A Candid Li Hao

Two bright moons hung suspended in the sky, and both counted as enemies. Li Hao gazed up at the heavens and smiled. Heaven and earth... since he could not take the skies just yet, taking the earth would do just as well. The eight ancient cities were his to claim, without question! Dragging things out would never bring victory. The only way was to take the initiative and attack! "Prepare yourselves to encircle Hurricane City... I'm going to Galaxy City. Fellow Neo-Martial Saints, come with me. It’s time for a talk with Section Chief Zhang!" Li Hao cast his gaze around, his tone calm. At this moment, an aura of quiet dominance surrounded him. The Neo-Martial Saints stirred inwardly. Without a word, they swiftly stepped forward. It seemed Li Hao was truly dead set on taking the eight ancient cities this time. Yet... even if Zhang An surrendered Galaxy City, what about Hurricane City? Naturally, that was not an issue they could resolve. An ancient city garrisoned by a half-step Sovereign was something no one could claim right now. …… Galaxy City. Galaxy City had not remained stationary in one spot, but it had stayed continuously within Silver Moon’s line of sight. Nor had Zhang An deliberately concealed its movements, wishing to avoid major conflict between the two sides. Lately, Qian Wuliang had been making frequent trips here. The Saints stationed here were relatively polite to him. Zhang An simply paid little heed, rarely interfering in such matters. Just as several people in the city were discussing the world’s recovery, the fact that Heavenly Kings could now emerge, and Li Hao’s breakthrough to the fourth tier of Dao Integration, Zhang An—sitting cross-legged in cultivation within the city lord’s manor—suddenly opened his eyes and looked into the distance. A moment later, the Saints conversing with Qian Wuliang also turned their heads toward the distance one after another. The void tore open. A river appeared as if descending from the heavens. A figure walked across the chaotic river and drifted down gracefully, his voice clear and refined. "Section Chief Zhang, I have exited seclusion and come specifically for a tour of Galaxy City. Am I welcome?" Zhang An materialized and looked at Li Hao, suspicion flickering in his eyes. Li Hao today... did not seem to have merely broken through in realm. There were other subtle changes that were hard to put into words. Zhang An only felt the young man was rather peculiar: one moment, his sword intent seemed surging and boundless, yet in the next, not a shred of sword intent could be felt from him. It flickered between presence and absence, almost impossible to discern. "Just come in!" Zhang An was as calm as ever. Li Hao stepped through the air, followed by several Neo-Martial Saints, while beside Zhang An, several Saints appeared simultaneously. They were all old acquaintances! Qian Wuliang hurriedly stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Marquis! Subordinate was occupied with official duties and failed to welcome you in time!" "A minor matter, no need for that." Li Hao smiled. "Wuliang, there is no need to be overly formal. Hongyu has already filled me in on the situation. Make the best use of talent and resources; tackling tough challenges requires real capability! The greater the ability, the heavier the responsibility. Don't feel pressured—do well, and your rewards will surpass everyone else's!" Qian Wuliang nodded repeatedly and held his tongue. He remained as modest and deferential as always. Even though he had reached the Dao Integration Realm and ranked among the top ten, or even top five, human cultivators of the new era, he remained utterly humble before Li Hao. And not just Li Hao—he behaved with deep humility toward the veteran Silver Moon martial masters as well, even those weaker than him. Though everyone felt a certain apprehension toward his abilities, few found fault with his demeanor. "Guardian Turtle, you and the others chat with our seniors. You're all old acquaintances who haven't met in years, and we are friendly allies now. There is no need to avoid each other deliberately. I don't mind, and Section Chief Zhang won't mind either." Zhang An nodded slightly and said calmly, "Catch up and reminisce as you wish. If you have no objections, I certainly won't interfere." "The section chief is broad-minded as always!" Zhang An smiled faintly without saying more, gesturing with a hand. "Let’s go inside to talk." "Very well!" Li Hao strode toward the city lord's hall. Behind him, the group looked at one another with a trace of worry. Those two... wouldn't end up fighting, would they? Old Turtle and the others knew that Li Hao had come to take Galaxy City. Yet of the eight ancient cities, the surviving Saints of the Zhang and Zhao families