Above Sword City.
Li Hao exhaled softly. Everything had gone smoothly, but... a little too much had still been revealed. Even if others had not noticed, that Red Moon Sovereign had likely sensed something.
Rising from the dead!
Reviving from the grasp of a Sovereign.
Li Hao turned the thought over in his mind, then pondered that power of time. By his reckoning, as long as this power endured and the long river flowed unbroken, he had a chance of turning back time... though to call it that was inaccurate; he was merely rolling back a fraction of what had befallen his own person.
He could not reverse time for others!
Reaching that level... was beyond Li Hao's ability. Moreover, each use shaved away a portion of his lifespan, so it was not a power to be squandered recklessly.
"Li Daoheng... is truly an incredible talent!"
Li Hao suddenly sighed with emotion. "A half-step Sovereign avatar, a sword-dao avatar... and is the new dao one an avatar or his true body? Over all these years, when he found himself unable to step into the Sovereign level because his mental power grew too rapidly, did this fellow just spend his leisure time slicing pieces off himself for fun?"
Carving out avatars was hardly something one could do on a whim.
That Li Daoheng sliced them off so freely showed one thing: he had been stuck at half-step Sovereign and unable to break through to the Sovereign realm—or perhaps he felt that ascending to Sovereign right now would leave him too weak, and he needed a deeper foundation.
Thus, he relentlessly severed his mental power, manufacturing all manner of avatars.
And every single one was terrifyingly formidable!
Had this sword not suffered a blow from the Sovereign and then had its connection to Sword City severed by Li Hao, it would have commanded at least the combat power of a peak Heavenly King.
Meanwhile, the figure who had appeared earlier to directly take the Sovereign's punch was in all likelihood an avatar as well.
A half-step Sovereign avatar!
As for the new-dao avatar, its exact strength remained unknown, but it was at least at the Saint level, if not stronger. It was only that he might not be able to leave the Great Dao universe for the time being.
Aside from those... were there others?
A Heavenly King from a hundred thousand years ago, a peerless genius who had long delayed taking the step into the Sovereign level—the heavens only knew how many avatars he had produced.
It was truly nauseating!
"Li Hao!"
Just then, the Sword Tree hurried over.
Upon its shoulders, a stone sat to the left and a great seal to the right, both looking increasingly fragmented.
The tree's phantom form shuddered. "Did... did you win?"
Li Hao smiled. "I am standing here, Senior. What do you think?"
The Sword Tree was still dazed. "We just won, just like that?"
It felt so surreal!
Somehow, this victory felt utterly unbelievable. That sword was something Li Daoheng had forged. Furthermore... had they not just intruded into the Sovereign's domain?
It could not help but ask, "Were we not just struck by the Sovereign's palm?"
"We were."
"..."
The Sword Tree mumbled, "Struck full-on by a Sovereign's palm... and we... we are merely Saints... Saints of this era at that, not origin Saints... and we still survived?"
A Sovereign!
A being of unfathomable might, perched high above all living things in any era, and the sole such presence within this Silver Moon world.
Yet just now, they had been struck dead by a Sovereign's palm, only to come back to life.
What... what in the world was this?
It was not as though the tree had never seen the world; it had followed the Sword Venerable and met many supreme figures. The current Red Moon Sovereign... in truth did not amount to much among Sovereigns, but a Sovereign was still a Sovereign!
It could not fathom what kind of power could allow everyone to revive.
Even after experiencing it firsthand, it could not make sense of it.
Naturally, there was no time to delve into the matter right now. It turned its gaze toward the vanished Sword City. At this moment, they were standing atop an unimaginably massive sword. This was the true form of Sword City—a sword!
A gargantuan sword stretching for over a hundred li!
"So this is the Starry Sky Sword..."
The Sword Tree murmured, "I have never seen the true Starry Sky Sword before."
It had only been planted in Sword City after the city was already established.
Li Hao's heart stirred. "Do you mean you are actually quite young, considered a later generation among demon plants, and did not exist during the early Neo-Martial era?"
The Sword Tree nodded. It had never been that old to begin with.
"Indeed. Otherwise, having constantly comprehended the Sword Venerable's dao... if I had been around in the early Neo-Martial era, I would at least be a Heavenly King by now!"
Who was he looking down on?
Li Hao chuckled, then glanced over at the courtyard that still stood not far away. So far, it was the only building in the entire Sword City that remained completely intact.
Anping Residence!
The Human King's calligraphy. Even if it lacked any Daoist charm, simply having those few characters present, combined with the sharp defense of Sword City, meant that when the Sovereign's punch came down, its perimeter had not fully enveloped this small courtyard, leaving it wholly undamaged.
Of course, there was another possibility: had the Red Moon Sovereign feared that shattering this courtyard might summon a phantom of the Human King?
The probability was low.
The Sword Venerable was out in the cosmos. Even if the courtyard was destroyed, the living Human King might not bother to take notice. But if a projection truly emerged... the Red Moon Sovereign would undoubtedly lose his nerve.
That was no ordinary Sovereign; that was the Human King.
In the primal chaos universe, the Neo-Martial world was known to the outside as the Yin-Yang Great World.
In the Yin-Yang Great World, the Human King's fame beyond its borders was not extraordinarily widespread... but even setting that aside, an entity who was not even the world master—the Yang God, the foremost expert of Origin Martial—roamed the chaos and dared to trade blows with world masters. He had once clashed with the Lord of the Red Moon without dying, successfully fleeing back to Neo-Martial.
On that merit alone, the Yin-Yang Great World was by no means an unknown realm in the chaos.
The Yang God enjoyed a degree of renown in the cosmos. Even if he could not match the truly mighty world masters, some of the weaker world masters had actually fallen before him!
A minor world like Silver Moon, even if completely swallowed without a scrap left behind, would probably never measure up to the Yang God's level.
Of course, now that the new-dao universe had emerged, anything was possible.
...
Li Hao had no mind to ponder such things right now. At this moment, he held the Starry Sky Sword in his hand.
