Placing a Piece

Sword City. Li Hao had been obliterated once more. This time, he did not revive for a very long time. Even as the sword intent was siphoned away, he showed no sign of recovery. The Sword Tree shuddered uncontrollably. At that moment, the three mighty beings had recovered considerably from absorbing the sword intent, yet they were gripped by boundless terror. Even though Li Hao had claimed this was merely an avatar... If the avatar perished, wouldn’t Li Hao be weakened? Besides, was this truly just an avatar? Their intellect was relatively simple, but every three days brought another death. With every death, a great river would manifest and reverse time to bring him back. Could such a Li Hao truly be a mere avatar? If even an avatar possessed such extraordinary ability, wouldn't his true body be truly immortal and indestructible? Why hadn’t he returned after so long this time? The three Saints were on pins and needles. None of them spoke a word. The tension thickened to an unbearable pitch. Was Li Hao... dead? Just as their anxiety peaked, the Sword Tree suddenly trembled with excitement—never before had it felt such profound relief. Like the gentle murmur of flowing water! The rushing sound of water seemed to echo through the void as a river of chaos emerged from the empty expanse. A figure materialized—both frail and towering, an embodiment of profound complexity and contradiction. As the river surged past, Li Hao's form coalesced. His voice was calm yet faint. "How long has passed?" "A very long time..." Overwhelmed with excitement, the Sword Tree watched Li Hao take shape. Li Hao asked softly, "I mean, the exact time." "Thirty seconds!" Li Hao nodded slightly and murmured, "Thirty seconds—that is my absolute limit! Any longer and I might have been completely wiped from existence. Reversing the Dao body can stretch no further than this!" Back when the Sovereign had crushed him with a palm strike until Sword City fled, it had seemed like a protracted ordeal, but in truth barely ten seconds had elapsed from start to finish. That had been his longest stretch until now. Today, Li Hao had pushed himself once more, testing his utmost limit. He had reversed time and returned after thirty seconds. Yet those thirty seconds had cost him as much as ten thousand years of lifespan! The longer he stayed dead, the greater the price. The Sword Tree asked anxiously, "Why did it take you so long to return this time?" Its frantic demeanor resembled that of a wife awaiting her husband's return... though Li Hao naturally harbored no such thoughts toward a tree, nor did the Sword Tree intend it that way. It was more like a loyal pet waiting for its master. Li Hao smiled faintly. "I wanted to test just how long I could endure before being forced to return... Thirty seconds is already beyond my expectations." In a clash between peak experts, circumstances shifted in the blink of an eye! Feigning death for thirty seconds could alter the outcome of many things. Of course, that presumed the enemy had not thoroughly eradicated every trace of his existence; otherwise, he truly would be dead. Faking death was hardly foolproof. The Sword Tree set the matter aside and asked eagerly, "Did you gain any insights this time?" This was Li Hao's thirty-first death. From dying once every three days at the beginning, he had progressed to where it took only about two days to gather enough sword intent to kill himself and trigger a full, unbridled eruption of the intent. He had to die! Merely inflicting severe wounds without ending his life failed to produce the necessary effect. After thirty-one deaths, had Li Hao gained anything at all? The Sword Tree and the others had no idea. All they knew was that Li Hao seemed far older and more weathered than before. They vaguely understood that this process consumed his lifespan; over thirty-one deaths, Li Hao had likely burned through tens of thousands of years. Even the mightiest beings would eventually die of old age. Even the universe itself faced eventual destruction. It might seem trivial now, but when the day of his demise drew near, squandering so much lifespan today would surely look like utter foolishness. Li Hao gave a slight nod. "I gained a few insights. The Longevity sword intent is truly peerless!" He marveled, "In it, I can see traces of everything I have learned! The Shadowless Sword, the Jade Light Sword, the Willow Wood Sword... Traces of every sword intent I know can be found within it! An unmatched genius! The Sword Venerable's vast learning defies imagination. He truly wove myriad Daos into a single blade... By self-weaving and combining myriad Daos, the Sword Venerable's sword truly stands supreme beneath the heavens!" The Sword Tree felt helpless. We know that already. We don't need you to tell us that! Just tell us what you actually comprehended! Has your strength improved or not? That's what we want to know! We know better than you how formidable the Sword Venerable was. What a headache! Li Hao chuckled. "I did