortion; this crossing was completely steady, like stepping through a wall. Soon, a pocket of space entered his view. There was nothing luxurious or magnificent here, just a small courtyard. It possessed an antique charm. The courtyard was not large, square and neat, enclosed by perimeter walls. Above the gate hung a horizontal plaque bearing three large characters—Anping Residence! Li Hao felt a slight stir in his heart. The name... did not match the sharp, contentious spirit of a swordsman. Beneath those three characters, a faint line of smaller text hovered indistinctly, impossible to make out clearly. Only by manifesting his Sword Eye could he barely read it: "I seek not a peerless sword, only longevity without end—Left by the Invincible!" The Invincible? Li Hao froze. What... towering arrogance! The next instant, realization struck him, and his heart jolted! The Human King! The brazenly unyielding, imperious Human King—this had to be written by his own hand! Had the Human King been here? Right... when the world was first opened, the Human King was said to have come here with intentions to reclaim this realm, yet ultimately gave it up because he wished to leave it to the Sword Venerable. Still... what astonishing bravado! Naturally, the Human King had the credentials to back it up. Anping Residence! Caring nothing for supreme swordsmanship, wishing only for the Sword Venerable to enjoy boundless longevity, signed by "the Invincible"... Anyone laying eyes on this plaque would have but a single thought: the person who left this inscription was telling whoever saw it that this man was untouchable! No matter who you are, an invincible powerhouse stands behind him. If you wish to harm him, feel free to come find me! That domineering, unmatched insolence was born of an urge to declare to all under heaven: this is someone I cherish above all else; his combat prowess is irrelevant, his long life is what matters! If anything happens to him, I will slaughter your entire clan... Yes, that was precisely the sentiment. Even though the author hadn't said it outright, that single line of text... was more than enough. Li Hao stared in a daze. There was no profound Dao resonance, nor any lingering phantom projection—only an unmatched, bone-deep overbearing aura: Do you dare touch the Sword Venerable? Li Hao gazed blankly, momentarily lost in thought. Would you dare touch my teacher? Would anyone who saw this plaque dare touch him without first killing the Human King? Hardly! And I... I had a teacher too. Yet my teacher... is dead. Boom! A battle erupted up ahead, yet Li Hao did not look away. He merely stared blankly at the plaque, struck by a heart-wrenching pang of sorrow. Originally... he had been reluctant to dwell on it. Yet now, he fell into a trance, his mind wandering. It was said that the Sword Venerable and the Human King had supported each other, traversing hardships together along the way. Li Hao had once read in the "Chronicles of Nanjiang" that during the Neo-Martial era, in the Battle of Nanjiang, the Human King and the Sword Venerable had entered the Catacombs together, where the Human King risked his life to save the near-fatally wounded Sword Venerable. Later on, to protect the Human King, the Sword Venerable slew gods and Buddhas alike, waging war across the world at the forefront of the vanguard, daring even to draw his blade against the Supreme! Still later, the Human King entrusted his kin to him... asking the Sword Venerable to escort his younger sister to seek refuge in another universe. Accepting the grave charge in a time of peril, the Sword Venerable led Zhang An and the others, alongside the Human King's sister, across the chaotic void to a distant land, guarding them in solitude. The two had journeyed through trials and stumbling blocks... yet from beginning to end, the Sword Venerable had survived, unlike the Supreme and others, who had actually died once and were ultimately resurrected by the Human King. Throughout the entire Neo-Martial era, very few had never died. Countless thoughts flooded Li Hao's heart at this moment. The Great Dao is ruthless... yet that ruthlessness was not devoid of affection. My teacher... I failed to protect him. He had always protected me, yet I... could not shield him. At this moment, stirred by this brief line of text, Li Hao drifted into a daze. The ancient Human King... was a true man! And what about me? Emotions surged, tinged with loneliness. As I... walked this path, I lost so many people along the way. So many who looked after me have passed on. Human King, why does seeing your writing... make me reflect on myself and feel so utterly useless? A bitter taste lingered. It truly stirred envy and longing! Snapping out of his momentary trance, Li Hao looked away from the words... The inscription