The Starry Sky Sword trembled, glowing with a brilliant luster.
Having devoured the Lifeless Sword, the Starry Sky Sword in Li Hao's grasp had profited immensely this time. Not only that, but it had even swallowed a fraction of that extraordinary power of time, making the transformation all the more remarkable.
At present, the Starry Sky Sword seemed to be digesting its gains, resting in a deep slumber.
Li Hao murmured, "Now that the true Starry Sky Sword is here... it feels somewhat inappropriate for you to share the name Starry Sky Sword as well!"
Perhaps this sword needed a new name.
Meanwhile, the Sword Tree could not help asking, "Are you... really going to devour Sword City?"
Li Hao shook his head, and the Sword Tree breathed a sigh of relief. Then Li Hao suddenly remarked, "I suspect... are the Eight Divine Weapons actually the eight major cities?"
"What?"
Li Hao said, "I'm asking: are the true Eight Divine Weapons the items circulating out there, or are the eight major cities the real Eight Divine Weapons?"
The Sword Tree looked lost. "Surely not? The eight major cities... The Sword Venerable's sword becoming Sword City is possible, but how could the other cities be divine weapons?"
"Yet the eight major cities can resist the compression of heaven and earth, which even a half-step Sovereign finds difficult. Have you never considered that?"
"That is... that is..."
The Sword Tree could not formulate an answer. Li Hao sank into contemplation, only speaking after a long silence: "Perhaps the eight major cities truly are the Eight Divine Weapons! It's just that outsiders might not know, and perhaps even the Eight Great Families themselves were unaware... The eight major cities suppress heaven and earth; they are clearly divine weapons of terrifying might! The pieces of the Eight Divine Weapons I devoured previously were merely Saint-tier weapons... not a single one had even reached the Heavenly King level."
They were too weak!
It did not match the proclaimed importance of the Eight Divine Weapons.
The Sword Tree asked in confusion, "But... back then, the family heads of the major cities were all merely Saints..."
"Exactly. How could they have forged formidable instruments like these major cities? Thus... they themselves might not have known. The Eight Divine Weapons circulating in the outside world were merely what they assumed them to be. Perhaps in the eyes of the Sword Venerable and the others, the eight major cities were the true Eight Divine Weapons!"
"The cities are so potent that even Saints could barely operate them, and every operation suppressed heaven and earth. More importantly, the eight major cities are linked to the entire realm, capable of devouring its energy..."
Speaking up to this point, Li Hao smiled. "In all likelihood, this was the Blood Sovereign's handiwork. His saber sits at the center of the eightfold division of the realm, with the eight major cities garrisoning the eight directions... It makes some sense now. They drew the drifting blood qi from the eight major cities; the ground of all eight cities possesses the ability to devour energy."
"Whenever people died, it would be devoured. Scattered blood qi, scattered energy—all of it would be swallowed..."
Li Hao had seen through it completely. Shaking his head, he murmured, "Such painstaking effort! Suppressing heaven and earth with the eight major cities was merely the first purpose. The second was to revive the entity inside that saber. Why did the Blood Sovereign go to such lengths just to revive a cat?"
The spirits had not heard their earlier conversation.
Now, the Sword Tree stared blankly. "A cat?"
"Yes."
"Inside the Blood Sovereign's saber?"
"Indeed."
Li Hao asked, perplexed, "Did you know it was the Cang Emperor?"
"It isn't!"
The Sword Tree shook its head vigorously. "The Cang Emperor is living fine and well, better than anyone. Even if the Blood Sovereign died, the Cang Emperor wouldn't... Cough, that's not what I mean. I meant... Never mind, it's not that."
At this moment, the Sword Tree seemed to recall something. Only after a long while did it murmur, "I think I know... whom the Blood Sovereign wanted to revive."
It sounded deeply emotional, somewhat sorrowful, and faintly envious.
The stone and the great seal, however, seemed just as clueless.
The stone rumbled in a muffled voice, "The Blood Sovereign wanted to revive a cat... Sword Tree, do you know it?"
"I don't know it personally... but I've heard of it! The Sword Venerable once mentioned it... That cat was very special... Never mind, let us not speak too much of this."
Li Hao chuckled. "Is it forbidden to speak of?"
"It's not forbidden."
The Sword Tree sighed. "It's just that I don't know how to explain that cat... Furthermore, the Blood Sovereign wanting to revive it... is very complicated. That cat... it's hard for me to put into words, but in short... it has a great connection to the Cang Emperor! I thought... I thought it had completely dissipated, yet it still exists! Of course, I never lived through that era. If you want someone who truly understands, there is bound to be someone who knows far better than I do. Isn't the Supreme's grandson right here in Silver Moon? He understands these matters far better. If you wish to know, just ask him; he certainly knows more of the inside story than I do."
Li Hao nodded slightly.
"In other words, in your eyes, it is entirely normal for the Blood Sovereign to go through so much trouble to revive this entity?"
"Entirely normal!"
The Sword Tree nodded. "Whether the Blood Sovereign or his past life, the Emperor of Battle Heaven, both were beings of profound loyalty and sentiment! He was a truly cultured and refined Sovereign. The Human King's rise was partly due to the Emperor of Battle Heaven's post-mortem arrangements, and partly due to the Blood Sovereign's early guidance... In truth, the Human King was introduced to the martial path under the Blood Sovereign's tutelage. The Sovereign was merely a year older than the Human King, yet he guided his steps from the very beginning..."
Li Hao had not known this.
He thought for a moment, then said, "So, to revive this cat, the Blood Sovereign left behind his own saber, and even arranged for several other mighty divine weapons to divide the realm into eight, setting up a grand array to absorb the world's drifting energy, blood qi, and faith—and in your eyes, all of this is normal, devoid of any other motive?"
The Sword Tree laughed. "Completely normal! What other motive could there be? Betraying Neo-Martial? You're overthinking it! Besides, in the Blood Sovereign's eyes, honestly... had the Silver Moon world not belonged to the Sword Venerable, he wouldn't have blinked at trading the entire Silver Moon just to bring that cat back to life!"