gain some insights. Not strictly in raw power, but in vision and in my understanding of the Dao—not just simple realm progression. Do you understand?" "No!" The Sword Tree replied gloomily, "We just want to know if your strength has grown! Have you... reached the Heavenly King level?" "Not yet." "..." All three were on the verge of collapse. You've died thirty-one times, and you haven't made any progress at all? You were already a top-tier Saint to begin with! Li Hao continued, "As a cultivator of the new Dao, reaching the Heavenly King Realm requires opening at least 144 Dao meridians and forming four cycles. Right now, I have only opened 122 meridians—still a full twenty-two shy of 144. Even after opening those twenty-two, I must complete another cycle. So I am still a fair distance from the Heavenly King Realm..." "..." The three fell utterly dejected. Li Hao smiled. "Cultivation realm isn't everything. Once the path is smoothed out, the future will be effortless! You can cover a thousand li in a single day. Right now is the phase of laying the foundation. Through my understanding of sword intent, I have already mapped out 188 distinct sword intents within the Longevity sword intent... Though I haven't fully mastered them yet, this is true progress." The Sword Tree didn't care to hear any of that and asked bluntly, "Can you kill a mid-stage Heavenly King now?" "I don't know," Li Hao smiled. "The truth is revealed only on the battlefield. Paper theories are useless!" Pausing, he added softly, "Cultivation comes in two forms. What I cultivate now is essentially the tangible Dao, which refers to the Dao meridians! Sword intent... belongs to the intangible Dao!" Regardless of whether they grasped his meaning, Li Hao muttered to himself, "The tangible and the intangible intertwine... yin and yang harmonize! Sword intent and all forms of conceptual intent are intangible Daos! Perhaps I need to open a separate space to house these intangible Daos... without entering the Illusory Dao universe, storing them temporarily within my body. Once the Illusory Dao universe opens, I can unleash ten thousand sword intents directly into it... and decide life and death!" "That Li Daoheng must be cultivating the tangible Dao. Perhaps... he has never entered the Real Dao universe either. He might be waiting for the day when he can gather ten thousand stars in a single day and shatter my starry river..." His words were intricate, and none of the three understood. Li Hao didn't mind. In truth, it was simple: sword intent was an intangible Dao, a Dao of the spirit. It was just that right now, he dared not enter the Illusory Dao universe to condense stars using sword intent. Similarly, the Dao meridians in the body belonged to the tangible Dao. Li Daoheng had likely condensed many tangible Dao meridians, yet dared not enter the Real Dao universe either. Both harbored their own schemes, waiting until they could strike a decisive blow and condense ten thousand stars in a single day! "In the past, the brain region could house the Neo-Martial Gates of the Triple Burner; the brain region is the most intricate of all... Opening the brain region to create a sea within it to contain sword intent would serve as a temporary dwelling place. Without an Illusory Dao universe, I can construct a temporary one... modeled after the Real Dao universe..." The Sword Tree felt its head spinning. "Li Hao, what in the world are you trying to say?" We can't make heads or tails of what you're rambling about! You're just a Saint—why must you put on the airs of a Sovereign? Seeing their confusion, Li Hao smiled and explained, "What I mean is, I cannot enter that other universe right now—the spiritual universe! So, I want to construct a false universe inside my own head! It will serve as temporary storage for all kinds of sword intent... to prevent them from conflicting with the Dao meridians in my body!" "To put it even more simply, I want to open a spiritual universe to house ten thousand swords, to house my Bright Moon Sword! The Dao meridians will temper my body, and the Dao swords will temper my spirit. When the day comes that both Daos merge, I will soar to the heavens in a single step!" Dao swords... Li Hao paused briefly, not thinking much of it, though the name brought the Human Dao Sword to mind. The 'Dao swords' he spoke of, however, referred to the sword intents of the Great Dao. After offering this brief explanation, he frowned slightly. "Of course, it's easier said than done! How does one open a spiritual universe? What a complicated puzzle... Sigh!" The stone spoke grumpily, "Li Hao, just tell us straight: if you do this, will you become stronger?" "Naturally!" "Oh, then that's fine!" The stone signaled its approval. If it wouldn't make him stronger, why bother fussing over it? Having learned a bit about the new Dao over this period, the Sword Tree couldn't help but ask, "Your comprehension of the tangible Dao is profound. Why not concentrate solely on opening Dao meridians? If you didn't scatter