contained no profound Dao resonance; it was meant solely for enemies to see. He knew full well that one wouldn't leave gifts for foes, would they? It was nothing more than a deterrent! Anyone strong enough to breach the Sword Venerable's stronghold would have to think twice upon seeing this inscription. Ahead, the three remnants were battling the great sword! In the courtyard, a longsword—somewhat resembling the Starry Sky Sword yet not entirely identical, aggressive and unnervingly erratic—manifested countless phantom blades from all directions, encircling the three experts completely. Clack! Clatter! Clang! Every thrust clashed head-on against the three remnants! Li Hao watched silently. Head-on clashes! It was honing the blade! As sword intents collided, Li Hao's eyes flickered slightly. That sword wasn't exerting its full strength at all. As expected, it was constantly initiating clashes against the three experts, colliding with their sword intents to grind and temper itself. This was undeniably blade-tempering! As if sensing Li Hao's scrutiny, beams of sword light suddenly shot out of the courtyard, darting straight toward him. Li Hao dodged back. He did not retaliate. Sword shadows filled the void. Not only was this hostile sword intent present here, but a familiar Longevity Sword Intent also permeated the area. It was precisely because of this pervasive intent... that even with several Saints clashing, not a single tile or stone suffered damage. This was the true sanctuary of a Sovereign! With that plaque presiding over it, not even a clash between Heavenly Kings could damage anything here. Sword shadows rained down. One blade against four! This was entirely the combat power of a Heavenly King. The blade sheared through the air. Shifting his footwork, Li Hao evaded the onslaught of countless sword shadows. Seeing that Li Hao had actually evaded them, the courtyard erupted with an even greater torrent of sword intent, suffused with cold cruelty, madness, and chilling malice, surging straight for Li Hao. It sealed off all directions around him! It seemed enraged: why wouldn't he clash with it? Within the courtyard, the three experts yelled repeatedly, while the sword remained dead silent, emitting no sound at all. It was as if it were merely a spiritless blade whose explosive sword intent was powered solely by the array. Bang! Bang! Bang! Sharp, piercing clangs rang out continuously. Outside the courtyard, golden light glinted in Li Hao's eyes as he peered into the interior... At that moment, he caught sight of a sword, gleaming golden, standing upright atop a prayer mat! That sword... was sitting in cultivation just like a person! Li Hao felt a jolt in his heart! Right at that instant, inside the room, the sword atop the mat suddenly seemed to snap its eyes open, erupting with a fearsome, murderous aura. It had sensed Li Hao's prying gaze! Li Hao's expression shifted. No, that sword... damn it, could Li Daoheng have refined it into another avatar? "Retreat!" Li Hao barked in a low voice, reaching out as the void shattered. Inside the room, the longsword slashed out! As if sensing something, it sought to slay Li Hao in a single strike. An overwhelmingly mighty beam of sword light tore through the air. In a split second, Li Hao seized the three experts. A peculiar power erupted from him, causing time itself to freeze for an instant. The sword pierced heaven and earth, yet Li Hao had already grabbed the three powerhouses and vanished from the spot. In the blink of an eye, he retreated outside the array. The moment he disappeared—boom! The sword slashed down! The strike was terrifyingly powerful, causing even the extraordinarily stable courtyard to tremble slightly. Soon, the longsword vanished, and an emaciated young man strode out. The sword had assumed humanoid form! Sword light pierced like needles from the young man's eyes as he gazed outward, quietly contemplating. ... Outside the array, a series of bloody holes suddenly burst open on Li Hao's arms. Blood spurted forth! Li Hao's expression shifted as he looked toward the interior of the formation. "I underestimated him! Or rather, not quite underestimated... I just never expected that this fellow was actually actively cultivating, not merely absorbing power passively... A sword can do that?" The three remnants were still dazed. A moment ago, Li Hao had suddenly yanked them out, demonstrating his frightening capabilities, yet now he was treating the situation with such wariness... The Sword Tree asked hurriedly, "How was it?" "Very strong!" Li Hao peered at the array, adding, "It didn't come out..." This array was not meant to keep enemies out. It merely concealed the residence. Yet the sword had not pursued them. Why hadn't it come out? As he pondered, Stone asked in his muffled voice, "Is