Li Hao gained a bit more understanding and nodded.
He asked again, "Then which experts from the Origin Martial era did the Blood Sovereign share close ties with?"
"That... I do not know!"
The Sword Tree shook its head. "In truth, all the Origin Martial experts had very good relations with him, because his past incarnation was the Emperor of Battle Heaven... and the Emperor of Battle Heaven was one of the leaders of the Origin Martial and origin eras! Therefore... the surviving Origin Martial experts were all gravitating toward figures like him!"
Very well.
It was still impossible to discern the identity of that Origin Martial God.
Li Hao looked at Sword City, pondered for a moment, and said, "If the eight major cities are all divine weapons, and the Eight Divine Weapons... are in fact these cities, then there is no rush regarding Sword City."
He glanced at the small courtyard again. "May I enter this courtyard to cultivate for a time?"
"Of course!"
The Sword Tree nodded, then hesitated. "Then what comes next? You barged into this place and the Sovereign already knows about you. If you wish to leave, you might have to pass through the seal again, and he knows you entered..."
He wouldn't be able to leave.
Li Hao, however, paid it no mind. How could he possibly be trapped?
He could simply leave through the Great Dao universe!
It was merely that he was reluctant to open the passage here too many times.
Leaving was a certainty!
The crux was... why rush to leave?
This time, he had gained insights and harvests of his own, and the sword dao that truly belonged to him had officially commenced.
The Sword of the Bright Moon!
Naturally, it was only in its nascent stages for now, but crucially, his sword of ten daos had roughly taken shape, with the intent of time as its primary path. For Li Hao, cultivating here and using the power of time to coalesce some of the Sword Venerable's Longevity sword intent to cross-reference against each other would undoubtedly bring immense benefit to his own sword dao!
He was in no hurry to depart.
This place possessed the Sword Venerable's most pristine sword intent, a whetstone, and a Sword Tree that had followed the Sword Venerable for ages... Why rush away?
As for that Sovereign... perhaps he could even serve as a whetstone.
Provided... he wasn't beaten to death by the man.
Going back served no purpose. Returning right now would only plunge him back into the calculations of fellows like Zheng Yu and Li Daoheng.
Li Hao knew very well that at this moment, he did not possess the strength to contend with those two.
As for the Sovereign... a sealed Sovereign was worse off than a dog.
In any case, that fellow couldn't step out of the Bagua Array!
If he truly broke out, the first ones to panic would be Zheng Yu and Li Daoheng, not him.
Having sorted out these thoughts, Li Hao cheerfully invited the three spirits to move into the courtyard with him.
Usurping the host's role was something Li Hao had always excelled at.
Besides, Sword City had been almost entirely wrecked by the Sovereign's punch; there was nothing left. If they didn't stay in the courtyard, they would have to reside upon the battered expanse of the giant sword itself.
...
Inside Anping Residence.
Li Hao cultivated with an easy mind, steadily tempering his sword dao.
He absorbed strand after strand of Longevity sword intent.
The Longevity sword intent here was far richer than at the precipice, making it exceedingly easy to draw upon.
He also analyzed the Longevity sword intent. It was no trivial force; the Sword Venerable had gathered the strength of myriad daos and fused them together, rather than walking an isolated sword dao. In the past, Li Hao had lacked the vision to see it, but the stronger he grew, the easier it became to perceive the staggering profundity within!
Wisp after wisp of faint time power swirled around Li Hao.
Strands of sword intent gathered continuously.
This place was still the core of Sword City; here, he could even draw upon a portion of the city's power.
Cultivation was a pursuit that easily intoxicated a person.
The three remnant Saints were beside themselves with anxiety, yet Li Hao remained calm and unhurried...
He cultivated uninterrupted for many days...
Then, on this day, a sudden burst of sword intent erupted. The three spirits swiftly materialized, shocked to the point where their very physical forms trembled. What did they see?
They saw a surge of Longevity sword intent detonating directly within Li Hao's body, blowing him to pieces in an instant without leaving a corpse behind!
"Li Hao!"
The Sword Tree shrieked!
Dead?
How dared this lunatic!
How could he dare use the Longevity sword intent to commit suicide?
Yes, suicide.
It had watched with its own eyes as Li Hao, brimming with curiosity, detonated a wisp of Longevity sword intent, seemingly hoping to use the thing to temper himself... only to be blasted into oblivion!
He was utterly insane!
Yet at that exact moment, a faint power of time encircled the surroundings. A shallow river rippled, but it seemed locked in fierce entanglement; a faint trace of sword intent was suppressing it, even grinding away at that wisp of time power.
The Sword Tree understood in a flash, crying out in agony, "This lunatic... This is the Sword Venerable's sword intent, not the crippled Sovereign's palm..."
The Sword Venerable was an existence who could slay Sovereigns!
In terms of fundamental nature, his sword intent was vastly superior to that of the Red Moon Sovereign.
Even in his prime, the Red Moon Sovereign had lagged far behind the Sword Venerable.
Out of all the things in the world to commit suicide with, he chose the Sword Venerable's Longevity sword intent?
With a sharp cry, the tree transformed into its true form—a battered, sword-shaped great tree. A burst of fractured branches lashed out, siphoning away the lingering wisp of sword intent that was actively eroding Li Hao!
Having long grown accustomed to the Longevity sword intent, it could indeed absorb a portion of it.
Only after that terrifying sword intent was drawn away did the long river ripple faintly. An illusory silhouette stepped out, pale-faced yet burning with excitement. "Formidable! Truly formidable!"
The power of time had been too weak; it had nearly been ground away completely by the sword intent!
He turned to the Sword Tree. "My thanks!"
The Sword Tree shifted back into the form of a woman, voice laced with fury: "What do you think you are doing?"
Though they had not known each other long, they had already placed their hopes on Li Hao.