your focus, you might have already reached the fourth tier of Dao Integration and become a Heavenly King!" You practice this one moment and that the next—what are you playing at? Li Hao smiled. "Not so! It isn't a lack of focus. Purely opening meridians might be fast, but knowing what to do without knowing why yields little benefit. Rushing the process does no good. Moreover... if I open too many meridians, the Great Dao universe will become increasingly stable, and heaven and earth will stabilize along with it! If I step into the Heavenly King Realm... let alone half-step Sovereigns, even late-stage and peak Heavenly King cultivators might be able to emerge. That would be troublesome!" "Whereas right now, by cultivating both the tangible and the intangible, merging them in a single day could bring instantaneous transformation. I might even have a chance of ascending to the half-step Sovereign Realm in a single day... When enemies emerge then, I will surely be able to slay them!" He chatted a bit more with the three. This place was reasonably safe. Furthermore, these three were exceedingly pure. They had experienced little and harbored few desires—simple, pure cultivators, or rather, pure mascots. The Sword Venerable's relationship with them had not been like Li Hao's relationship with the Black Panther, but rather like Li Hao's relationship with household decorations he barely paid attention to. The Sword Venerable had never expected them to become mighty powerhouses. Nor had he bothered instilling specific ideals into them; all three were blank slates. Thus, Li Hao had no fear of oversharing with them. Sure enough, the Sword Tree quickly lost interest in those topics and asked hurriedly, "Several months have passed now. Do you plan to continue dying?" "No... Endlessly dying serves no purpose anymore. Besides, I've comprehended many sword intents, but I have no way to condense them. Or rather, I lack a spiritual universe to store them all... I have to resolve this issue. Otherwise, my only choice is to take the risk of entering the Illusory Dao universe!" Condensing major stars served to solidify one's realm. One could choose not to condense Great Dao stars, but doing so made it difficult to attain boundless power and led to stagnation. Since he dared not enter the Illusory Dao universe right now... he would forge a counterfeit one for temporary use! "Intangible Dao, spiritual Dao, Dao of force, Dao of intent!" "Differentiating them one by one is too arduous... It would be better to create an ocean! The sea embraces a hundred rivers; an ocean can encompass all, just like the starry river of myriad Daos... chaotic at first, then distinct..." Li Hao sat down cross-legged, muttering to himself. Like curious children, the three Saints sat down beside him as well. The stone transformed into a burly, honest-looking man. The seal took the form of a dignified middle-aged man with a square jaw. The Sword Tree retained its alluring, voluptuous appearance. Having recovered considerably over this period, the three Saints were far more solid than before, their physical forms much clearer. All three listened in silence, watching Li Hao with curiosity. Li Hao continued, "The people of Neo-Martial had the Gates of the Triple Burner, which accommodated immense power and served as a passage leading straight to the Origin universe... nestled between the Origin universe and reality, acting like the world barrier of the Origin universe, correct?" The three exchanged glances and shook their heads. No idea! We were only responsible for cultivating, not conducting in-depth research. We cultivated the way everyone else cultivated. "Therefore, I must now construct a domain of the sea—a spiritual ocean anchored between myself and the barrier of the Illusory Dao universe. That way, I can assail the Illusory Dao universe at any time, while borrowing the grandeur of the Great Dao universe to stabilize my spiritual ocean!" Li Hao murmured, "The only trouble is... my understanding of the Illusory Dao universe remains insufficient, making it difficult to anchor to the barrier—unless Li Daoheng tears open the Illusory Dao universe before my eyes once more, allowing me another look and further observation..." The Sword Tree gasped. "You aren't planning to draw him out, are you? He's terrifyingly powerful! You'll die!" Stop fooling around! Li Hao smiled. "What harm is there in trying? Though... it is indeed dangerous!" "Still, if I succeed, I should be able to create it and forge my Hundred Dao Sword! Once that sword emerges, though I dare not claim to rival a half-step Sovereign, I, Li Hao, would dare to battle anyone at the Heavenly King level!" "..." The three felt immense headaches. Why must you be so extraordinary? Wouldn't it be better if you just cultivated step by step like everyone else? "How do I lure that fellow out?" Li Hao pondered before suddenly chuckling. "I have an idea! If I go damage the Bagua seal, he will definitely emerge to stop me! He will have to show himself... Otherwise, if