it really that powerful?" "Extremely powerful!" Having said that, Li Hao's heart stirred, and his face changed again. "I have a bad feeling about this... That sword couldn't be devouring the Starry Sky Sword, could it?" Why hadn't it pursued them? Could Sword City... be in the process of being devoured by it? If so... this was trouble. Far more troublesome than anticipated! "At minimum, mid to late Heavenly King combat power! Perhaps... even peak Heavenly King!" Hearing this, the three remnants were instantly shaken. Was it truly that strong? Even though Li Hao had speculated as much before... could it really be that formidable? "Then what do we do?" Though they had known Li Hao for less than a day, all three had already made him their pillar of support... It was a fascinating shift. Naturally, the three hadn't noticed it, and Li Hao paid it no mind, being long accustomed to it. Li Hao rapidly calculated his options. That sword was likely absorbing Sword City's power. The Sword Venerable's residence most likely had a direct link to the core of Sword City. Within the residence, the Sword Venerable's lingering sword intent was also permeating the space, and much of it had probably been siphoned away by the blade. Not only had this sword gained a spirit, but nine times out of ten, it could even be counted as an avatar of Li Daoheng, given that it could cultivate autonomously. For divine weapons, that was exceedingly rare... or rather, Li Hao had virtually never seen one capable of self-directed cultivation. Even the Old Turtle couldn't do that! For the Old Turtle to grow stronger was immensely difficult; there was only one path: recasting. Its base materials were fixed; to undergo a transformation, it needed a top-tier weaponsmith to reforge its true body into something sturdier, followed by devouring vast amounts of source energy or other power to have any hope of advancing. "What a fine treasure!" Li Hao murmured, "A divine weapon capable of autonomous evolution... a treasure coveted by countless people!" The three remnants were nearly beside themselves with anxiety. Think of a way to deal with it instead of praising it! What good does flattery do? Can you compliment it to death? Li Hao licked his lips and grinned—a somewhat unhinged smile. "Tough to handle, very tough! I underestimated this fellow... Are you three afraid to die?" "..." The Sword Tree said frantically, "Get to the point!" "Dealing with it is hard... yet also very simple... Only... we might die!" "Just spit it out!" "Suppress the Sovereign!" "..." They understood! The three experts were instantly stunned. In that instant, all three grasped what he meant, their true bodies trembling. Had another madman arrived? Li Hao chuckled. "Test the Sovereign's weight! That's number one. Number two: this sword... is tricky to deal with! It might even be merging with Sword City; I suspect it has already deeply invaded the city's structure... Only by inflicting severe damage upon both the sword and Sword City will there be any hope of peeling them apart! We must act fast. It knows I've arrived. Although I appear weak... just in case, it might charge out very soon to make trouble for me!" Li Hao was somewhat excited, his blood pumping. "Let's agree quickly... and act at once! I'm even more curious... what kind of strength does a genuine Sovereign still retain, even after being sealed for a hundred thousand years?" "You're out of your mind!" The Sword Tree could not help roaring, "We'll be wiped out! A true Sovereign... is unfathomably formidable! If he were that easy to deal with, he would have been killed ages ago—would he have survived until today?!" Li Hao licked his lips. "No, I want to try... It's not madness, it's a probe. If that sword really is an avatar... things will get entertaining. Perhaps... a certain someone will rush over in person!" His eyes glittered. "Previously, what happened to him was merely a negligible injury. But if this sword is destroyed, perhaps... he truly won't be able to hold back!" With that, he quickly looked toward the three: "How do we steer Sword City back to its original location?" The three spirits looked at one another, steeped in agony. Stop joking around! That's a Sovereign! "I can't beat it!" Li Hao spoke honestly: "If it were at the early, mid, or even late Heavenly King stage... I would take a gamble! But from the look of things, what it just showed was merely a modest demonstration. It might genuinely be approaching the half-step Sovereign level—not something I can match! If I could deal with it alone, I wouldn't take this risk!" The Sword Tree said in anguish, "Must it come to this?" "Yes." "Alas!" Sighing, she said, "For now, the Sword Seal can still steer Sword City. But... will that sword charge out to stop us?" Li Hao shook his head. "Most likely