All their expectations were pinned on this fellow!
They had grown accustomed to relying on others. In ancient times, they had relied on the Sword Venerable; after he departed, they had been left without an anchor. They had fought for a hundred thousand years, only to realize they were tempering a sword for their enemy. All three were deeply unnerved and terrified.
Now, the moment Li Hao arrived, he had resolved their troubles in a flash, making them believe that hope lay with him.
Yet Li Hao... had nearly played himself to death!
Had the tree not been able to siphon away a bit of that sword intent, Li Hao would have been completely wiped out.
Was this man a lunatic?
Li Hao stepped out from the void, his face deathly pale and his hair turned stark white. But in an instant, the river jolted, and his youthful appearance returned. He had merely expended some of his lifespan.
Having merged his body with the river, even if he couldn't live for a million years, surviving for several hundred thousand was surely within reason.
That sword intent's erosion just now had cost him a thousand years of life?
Probably somewhere around that!
A minor loss that did not affect the grand scheme.
Li Hao admitted his mistake: "I was too curious and couldn't resist giving it a try... I just didn't expect the Longevity sword intent's intrinsic nature to surpass the power of the Red Moon by so much! Or perhaps the Red Moon Sovereign's mastery is simply mediocre; purely in terms of destructive erosion, he falls far short of the Sword Venerable!"
Li Hao drew in a breath. "Looking at it this way... I truly am not immortal or indestructible. Once Li Daoheng and the others unleash an attack of this caliber capable of ruining this energy of mine, I can still be wiped out!"
He sank into deep thought.
Unable to hold back any longer, the Sword Tree snapped, "Wake up! You are currently only a Saint... even if at the peak, you are still just a Saint! Between you and a Sovereign lie the early, mid, late, and peak Heavenly King realms, not to mention the half-step Sovereign level! And the gulf between a half-step Sovereign and a Sovereign is immense... For you to test a Sovereign's offensive might right now, aren't you simply courting death?"
Li Hao nodded, yet still sounded reluctant to give up. "Is the gap between a Sovereign and a half-step Sovereign really that vast?"
The Sword Tree said helplessly, "It depends on what kind of Sovereign... but no matter how weak, in the Neo-Martial era, the weakest Sovereign could easily fight three half-step Sovereigns! That is why this Red Moon Sovereign is indeed an invincible existence in Silver Moon! Even if you say Li Daoheng is formidable... unless he possesses a multitude of half-step Sovereign avatars, he cannot match a Sovereign!"
Li Hao nodded. That was indeed terrifyingly powerful.
Right now, this physical body of his had opened only 108 meridians; he lagged far behind.
Li Hao gently rubbed his temples, then glanced at the Longevity sword intent still drifting outward, sighing. "The Sword Venerable's sword intent is of an exceedingly high tier! Breaking it down is extraordinarily difficult... Only by experiencing it firsthand can I grasp a sliver of its essence... Sword Tree, could you do me a favor?"
"What favor?"
The Sword Tree developed a bad premonition.
Li Hao said softly, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime! Even if I absorb some of the Longevity sword intent, I do not understand it and cannot gain deep enlightenment. I want... to be slain by it, slain again and again! But I worry a situation like the one just now might happen..."
"Don't even dream of it!"
The Sword Tree grew furious. "That is seeking death! A single misstep means complete obliteration! Those slain by the Sword Venerable cannot even be revived! That you could come back to life is already miraculous to me—though of course, that was because the sword intent was weak—but to do it again and again... the moment a single mistake occurs, you are dead!"
It added, "Besides, I am merely a broken remnant right now; I cannot absorb that much sword intent!"
It snorted in profound displeasure!
It had truly encountered a madman!
Who on earth comprehended sword intent like this?
"Finding life in the jaws of death!"
Li Hao said earnestly, "Furthermore, I noticed that absorbing a portion of the Longevity sword intent actually aids all three of you in restoring yourselves. You share an intimate connection with the Sword Venerable; his sword intent is lethally destructive to others, but to the three of you... it serves as nourishment! The stone was originally meant for whetting his sword intent; the sword seal was linked to Sword City; and you took root right where the Sword Venerable cultivated day in and day out, siphoning away his drifting sword intent..."
"Only with the help of the three of you do I have a chance. Otherwise, no matter who came, grinding away the Longevity sword intent would be nearly impossible!"
This was an opportunity!
He wanted to test it.
To be killed again and again, to comprehend this sword intent through death after death—the Sword Venerable's sword intent was too elevated; given his current strength, this extreme method of seeking insight through destruction was his only option!
Only in this way could he continuously absorb its essence.
Otherwise, though he could wield it, he would never surpass the Sword Venerable in this lifetime; he would know the what without ever understanding the why! Only through this path could he hope to make breakthroughs in the sword dao.
To complete his hundred-dao sword, thousand-dao sword, myriad-dao sword!
To slay a Sovereign might truly require a sword of myriad daos. But if he relied on ordinary cultivation, even if he comprehended one sword intent a day—a pace that could be called monstrous to the extreme—a myriad-dao sword would still demand thirty years!
And thirty years... the opportunity would have long turned cold!
The Human King had attained the Dao and achieved the Sovereign realm in three years. As for Li Hao, it had been over a year since he formally stepped onto the martial path.
Forget achieving the Sovereign realm... he hadn't even stepped into the Heavenly King realm.
The Human King could pummel a peak Sovereign like the Heavenly Emperor to death in three years, whereas Li Hao was currently facing merely the weakest Sovereign, one who had been sealed for a hundred thousand years... and Li Hao couldn't even withstand a single strike.
By this comparison... Li Hao felt he was quite useless.
Even if he couldn't stand shoulder to shoulder with the Neo-Martial Human King, he couldn't afford to lag too far behind. A genius born of a minor world was still a genius, was he not?
The Sword Tree furrowed its brows.