I release the Sovereign, he will fly into a rage! Right now, his only way here is by tearing open the Illusory Dao universe... Of course, when he arrives, he will certainly try to strike me down... But he won't dare linger. If he stays too long and the Sovereign locks onto the coordinates of his Illusory Dao universe, he will be in serious trouble!" "You're going to attack the Sovereign?" The three stared blankly. Again? Li Hao shook his head. "Not attack the Sovereign—release him! Break the seal! Fight Li Daoheng! Li Daoheng will inevitably come to stop me, and I need this chance to deepen my understanding of the Illusory Dao universe!" "That Red Moon Sovereign is the fulcrum of my contest against him... To put it plainly, that Sovereign is a chess piece for both of us... Arrogant as that sounds, it is the simple truth!" Li Hao smiled brilliantly. Using the mighty as chess pieces made the game truly entertaining. Using weakness to manipulate strength! A strong man playing chess with the weak... how dull. To use weakness against strength, dancing on the razor's edge of life and death—that was the true spirit of a wanderer of the martial world! "Let's go. We'll head over and take a look... Even if he kills me, as long as my power of time isn't obliterated, it won't matter. With my thirty-second limit, I will definitely survive! He won't dare linger for thirty seconds... That's plenty of time for the Sovereign to pinpoint him!" The Sword Tree said apprehensively, "Then... what if it is obliterated?" Wouldn't you be dead for real? Li Hao laughed. "Don't worry, that won't be so easy for him... Unless his sword intent can match that of the Sword Venerable, he'll have to wait until his true body emerges if he wants to thoroughly slay me!" The three were filled with anxiety, yet they had no choice in the matter! ... The Sovereign's sealing grounds. The Red Moon Sovereign frowned with displeasure as Sword City... came flying over once more. The Red Moon Sovereign's voice resonated through the cosmos, laced with chill. "Li Hao, you are still alive?" In the distance, Li Hao materialized and gave a slight nod. "My thanks to the Sovereign for helping me eradicate Li Daoheng's Lifeless Sword! My visit today has another purpose: to lure Li Daoheng out so that you may help me strike him down. What do you say?" The Red Moon Sovereign replied with chilling indifference, "You wish to use me to kill him?" "No, it is mutual benefit. Let me ask the Sovereign: between myself, Zheng Yu, and Li Daoheng, who do you fear the most right now?" The Red Moon Sovereign remained silent. Li Hao continued, "I am the weakest. Though I control the Great Dao universe, in truth, I hold only a portion of it. As you witnessed earlier, Li Daoheng is the one who truly commands the core! Li Daoheng wants to kill me to seize my portion... and I want to kill him to seize his!" "Red Moon Sovereign, though you are mighty, you are currently bound. He and I face far fewer constraints!" The Red Moon Sovereign stared coldly at Li Hao. Unperturbed, Li Hao said, "My plan is to damage the seal to lure him in; he will surely come to kill me! If he doesn't, I will wager everything to break the seal and release you! If he truly stays away, you stand only to gain..." "You cannot break the seal!" The Red Moon Sovereign spoke with utter composure. "Do you truly believe you can break this seal? It was laid by a top-tier Sovereign, not the Sword Venerable. Your Starry Sky Sword... even Sword City can only suppress it slightly, not truly destroy it!" Li Hao nodded. The next moment, two massive characters hovered above his head, radiating a distinct wave of power. Battle Heaven! Boom! The Bagua formation shuddered faintly, causing the Red Moon Sovereign's expression to shift slightly. Li Hao said softly, "This formation was laid by the Blood Sovereign! The two characters above my head come from Battle Heaven City and were penned by the Blood Sovereign himself. With these two words as the core, I can certainly shake the seal! With your immense power combined with the tremors in the seal, you will surely be able to breach part of it!" A flicker passed through the Red Moon Sovereign's gaze. "You have immense nerve!" Truly immense! Li Hao remained composed. "It isn't courage. If I were certain I could kill you or Li Daoheng, why would I take such risks? Risk-takers are nothing more than desperate gamblers who have lost their heads! If I possessed boundless wealth, why gamble? Once a man's eyes turn bloodshot from loss, does he care about losing a bit more?" The Red Moon Sovereign laughed. Intriguing! He realized that this person's arrival wasn't entirely bad for him. In fact, the seal had loosened considerably of late compared to before. Every time Li Hao clashed with others... he was practically helping him. Even dealing with Ying Hongyue, though it cost him considerable Red Moon power, granted him tighter control over Ying Hongyue in return. Now, to deal with Li Daoheng, this fellow was voluntarily helping him