not, though there's a small chance it might. That fellow... is probably at a critical juncture—a crucial phase in devouring Sword City!" He wasted no more words and looked toward the great seal. "Time is of the essence. Hurry, let's head back to where we started... Close in on that Sovereign, and once we're close enough... charge straight into the Bagua Array's domain in a suicide dash!" "..." The great seal quivered. The next instant, Sword City suddenly began flying back! Previously, because Li Hao had entered, Sword City had been drifting deeper into the universe, moving away from the Sovereign. But now... it was returning. ... Inside the courtyard. The youth formed of the longsword seemed to sense it and frowned slightly. Beneath his feet, potent sword intent leaked out ceaselessly. He felt an urge to step outside... but glancing back toward the small house, he hesitated. Stepping out would sever all his prior progress. After so many years, he had finally penetrated into the core... Furthermore, Sword City itself was actively resisting! Damn it! The youth manifested from the blade pondered continuously. Who... was that person? What kind of energy was that which had momentarily obstructed him just now? That strike, though not his full power, had undeniably packed the might of a Heavenly King, yet the other party had parried it effortlessly, causing him to sense the stagnation of space. "A newcomer... has actually arrived in Sword City." He murmured, his gaze shifting. Someone able to reach Sword City right now... carrying the Starry Sky Sword... He had a rough idea of who it was. However, the true body's last visit had been long ago, and he was unaware of outside news. He knew this was likely that test subject... or a newcomer born from the test subject's clan. Yet the fellow had actually entered Sword City. "To arrive here suddenly at such a critical juncture... Is this the backlash of heaven and earth? Or is it a rebound from the Sword Venerable's lingering presence?" He muttered with a trace of anger. Nothing had gone wrong for all these years, yet right at his most crucial moment, this intruder appeared. And now Sword City was beginning to move—where was it going? Where could it go in a place like this? To the sealed domain of that Sovereign? Could it be? If so... are they trying to drag me down with them? Thoughts flashed through his mind one after another. Being a sword did not make him simple-minded; he possessed intellect akin to a real person. Should he step out and slaughter those few fools, or... remain inside, pursue his plan, and gamble that they wouldn't commit suicide? The Sovereign was the strongest existence in Silver Moon. If Sword City truly rammed into him and clashed with the Sovereign, it certainly wouldn't end well. If he completely devoured Sword City, he might stand a chance against a sealed, half-crippled Sovereign... Yet soon, another thought crossed the youth's mind. If... he used this opportunity to severely damage Sword City, wouldn't it become easier to devour? Currently, Sword City's resistance was fiercely stubborn! Over the years, he had only infiltrated a portion of it without gaining absolute control; otherwise, Sword City wouldn't even be moving right now. As thoughts flickered, he suddenly smiled. His smile bore an uncanny resemblance to Li Hao's—tinged with madness, with the mania of a gambler... If... it really charges in and survives, and Sword City is battered to near ruin, could I seize the chance to swallow this true Starry Sky Sword whole? The odds were great! Naturally, the peril was just as immense! ... Outside. Li Hao had been primed for action, the sword intent coiled inside the longsword in his hand swirling continuously, ready to unleash an all-out strike should the other party step out to stop them. Yet after waiting a while, there was no movement. Li Hao felt no joy. After a long silence, he said softly, "Li Daoheng... even an avatar of yours is this insane and reckless of a gambler?" He had guessed the other party's intentions. Putting himself in the opponent's shoes, would he interrupt the refinement, or take a gamble on the Sovereign crippling Sword City so that he could smoothly devour it? He would certainly gamble on the latter! The latter could potentially save him an eternity of time. Li Hao's expression grew solemn. That made things thorny. The fellow wasn't unprepared; he was fully prepared and shared Li Hao's very mindset. An opponent like that was difficult to deal with. "Follow me!" Li Hao commanded, leading the three experts away. The three spirits followed swiftly, nerves strung taut. Where are we going? This is Sword City, a place we know best! Where are you taking us? Weaving left and right, Li Hao soon led the three into a specific district. The City Lord's Estate! All three