It could not help saying, "The Sword Venerable's Longevity sword intent may sound gentle, but in truth, it is the most destructive and lethal power between heaven and earth! Every slaughter causes... causes agony that pierces to the very soul! If you are killed repeatedly, even if you can revive... the terror of death and that agony will drive you to collapse!"
As a sword-dao tree that had accompanied the Sword Venerable for years, it understood everything clearly. It could not bear to see Li Hao cultivate in such a manner; this path of cultivation was simply too dangerous and too cruel!
"Li Hao, you have cultivated the new dao and even acquired unique abilities... You... you can take things slowly!"
The Sword Tree urged, "A hundred thousand years have already passed... At worst, hide away for a time. Li Daoheng, Zheng Yu, and the Red Moon Sovereign will inevitably clash! Even if the seal truly breaks, they will fight among themselves. You will still have time!"
Li Hao shook his head. "No, there is no time! They... might eliminate me first as an unexpected variable. Even if they don't strike at me first, their reckless fighting might destroy the entire Silver Moon!"
He smiled faintly. "Seniors, only by enduring the bitterest of hardships does one rise above the rest. I still understand this principle!"
"No... it really is too dangerous. We cannot guarantee we can absorb the sword intent every single time. A single mistake, and you die... It truly will not do!"
All three refused!
In truth, it was not that they lacked faith in Li Hao, but rather that they lacked confidence in themselves.
They had always sheltered beneath the towering tree that was the Sword Venerable.
After he departed, they had tried to stand on their own for a time... only to end in failure.
Now, Li Hao was practically placing his life and death in their hands... What if they failed to absorb it just once?
If Li Hao died... would they be the ones to fight the Sovereign?
The mere thought of the Sovereign's terrifying might made them tremble.
The stone also rumbled in a muffled voice, "Li Hao, we only met recently... For you to entrust your life and death to us... We... we feel immense pressure. It's not just your problem, but ours... Bearing such pressure, where a single mistake means your death, might leave us without any way out... It decides the lives of all of us; we cannot shoulder such responsibility!"
Li Hao developed a headache.
It was not that he feared death, but that these three feared his death, and feared they could not endure the burden.
It truly... left him speechless.
"The three of you were by the Sword Venerable's side..."
The stone rumbled, "We... we haven't actually experienced many battles. By the time we entered Silver Moon, there were hardly any battles to speak of here; we never took part in the true wars of Neo-Martial! On Silver Moon's side, very few have experienced great wars... only Zhang An and a few others, and... Li Daoheng once went to the main world and took part in several foreign campaigns!"
Li Hao was startled. "Neo-Martial still had battles?"
Foreign campaigns—against whom?
The stone continued, "Just some chaos beasts, and some who wished to invade the main world, though none were particularly strong... The Human King and the others didn't step in, treating them as training fodder. 'Thrive in adversity, perish in ease' was something the Human King often said. Thus... some of Neo-Martial's warriors participated in foreign wars. A portion of Silver Moon's main legions took part as well... though not all of them."
"Back then... we were merely mascots of Sword City... So do not speak of us as objects close to the Sword Venerable. We... were merely mascots; how could we compare to true warriors?"
It belittled itself, but such was the reality.
Their combat experience was indeed limited.
Of course, having battled that sword for a hundred thousand years, they were not truly as pathetic as the stone claimed; even the worst mascot would cease to be useless after fighting for so long.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "By my estimate, within three to five years at most, or half a year to a year at the earliest, this seal is bound to break! Right now, I can only deal with ordinary early Heavenly Kings; anything stronger is beyond me! If the three of you refuse to help, I fear... Silver Moon will be lost!"
The three spirits were torn.
The Sword Tree said irritably, "We want to help you too... but what if you really die?"
Li Hao smiled. "If I truly die, it simply means I lack the ability to become your hope! This is merely a wisp of sword intent left behind by the Sword Venerable. If I cannot even endure a fraction of his sword intent, do you think I can stand against those figures?"
"Is there no other way?"
Li Hao nodded. "There is: analyzing the Longevity sword intent slowly. I consider myself neither weak nor foolish. Given a hundred years, I am confident I can deconstruct it; with good luck, thirty to fifty years might suffice!"
This was indeed peerless talent!
Thirty to fifty years... Among the later-generation geniuses of the Neo-Martial era, who possessed the confidence to claim they could thoroughly decipher the Longevity sword intent in thirty to fifty years?
The Sword Venerable had not been merely below the Peak Realm back then; he was a supreme Sovereign.
The Sword Tree was equally conflicted, then suggested, "How about... you use this sword intent to kill us! You can revive us... If we die, so be it; we were near the end of our ropes anyway..."
Li Hao froze.
These... To be frank, he had been urging them to assist him, and seeing their constant reluctance, he had grown somewhat impatient, assuming they were timid, cowardly, and fearful of death... essentially harboring negative impressions.
Yet when the Sword Tree suggested he kill them instead to use them as test subjects... Li Hao was taken aback.
What was this...?
His mind wandered for a moment before he said, "You must understand, if I kill you... it might be just as difficult for me to absorb the Longevity sword intent, and the probability of your deaths is even higher than mine..."
The Sword Tree said dejectedly, "Even so, it doesn't matter... We are weak and untalented! Originally, we were the peak combat strength left to guard Sword City and Silver Moon, yet... the Li family is gone! Silver Moon is lost! The Sword Venerable trusted us, yet we lost Silver Moon and caused the deaths of the Li family... Even if we see the Sword Venerable again, how could we face him? If you can succeed, our deaths mean nothing. The world doesn't lack a tree, a stone, or a great seal... Such things can be found anywhere; even a clump of dirt, after accompanying the Sword Venerable for a thousand years, could become a spiritual object!"
The stone's voice rumbled like thunder: "Exactly! We wouldn't know how to explain ourselves anyway! We are dull and lacking in wisdom; at our core, we aren't demons of high spirituality, just ordinary items that developed into peculiar beings. Our potential, talent, and intellect are all lacking—otherwise, how could we have been toyed with by Li Daoheng's sword for a hundred thousand years?"