break the seal! Truly... a band of reckless fools who did not know death when it stared them in the face! The Red Moon Sovereign chuckled softly. "If you have no fear, do as you please! If Li Daoheng truly comes to intervene, as you said, since you are aiding my escape, I will naturally deal with him to keep you alive! If you die, wouldn't that delay my escape? Of course, for safety's sake... I suggest you enter the seal to damage it rather than striking from the perimeter. If he appears outside, it will be difficult for me to project power through the seal, and if you are slain... I will not be able to protect you!" Enter the seal to break it! At those words, the faces of the three Saints drained of color. Absolutely not! That was carrying a lantern into a latrine—looking for death! Li Hao smiled. "The Sovereign must be joking. Your majesty is overwhelming; how would I dare intrude upon it? The perimeter will do. If Li Daoheng truly appears, try to seep out even a sliver of power. Given your might, a mere fraction would be enough to give him a nasty headache!" The Red Moon Sovereign pressed no further. It was natural for Li Hao to refuse; had he agreed to enter... that would have been truly bizarre, an act of sheer madness. Taking a deep breath, Li Hao suddenly transformed into a ten-thousand-zhang titan, looming vast within the cosmos. He seized Sword City; the colossal Starry Sky Sword in his grasp dwarfed even his ten-thousand-zhang form. Li Hao grinned. "Sovereign, I will assault the seal with the genuine Starry Sky Sword infused with the characters for Battle Heaven! When Li Daoheng appears, you need do nothing more than lock onto the cosmic coordinates of his arrival... He won't dare linger... And I, Li Hao, wish to test just what a half-step Sovereign's might feels like!" "What bold spirit!" The Sovereign's expression shifted slightly. What boldness indeed! If this Li Hao managed to survive prolonged battle, he would surely become a formidable figure. A mere Saint, daring to fight a half-step Sovereign. Of course, more crucially, this man had previously dared to provoke even him, had been crushed by his palm, and had still revived. The Sovereign scrutinized Li Hao, faintly sensing a peculiar power. Perhaps... that unique power was Li Hao's true reliance. What kind of power was that? Rising from the dead! To be slain by a Sovereign and yet return to life was no simple feat. As if discerning his thoughts, Li Hao made no effort to conceal it, smiling. "Does the Sovereign wonder how I can revive from death? It isn't true resurrection. Rather... I have bound my life to the Great Dao, weaving a river of chaos from myriad Daos with the star of life as its core. As long as the Great Dao endures, I do not die. With the stars of life and death as my Dao heart, that is how I return from death!" Life and death? A river of chaos? The Sovereign's mind stirred. "Li Hao, why reveal this to me?" Li Hao laughed. "You are a towering Sovereign. Would concealment serve any purpose? In that case... it is better to be open and candid, sparing you unnecessary suspicion. Besides... the Great Dao universe is under my control. If you wish to kill me, you must first lock onto its location. As long as I keep it closed... how can you locate it?" The Sovereign smiled without a word. You mortals always love to underestimate a Sovereign. Li Hao said no more. Brandishing the towering sword that stretched to the heavens, he looked up into the starry sky and laughed. "Then I shall begin. I truly hope... Li Daoheng dares to fight me!" With those words, the great sword erupted, surging with boundless sword intent as it slashed toward one corner of the Bagua! Boom! A deafening roar echoed through the cosmos! In an instant, the Bagua formation shook violently. The corner struck by Li Hao corresponded precisely to the Hong family. Suddenly, a muffled groan rang out, followed by a cry of agony—the voice of Ying Hongyue. At that corner of the Bagua, a phantom representing the ancestor of the Hong family had stood; now, it warped into Ying Hongyue's likeness, materializing instantly to behold the heaven-shaking sword! The next moment, he caught sight of the ten-thousand-zhang giant, Li Hao. Gripped by disbelief, fury, collapse, and despair, he roared, "Li Hao, you are breaking the seal?!" Mad! Utterly mad! He was releasing the Sovereign! Wasn't this sheer insanity? Li Hao's voice boomed like thunder. "Anyone who refuses to let me live in peace shall have no peace himself! Ying Hongyue, pray that you survive, for I will make your life worse than a dog's!" Boom! The great sword cleaved down! ... At that moment, in the Silver Moon world. Silver City. The seal in the sky, previously invisible, suddenly materialized. Hurricane City emerged at once, and not only that—Galaxy City appeared as well. The fleeing Queen also became visible... One powerhouse after another looked toward the heavens. A colossal sword was furiously bombarding one corner of that Bagua array, while a ten-thousand-zhang giant seemed