were startled. What are we doing here? Li Hao headed straight for the main hall. The three hurried after him, still baffled. Saying nothing, Li Hao entered the main hall of the City Lord's Estate and shut the hall doors before speaking: "The City Lord's Estate is generally the center of a city, its very core! If an enemy attacks, they will target the City Lord's Estate first... and breach it!" The three spirits trembled. We know that! Did you really need to state the obvious?! "Sovereigns are usually extraordinarily proud!" Li Hao said softly. "Seniors, are you willing to play a game of hide-and-seek with me?" "What?" "Hide, and take a gamble—gamble that the Sovereign's strike will shatter the City Lord's Estate, yet we will survive! If we survive and the Sovereign sees Sword City continuing its offensive charge... he will inevitably discover where that sword is... Gamble... that he will direct his full might against that blade!" Survive a strike?! The three spirits shook. The Sword Tree grew nearly hysterical: "Were you sent by Li Daoheng to murder us?! Driving Sword City to suppress a Sovereign was already insane enough, but now you want to camp inside the City Lord's Estate and gamble that when his full-power strike smashes the estate to bits, we can still walk away alive?!" What in the world is going through your head?! Li Hao said gently, "A Sovereign's strike, yes, but only from a half-crippled Sovereign... If we hide well enough, we won't necessarily die! Don't be afraid, I will protect you. As long as we don't die, that sword will launch an attack of its own... Once Sword City is half-crippled, that blade is bound to flee! It will still have a chance to escape, and once it does... the battle will be between me and it. At that point, you only need to stabilize Sword City and steer it far away from that damned place..." The three half-crippled spirits were ready to weep. Just what kind of person was this?! Should we trust him? Why did every word roll off his tongue with such ease, yet fill them with boundless terror? Li Hao murmured, "Seniors, you can enter my Starry Sky Sword... As long as I live, you will be fine!" The three spirits exchanged frantic voice transmissions. After a long while, they reached a decision. The Sword Tree spoke in a conflicted tone: "I don't even know how we wound up being led around by the nose like this. I even suspect... you came here specifically to use Sword City to strike at the Sovereign... But at this point, we don't seem to have a way out. Are you sure you haven't come just to get us killed?" What a troublemaker! Everything had been peaceful for so many years, yet the moment you show up, we find ourselves courting death alongside you again and again. This fellow is practically a second Human King! "Seniors have a slight misunderstanding about me... No matter, after this is over, the misunderstanding will be cleared up." If they lived, it would be resolved. If they died... none of them would know anything anymore, so it would naturally be resolved just the same. Left with no alternative... the three spirits had no choice but to trust Li Hao once more. Having reached this stage step by step, they slipped into the Starry Sky Sword, awaiting an unknown fate. ... At the same time. The Sovereign, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and looked in one direction. Sword City, which had previously drifted away, was returning once more. He frowned slightly. In the past, Sword City had also stirred occasionally, but such occurrences only happened once every many years. Recently, however, the city had behaved abnormally twice in succession. It had clearly drifted far away, only to come back! It felt... as though someone within the city was controlling it! He gazed toward it in silence, watching intently. What new trick was Sword City trying to pull? Gradually, Sword City drew closer and closer, nearing the perimeter of the Bagua Array. The Bagua Array was the core ground of his seal. If he stepped beyond the Bagua Array, the formation would attack to kill him. So long as he did not leave it, he remained an invincible Sovereign! As Sword City drew nearer, he suddenly smiled with amused interest. Interesting! Could it be... that this city intends to enter the array's perimeter this time? If so... that would truly be amusing, and I will certainly show no mercy. I have long wanted to see whether this city is truly the Sword Venerable's personal blade. Could it be... that I will finally have that opportunity now? It drew closer and closer! The Sovereign, who had been sitting cross-legged all this time, suddenly rose to his feet. Gazing in the direction of Sword City, a faint smile surfaced on his face. It appeared... it was truly coming. If there really was someone inside that city, were they tired of living?