"If the Sword Venerable and the others had been here, even with strength equal to ours, they would have seen through it long ago... Yet the three of us foolishly whetted the enemy's sword!"
Li Hao chuckled. "Do not say such things! All things born of heaven and earth possess spirit! Humanity's intellect is higher simply because humanity has produced countless experts. If demon plants produced countless experts, if stones produced countless experts, if seals produced countless experts... each generation would surpass the last! Thus, the crux lies in the fact that your ancestors were not strong enough!"
"We don't have ancestors..."
Li Hao coughed. "I mean your race! Your species! Demon plants are a vast race, are they not?"
He comforted them for a while. These spirits truly weren't the sharpest!
Of course, not when compared to ordinary mortals, but compared to top experts. The stronger one was, the more potent one's mental power, so their intellect was never deficient; yet compared to peers of the same realm, these three were undeniably somewhat dull.
"Take the demon beast clan. Demon beasts originally lacked wisdom as well, but they produced many experts. Right now, I know a Li Fuhai, whose intellect I find to be exceedingly high..."
"The Silver Moon Sea-Calming Envoy?"
The Sword Tree knew of him and nodded. "Indeed, the Water Strength clan has always possessed great wisdom!"
Seeing this, Li Hao continued, "As long as your kind produces a few Sovereigns... once a Sovereign emerges, the entire race undergoes a transformation! When a man attains the Dao, even his pets ascend to heaven! That is the Dao... provided one attains it!"
After chatting for a bit, Li Hao smiled. "Therefore, all the more reason to attempt things you have never tried before! The first step is always the hardest; once begun, it becomes simple! When you no longer fear and gain confidence... no problem remains a problem! You are intimately familiar with the Sword Venerable's sword intent, so why fear making a mistake? The more you fear, the more prone you are to errors!"
Li Hao added, "Besides, I won't die. To tell you the truth... what stands here is merely an avatar of mine; my true body is elsewhere!"
"An avatar?"
"Yes. So even if I die, it doesn't matter!"
The Sword Tree and the others stirred slightly. Li Hao added, "Of course, if this body truly dies, I will suffer severe damage to my vitality, so do not grow too relaxed thinking death carries no cost. Just maintain a calm mindset... If I truly die, it is merely a minor loss; I will still be alive elsewhere, which isn't bad either, right?"
At this moment, the Sword Tree seemed to relax somewhat. "If it is merely an avatar... then we... can give it a try. Can you... truly revive?"
"Naturally!"
Li Hao nodded with a smile.
Inwardly, he thought: Avatar, my foot.
This physical body was indeed a construct, but the long river was housed inside it; otherwise, how could he scour the Lifeless Sword?
He had to soothe these fellows first.
As for whether they made a mistake... death was not something to be feared. Fortune was found in danger; knowing full well that continuing as he had would leave him powerless against those enemies, he had to blaze an unconventional path!
"Then... let us try!"
The Sword Tree sounded much more confident now. "This sword intent can also help us recover a little! Rest assured, we will do our utmost to avoid mistakes so your avatar won't be wiped out!"
Li Hao said, "Do your best to prevent that. Otherwise... I am already lagging behind; if this avatar is shattered, catching up will be even harder!"
"Understood, we know!"
"..."
Now it was Li Hao's turn to worry. By speaking like that, had he caused these spirits to relax too much?
Forget it, who cared!
As long as it didn't kill him, he would push himself to the absolute brink!
"Then I shall begin drawing in the Longevity sword intent. The sword intent here is rich; every three days, I can absorb enough to slay myself... Seniors, once every three days—can you handle that?"
"We can!"
"Then it's settled. Let us begin!"
Li Hao said no more and resumed drawing in the sword intent. Such sword intent could be used as a trump card to slay Heavenly Kings.
Yet external strength remained external strength after all!
He needed to dissect the Sword Venerable's dao, break down the Longevity sword intent, and transform it into his own. That was the only way to achieve a fundamental elevation.
...
From that day onward, every three days, Li Hao committed suicide once.
Committing suicide with the Longevity sword intent!
Within death, he sought enlightenment and opportunity.
Every death and every revival shaved away a portion of his lifespan, but Li Hao paid it no heed. If he failed, he had at most three years to live; after three years, the seal was bound to break!
He possessed an immense lifespan. If he succeeded and grew stronger, his lifespan would only expand further. Who cared about this minor loss?
...
Just as Li Hao began experiencing death,
On the Bright Star Continent, a full three months had passed since Li Hao's departure!
Summer had turned to autumn, and the season of falling leaves had arrived.
Three months had brought massive changes to the Bright Star Continent. Millions of supernaturals were continuously developing the entire continent, and with their enemies virtually wiped out, the Silver Moon world welcomed its most prosperous era.
Never before had there been an era where so many supernaturals and martial masters were active across every field.
Nearly a year had passed since Li Hao introduced literacy education. Such a span was sufficient to lift a vast population out of illiteracy. The absorption of knowledge caused the martial path to flourish ever more, bringing unprecedented prosperity to all trades and industries.
...
The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office.
The core of the realm.
The various magnates gathered once again.
As time passed, the numerous treasures Li Hao had acquired last time—various Blood God Seeds at the Saint, Heavenly King, and Immortal levels, along with ninety-nine Heavenly Fragrance Fruits of the Heavenly King tier...
These treasures had helped numerous experts step into higher realms.
Now, over three months, several more cultivators had attained the Dao Integration Realm. Zhao Shuguang and Qian Wuliang had both received Heavenly King-tier Blood God Seeds; a month after Li Hao's departure, the two had successively entered Dao Integration.
The one following shortly behind them was not a Silver Moon martial master, but Director Wang.
Wang Ye, the director from the Neo-Martial era and the first Neo-Martial cultivator to convert to the new dao, finally reaped his harvest. In this era, he broke through to the Dao Integration Realm, an existence comparable to a Saint.