suspended in the sky. At that instant, Zheng Yu manifested abruptly above Hurricane City, gazing upward and murmuring, "You have a wife, and the martial uncle who supported you all along is still alive... Must you still seek death?" I thought you wouldn't court death anymore! Now it seems you truly have gone mad! Galaxy City. Zhang An wore a grim, heavy expression. Li Hao... had ventured inside the seal. That alone was nothing, but he was actively damaging the seal, tearing at the formation left behind by the Blood Sovereign to release the Sovereign! This was no mere probe; this was genuine destruction! If Li Hao shattered that corner... disaster would ensue! He snapped his head toward Zheng Yu in the distance, his voice grave. "Zheng Yu, you must stop him! Had your Zheng family not slain his master, he would never have done this!" Zheng Yu smiled bitterly. How does this get blamed on my Zheng family? Truly... there is no reasoning with people. He killed my second brother and my father, yet I haven't shown half the fury or madness he has! A mere master, not even your biological father! Where is the sense in that? Besides, you were the one who launched an assault on Boundless City in the first place. "How am I supposed to stop him? He is inside the seal, not outside. From the outside, one might attempt something..." Zhang An barked, "Pilot Hurricane City into the seal!" "..." Get lost! Zheng Yu couldn't even be bothered to reply. Have you lost your mind, or have I? Drive Hurricane City into the seal, only to be... hunted down by the Sovereign? "You have entered the half-step Sovereign Realm—do you lack the courage to battle even a sealed Sovereign?" "..." Who are you trying to provoke? Zheng Yu ignored him, watching silently as he thought to himself, Why should I stop him? Someone will naturally find a way to intervene! If truly no one steps forward and the seal is cleaved apart... then... Li Daoheng will show himself as well, won't he? Right at that moment, in the distance, a man screamed in sheer agony and madness. All his former elegance and poise had vanished! Clutching his head and coughing blood relentlessly, Ying Hongyue howled, "Li Hao!" His scream was shrill and agonized! The power of eight meridians flared across his body, interwoven with the surging power of the Red Moon. Nearby, the Flying Sword Immortal materialized once more, grabbing Ying Hongyue in an instant and fleeing with him! Behind them, Lin Hongyu and her company were in hot pursuit, their expressions shifting slightly. The Flying Sword Immortal called out coldly, "Stop pursuing! Li Hao is destroying the array sealing the Sovereign! Under attack from both inside and outside, the seal will surely break—is that the outcome you desire?" She looked toward Hurricane City and shouted fiercely, "Is no one truly going to stop them? If Lin Hongyu and the others kill us... will your days be any better? These people have been led astray by Li Hao; they have all gone mad!" No one moved to intervene. Or rather, no one had the means to do so. Seeing this, the Flying Sword Immortal had no choice but to flee toward the Queen. The Queen's expression darkened, and she cursed under her breath! Why run toward me? Though her strength had grown tremendously of late, a swarm of Neo-Martial Saints had been relentlessly chasing her, making her own life difficult enough. Now, seeing Li Hao inside the seal hacking away at it... she too was terrified. Seeing the pair rushing toward her, she bolted without a second thought! A bright moon hung in the sky as the Queen's voice carried across the distance: "Lin Hongyu, do not push things too far! This queen does not fear you! I wield the might of a Heavenly King now—if we truly clash, you will gain no advantage!" Behind them, Saint after Saint manifested, saying nothing, merely awaiting their next order. Lin Hongyu looked up toward the sky at the faintly visible titan cleaving the seal with his sword, and let out a light laugh. "My husband would not break the seal without absolute confidence! Let us lend him a hand: slay Ying Hongyue, strike from both inside and outside, and shatter the seal! Comrades... follow me and weed them out by the roots!" With those words, the Saints tore through the sky! Boom! Battle erupted once more, shattering heaven and earth. Gripped in the Flying Sword Immortal's grasp, Ying Hongyue's aura grew chaotic, his eyes burning with hatred and despair! Li Hao! Are you all... truly casting everything to the wind? At this moment, profound despair welled in the depths of his heart. Li Hao... is this the outcome you wanted? To leave me fleeing like a stray dog with nowhere to hide! "Li Hao!" Ying Hongyue roared shrilly, "Even if you kill me, what of it?" "Do you truly think... that killing me avenges your grievances?" He howled toward the sky as if railing against the cruelty of fate! To achieve success, he had sacrificed far too much. More than Li Hao could ever begin to imagine! Yet now... it seemed everything was coming to naught. Behind him, Lin