For this, Director Wang had been so overjoyed that he ran off to spar several hundred rounds with a certain senior instructor, only to have his head shaved bald by a sword strike, hiding away for days before daring to show his face.
After Wang Ye, in the third month after Li Hao's departure—just a few days ago—the fourth Dao Integration expert emerged.
It had defied everyone's expectations; it was not Heaven Sword or Tyrant Saber, nor any of the veteran Silver Moon Thirty-Six Heroes whom people favored.
The fourth Dao Integration expert was Dao Jian, once hailed as the foremost genius, who had remained exceptionally low-key ever since.
Who was Dao Jian?
Back then, the Central Region had teemed with countless supernaturals. Dao Jian had been the greatest genius within the Night Patrol system, and simultaneously the greatest genius in the entire Heavenly Star realm!
Dao Jian was quiet and reserved. Alongside him were Big Eyes, Spear, and Battle Saber; the four had been the premier geniuses of the Central Region. Strictly speaking, Dao Jian was truly the first to advance from pure supernatural ability to the Divine Abilities realm.
He was not a martial master and possessed no martial arts foundation, advancing to Divine Abilities purely from supernatural origins.
Divine Abilities was what was now known as the Sea and Mountain realm.
Later, as Yao Si led the masses to join the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office, these geniuses had been overshadowed by Li Hao. Silver Moon martial masters swept across the realm, and among pure supernaturals, the only one who had truly thrived was... Qian Wuliang!
Qian Wuliang was also a pure supernatural!
However, when Li Hao distributed benefits, he had never forgotten these people. Even Hu Qingfeng, who knew only how to flatter and had nearly been slain in White Moon City back then, was now a seventh-tier Sun and Moon cultivator.
Yet Dao Jian had come from behind, surpassing figures like Heaven Sword to step into the Dao Integration Realm in a single leap!
He was the seventh Dao Integration expert born of the new era under Li Hao's banner, following Lin Hongyu, Earth-Overturning Sword, Black Panther, Zhao Shuguang, Qian Wuliang, and Wang Ye.
Inside the Governor-General's Office.
Upon the head seat,
Lin Hongyu silently observed Dao Jian. A gentleman as gentle as jade... perhaps that phrase was coined for someone like him. He was always so calm, so composed. Li Hao sometimes gave off a similar impression, but at times Li Hao radiated madness, and given his humble origins, he retained a touch of grassroots grit.
Dao Jian, on the other hand, truly possessed the scholarly elegance of a gentleman.
He had always been like this. Back when Big Eyes and the others couldn't stand Li Hao, Dao Jian alone had maintained his grace, never competing for limelight with him.
"If Minister Yao were still with us... seeing your achievements today, he would certainly be delighted!"
Lin Hongyu spoke in a measured tone: "While Minister Yao lived, even though I did not interact with him extensively, I could sense his care and concern for all of you! The Marquis once said that the young people willing to venture to the City of Supernaturals with him that day were all the future pillars of the realm!"
"Dao Jian, that you have stepped into Dao Integration... one must say, is both unexpected and entirely reasonable!"
Lin Hongyu offered praise, her eyes showing appreciation as she nodded slightly. "You have visited the Great Dao universe. Do you feel... it has brought you great gains?"
"Immense gains."
Dao Jian's voice was neither loud nor soft, measured to perfection. He said softly, "The crux lies with the Marquis. Cultivating the Dao without hoarding it—such broad-mindedness is rare under heaven! Had he not opened the Great Dao universe to let us enter and exit freely, I could never have attained Dao Integration at this time."
Lin Hongyu smiled. "That is true. In all of history, someone who opened a Great Dao universe like the Marquis... might be the only one! Even in the Neo-Martial era, the origin universe was never opened to outsiders. Those with ability entered on their own; for those without... who would deliberately forge a passage for you?"
She chuckled, then continued, "Since you have entered Dao Integration, your combat prowess is no weaker than ours! Dao Jian, now that you have integrated with the Dao, advancing further along the Great Dao is difficult. How about I assign you some tasks?"
"The Governor-General need only give the order!"
Lin Hongyu nodded. "It is like this: heaven's will is currently dormant and difficult to trace! Before the Marquis went into secluded cultivation, he mentioned that heaven's will favors talented youths... Your talent is exceptional, and your cultivation of the new dao has reached an extremely formidable stage. I want you to investigate where heaven's will lies hidden, or whom it currently favors. Ordinary people cannot accomplish this task; I hope you will give it a try. What do you think?"
Dao Jian pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I can do so; I have no objections. However, I consider myself somewhat talented. If heaven's will... seeks me out, how should I conduct myself?"
Lin Hongyu smiled. "Accept it! The Marquis does not fear heaven's will favoring someone on our side, so long as you do not conceal it. Even if your cultivation advances by leaps and bounds, there is no issue! As long as we are aware, we will have a way to deal with it! In the contest against heaven's will, the Marquis won once, and he will win a second time!"
"Then I have no objections."
Dao Jian agreed.
Lin Hongyu nodded. "In truth, assigning this to you carries the intent of having you lure heaven's will... Of course, heaven's will is omnipresent. This place is relatively safe, but once you step outside, there is no need to mention it again! In short, dormant heaven's will is a threat; if it is no longer dormant... it ceases to be one!"
Dao Jian nodded again, saying nothing more.
"Then that is settled... Dao Jian, you may take your leave first. In addition, I will provide you with a list of individuals who require key surveillance!"
"Understood."
Dao Jian said nothing further. He stood, bowed slightly, and drifted away.
Once he was gone, several people in the hall glanced at Lin Hongyu. Qian Wuliang's eyes flickered as he said, "Governor-General, Dao Jian has progressed so swiftly... Do you think...?"
Lin Hongyu smiled. "Dao Jian is upright and open; though his progress is rapid, it remains within reason! If he wished to hide it, we would hardly know he had attained Dao Integration. Breaking through openly right now—would that not deliberately invite our suspicion? There is no need for unfounded distrust!"
Hearing this, the others held their peace.
Lin Hongyu added, "The matter of utmost urgency is not heaven's will, but the fact that Ying Hongyue stubbornly refuses to die... though of course, he is difficult to kill! Furthermore, the Western Queen, now the Heavenly God, has reappeared in the west with the intent to gather faith once more. Her strength is immense; earlier, Martial Uncle Hong and I joined forces to battle her, yet we were not her match!"
"Naturally, she fears the Marquis and dares not act too brazenly... but we cannot grant her the chance to gather faith again. I intend to coordinate with the Neo-Martial Saints to drive her out... driving her into the territory of Dali. What do you all think?"
"..."
Everyone was speechless. Dali again—weren't they afraid that the ruler of Dali would fly into a rage?
Yet since she had already framed it that way, nobody raised objections.
Seeing this, Lin Hongyu smiled. "Then we shall negotiate with the senior Neo-Martial experts..."
After laying out these arrangements, she concluded, "Those who have attained Dao Integration, stay behind. The rest... attend to your own duties!"
Soon, the others filed out.
Once everyone else had departed and only the Dao Integration cultivators remained, Lin Hongyu spoke: "While the Marquis remains in seclusion, all affairs under heaven rest in our hands. That you could all attain Dao Integration is because the Marquis poured out his heart and blood to secure countless benefits for you..."
"We cannot rely on the Marquis for every matter, great or small. We... now possess a degree of strength; it is time we did something."
Everyone looked at her. Do what?
Hurricane City made no moves, the Sovereign remained dormant, and Li Daoheng had not shown himself. Aside from a half-crippled Ying Hongyue, Dali, and a troublemaking Queen, there seemed to be nothing else warranting their intervention.
"The Marquis said Li Daoheng is difficult to deal with, and Zheng Yu is just as troublesome... He also said he hopes we can keep pace with him and not fall behind, but we cannot constantly rely on the Marquis to carry us. That would turn us into burdens, and none of us want that!"
Lin Hongyu chuckled softly. "I want to... hunt down Ying Hongyue! A true hunt. He is hard to kill, but there is still hope of finishing him... Even if we cannot kill him, I want to seize the Red Moon power within him—the more, the better. I want to summon the Great Dao lightning—the more, the better! Only in this way can we hope to advance continuously!"
"The Marquis did not mention this because he worried we could not match him... but are you all truly content to let him roam free?"
The others exchanged glances. After a long pause, Hong Yitang spoke up: "I have no objection, but..."
Lin Hongyu smiled. "He won't truly die... The Red Moon Sovereign won't let him die, Zheng Yu won't, and Li Daoheng won't... But we must hunt him with the genuine intent to slay him! Perhaps we can draw out some unforeseen backup plans!"
No one spoke further; they all nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Lin Hongyu said, "Then it is decided. The Red Moon power within him will become the best resource for our breakthroughs!"
"Return and make preparations... This time, we must hold the resolve to kill him and settle him once and for all!"
Everyone nodded and took their leave.
Just as Qian Wuliang was about to depart, Lin Hongyu sent a voice transmission: "You have another task: monitor Dao Jian for me. His progress has been too swift—though of course, if there is truly a problem, you likely won't spot it anyway! Furthermore... the Marquis is benevolent and upright; there are matters inconvenient for him to handle, so we must act on his behalf! For this hunt against Ying Hongyue, you need not participate. Monitoring Dao Jian is the first duty; second, coordinate with the Neo-Martial Saints to drive the Queen into Dali! Third, order the Water Cloud Army and the Great Desolation Army to garrison near Mount Cang, prepared for war at any moment! Fourth, while the Marquis is away, swiftly integrate the elite armies of the ancient cities into our military system... You will deliver the word; as I represent the Marquis, it is inconvenient for me to speak!"
Qian Wuliang was exasperated. Was it convenient for him to speak, then?
Truly... she didn't treat people like human beings!
Acting like this would offend Neo-Martial, Dali, Dao Jian, Water Cloud, the Great Desolation...
She really had no fear of him getting killed!
"Once the matter succeeds... your benefits will not be lacking! By the way..."
Qian Wuliang's teeth ached!
Don't say 'by the way'—there was more?
"When you have free time, make several trips to the Yuanping Martial Arts Academy... what is now Galaxy City. Bring Jiang Yingli and the others, and say you are visiting teachers and classmates... Find a way to win over the students of Yuanping Martial Arts University, as well as the other Saints... Do not play petty tricks; in short, I hope these individuals, before the Marquis returns, will become Saints who heed the commands of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office!"
"This..."
Qian Wuliang felt his head swelling. "What about Section Chief Zhang...?"
"He doesn't care about such things; rest assured!"
Easy for you to say!
Qian Wuliang felt more and more that although he could see through the human heart, this woman... had a black heart. How could one see through someone who had no heart to begin with?
Li Hao was fairly magnanimous and rarely meddled in such details.
This woman, on the other hand... wished that everyone under heaven answered only to Li Hao.
"Understood, I will do it. But after all, I am only one person..."
"Do your best!"
Very well. Qian Wuliang had no way to refuse and could only brace himself to accept. He felt that sooner or later, he would be ground to dust by this pair. This Lin Hongyu... was even darker than Li Hao!
Soon, Qian Wuliang departed as well.
Lin Hongyu's brow furrowed slightly.
Did Dao Jian truly have an issue?
Yet... acting so openly, could it be the darkness beneath the lamp?
The more open one was, the less likely one was to draw suspicion?
She could only suppress these thoughts for now and have Qian Wuliang keep an eye on him. Naturally, Qian Wuliang had to be watched closely as well; Li Hao might not care, but she had to. Who knew if these individuals were pawns planted by the enemy?
Rubbing her temples, she looked up toward the sky, gazing north. When... would Li Hao return?
Three months had passed, and the world had changed tremendously.
She felt somewhat out of her depth, constantly sensing that in Li Hao's absence, enemy eyes were lurking everywhere.
Chapter 392