Hongyu cleaved the void with a blade strike, her voice crisp and cold. "A wily hare has three burrows—no need for theatrics, Ying Hongyue! The Flying Sword Immortal remains her own person to this day; you have yet to reveal all your cards... Do you truly think we would believe you? Play the victim or weep all you want. My husband once said that until either you or the Flying Sword Immortal dies, or the two of you merge into one, you will never be at your wit's end! Do you truly fancy yourself the cleverest person under heaven?" A blow aimed straight at the heart! Lin Hongyu gave a soft laugh. "You merged eight meridians into one. Right now, my husband has breached only a single meridian gate, and look how wretched you appear... Yet the Flying Sword Immortal shows no reaction whatsoever. I am curious: which corner does the Flying Sword Immortal correspond to? Why don't you enlighten us?" As her words fell, several Saints charged forward in unison! Ying Hongyue's expression twisted. Turning back toward the pursuers, his gaze turned increasingly frigid. Glancing up at the sky once more, he gritted his teeth and grabbed the Flying Sword Immortal to flee—this time, it was he who carried her! As expected! Without sparing another glance at the seal above, Lin Hongyu shouted sharply, "Keep up the pursuit! Even in death, Ying Hongyue will not let the seal break; that Flying Sword Immortal is certainly his crucial reliance! Zheng Yu understands this all too well—it is highly likely that the Flying Sword Immortal represents the Zheng family's corner..." In the distance, Zheng Yu glanced over, chuckled softly, and murmured, "Truly... they love pinning everything on my head!" Boom! At that moment, the seal shook violently with a crisp, echoing crack, as though it were about to shatter completely! Hurricane City and Galaxy City trembled intensely. Zheng Yu remained indifferent, merely watching. Zhang An's expression grew heavier, while others trembled with dread. Was the Sovereign about to emerge? What could they possibly do then? ... Inside the seal. Li Hao remained silent, delivering strike after strike. The seal vibrated violently, and the phantom corresponding to the Hong family trembled intensely, on the verge of shattering at any moment. The other phantoms had initially moved to intervene, but as the characters for "Battle Heaven" blazed atop the blade, they seemed momentarily paralyzed by indecision. After all, this was merely a formation, not living beings. Not far away, beneath the Star Gate, a glint flashed in the Sovereign's eyes as a faint trace of Red Moon power began seeping in all directions. A ripple of anticipation stirred within his heart. No one was stopping him! Today... he might truly break free of the seal. Who could have thought! Not one person among Li Daoheng and Zheng Yu had moved to intervene, while Li Hao was genuinely trying to shatter the seal. Crack... A faint fissure surfaced on the Bagua array. Earlier, the Sovereign had hoped Li Daoheng would show himself so he could strike him a devastating blow, but now, he desperately wished the man would stay away. Fight among yourselves! Don't come out! If you appear, Li Hao has surely laid a trap specifically to snare you. Don't come out! Just give me a little more time, and I will definitely break the seal! Above, the Star Gate shimmered with starlight as if sensing something, frantically pouring forth astral power in a desperate attempt to suppress the Sovereign! Yet... as the seal loosened, its efforts appeared increasingly feeble. Li Hao pressed on! Boom! The phantom belonging to the Hong family was shattered directly by this sword strike! Even as a Sovereign, the Red Moon Sovereign's heart leaped into his throat! Almost there... Crack! The void fractured. At that very instant, the void tore open, and a figure emerged. Carrying a long sword across his back, his face cold and aloof, he looked toward Li Hao and thrust his sword forward without a single word, enveloped in grim silence! The sword-bearing man stepped forth! His long sword slashed straight toward Li Hao! Li Hao burst into laughter. "I thought you might actually have the nerve! You don't! Li Daoheng, you disappoint me!" Boom! Wielding the colossal Starry Sky Sword, Li Hao slashed toward the heavens and roared, "Red Moon Sovereign, why haven't you struck yet?" In the distance, the Red Moon Sovereign cursed inwardly! He had come! Damned bastard! Without a word, the Sovereign hurled a fist into the void. The sword-bearing man turned to parry with a slash, then swung his sword again to collide with Li Hao's Starry Sky Sword! Boom! Boundless killing intent engulfed Li Hao. The immense shockwave pulverized Li Hao's arms in an instant, the destruction rippling outward along his body! The sword-bearing man's voice was frigid. "Li Hao, haven't you made enough of a scene? If you've had your fill, end this farce! This person cannot be released right now. Wait a while longer, and there will be no need for you to free him—among our number, someone will naturally slay him! Stop constantly using this piece of trash to put on a show of mutual destruction!" At those words, the Red Moon Sovereign's expression shifted drastically! He felt utter humiliation! Evidently, both Li Daoheng and Li Hao treated him as nothing more than a tool! A fist blasted forth! The strike even extended beyond the boundary of the seal; beneath its fury, heaven and earth seemed to overturn and the cosmos crumbled! The sword-bearing man turned and slashed, sundering heaven and earth! The firmament cracked open, and countless stars plummeted! The long sword clashed against the colossal fist. Boom! A tremendous roar reverberated as the fist shattered and the sword snapped. Coughing blood, the sword-bearing man retained his cold demeanor as another sword materialized in his grip, thrusting forward in a thunderous blow! This strike pierced straight through heaven and earth! In an instant, it pinned the ten-thousand-zhang giant that was Li Hao directly into the void. The sword erupted with peerless slaughter qi, and with an earth-shattering boom, the giant was blown to pieces! The sword-bearing man glanced at the spot where Li Hao had exploded, frowning slightly. He too seemed to sense a peculiar power. Another long sword formed in his hand as another colossal fist materialized behind him. His expression tightened slightly, and he turned to unleash another sword strike! Boom! Unmatched power collided once more, sweeping across all directions. The sword shattered, and the colossal fist dissipated. He glanced up at the torn void, his brow furrowing. He could not linger! If he remained here too long and the Sovereign locked onto his position, the seal would become entirely useless. Looking toward the spot where Li Hao had exploded, he said coldly, "Play with fire and you will burn yourself! Consider yourself warned!" Evidently, he knew Li Hao wasn't dead! He even understood that Li Hao's sole purpose had been to force his appearance. Yet... could he have afforded not to appear? Just moments ago, Li Hao had genuinely been on the verge of breaking the seal. He slipped back into the Great Dao universe instantly. At the same moment, a sword ray erupted from within the Great Dao universe, detonating with a thunderous roar to instantly obliterate a trace of Red Moon power that had crept in with utmost stealth! The Red Moon Sovereign's expression remained unchanged as he watched in silence until the Great Dao universe vanished. He smiled faintly with a hint of regret. Yet he quickly regained his composure, casting his gaze toward the spot outside the seal where Li Hao had exploded. A lone sword still hovered in the air, while Li Hao was nowhere to be seen. After watching for a moment, he suddenly caught the faint murmur of flowing water. A short while later, an exceedingly frail Li Hao materialized in the void. The next instant, he flashed a grin, grasped the sword, and struck out. Boom! The void shattered! A trace of Red Moon power was obliterated in an instant! The Red Moon Sovereign raised an eyebrow. Right at that moment, Li Hao tore open the Great Dao universe; in that single breath, ten thousand bolts of lightning blasted forth, scouring away the surrounding Red Moon power in the blink of an eye. The Red Moon Sovereign's expression changed, and he opened his mouth to speak. Yet Li Hao, clutching Sword City, fled into the void, his voice carrying a trace of frailty: "Sovereign, our opponent is Li Daoheng... Stop plotting against me. Pity a weakling like me; I'll come visit you again next time!" He vanished into the void in an instant! The Red Moon Sovereign frowned slightly, saying nothing. In any case, he hadn't lost out. It was just that... both Li Daoheng and Li Hao were utter bastards. The moment they finished using him, both grew terrified that he might escape. Still... A faint smile appeared on his face, though he said nothing. The seal had been weakened considerably once more! It seemed the day of his emergence was not far off. A few more times... and there would be no need for any schemes on their part; he could simply break out by force. ... At the same moment. Lin Hongyu halted abruptly. Pausing briefly, she called out, "Fall back! Give Ying Hongyue room to recover some strength so he can use the eight families' bloodlines to consume the Red Moon power; otherwise, the Sovereign will invade him!" The others blinked in bewilderment. Are we playing games here? After chasing him for so long, why retreat all of a sudden? Yet since Lin Hongyu had given the order, none raised an objection. Ahead of them, Ying Hongyue instantly sensed his pursuers halt, and he gritted his teeth. "Li Hao!" He immediately sat down cross-legged. The eight bloodlines above his head surged into motion, shattering strands of Red Moon power one after another. Grinding his teeth, he seethed, Damned Li Hao, what do you take me for? A tool for your schemes? Do you truly think that you and Li Daoheng are the only chess players beneath the heavens? Damnable wretch!