had already ceded their cities to Li Hao. Galaxy City had only been seized through an ambush that eliminated the Zhou family. It could be said they had already been more than generous. And now, Li Hao wanted to take Galaxy City as well. Ancient cities were invaluable in many situations. For example, during Li Hao’s previous self-detonation of the Great Dao, wouldn't the Saints have perished completely without the protection of an ancient city? Furthermore, an ancient city was itself a sacred ground for drawing energy to cultivate, as well as a divine defensive armament. Infiltrating one was exceedingly difficult for outsiders; it excelled at both offense and defense. Surrendering the city now was a dangerous prospect for Zhang An and his companions. They all felt uneasy, though none gave voice to it. The Zhang family Saint and the two Zhao family elders were familiar faces, and Diamond Wood had lived alongside them for well over a hundred thousand years. Meeting again under these circumstances brought a tangle of complex emotions to everyone. …… Inside the city lord's grand hall. Zhang An tilted his chin slightly. "Have a seat." "Thank you." Li Hao sat below. Rather than taking the throne of the city lord, Zhang An took a seat directly opposite Li Hao. A jade flask materialized out of thin air in his hand. "Tea or wine?" "Wine." Zhang An paused, then smiled. "I thought you would drink tea. Young men like you who are obsessed with the martial path rarely drink. The Human King disliked wine in his youth; he was too busy, and alcohol easily dulled the body." "A martial master of the jianghu who doesn't drink would be laughed at!" Li Hao chuckled. "When we Silver Moon martial masters travel, we treat wine as tea. If word got out that I, Li Hao, went out and drank tea instead of wine, Martial Uncle Southern Fist and the others would laugh their heads off if they were still around!" Zhang An fell silent for a moment and dropped the subject. Southern Fist. Not just Southern Fist—many others had died as well. Back then, Li Hao, Hou Xiaochen, Sky Sword, Hong Yitang, Black Panther, and Di Wei had been the first to enter Yuanping Martial Arts University. Now, Hou Xiaochen was nowhere to be seen either. Pouring a cup of wine for Li Hao and another for himself, Zhang An raised his cup, gave no toast, and drank it in one gulp. He looked at Li Hao. "After the battle at Boundless City, you must still harbor resentment toward me, right?" "Hardly." Li Hao shook his head. "That was my own choice. Why would I blame you, Section Chief? If there is blame, it falls on me! I blame myself for being too weak, for being powerless! Besides, I don't resent anyone, nor do I resent myself... After that battle, I shifted from passive defense to taking the initiative to attack! After that battle, all of us Silver Moon martial masters awakened! It was the blood of my master and the others that woke us up!" To this day, he harbored no regret. Li Hao changed the topic. "In the Silver Moon world, there are six enemy factions: the Red Moon Sovereign, the God of Early Martial, Zheng Yu, Li Daoheng, Ying Hongyue, and the Queen of the God Nation. To this day, I have not managed to eradicate a single one of them! "Either they cannot be killed, or there is no need to kill them, or I simply cannot kill them..." Li Hao sighed with emotion. "It's truly frustrating! Take Ying Hongyue, for instance. If not for the seal, I would have killed him long ago! Claiming I want him to suffer... letting the scoundrel who slaughtered my entire household roam free just leaves me bitter inside! Saying I let him go to experience torment... that was just an excuse for myself. In reality, it was simply because I was powerless—I couldn't kill him, and I wasn't allowed to kill him!" Zhang An nodded slightly. Ying Hongyue... That man had murdered Li Hao's parents and his sworn brother. Li Hao’s inability to kill him would naturally leave him unsatisfied. The fact that Li Hao could speak of Ying Hongyue so calmly was already remarkably broad-minded. Zhang An thought of the Human King again. If it had been the Human King... what big picture? What unsealing of a Sovereign? He would likely have slaughtered Ying Hongyue long ago without enduring such restraint! Li Hao, on the other hand, was a ruthless man with immense patience. As Zhang An pondered, Li Hao added, "Winter is approaching, marking the fourth anniversary of my parents' deaths. Four years ago in winter, their carriage overturned, crashing and taking their lives..." Li Hao said calmly, "I very much want to execute Ying Hongyue on that day to offer his head to my parents!" Zhang An raised an eyebrow slightly. "You need my help?" "Yes. It will suffice if the section chief lends me Galaxy City for a few days." "..." Zhang An understood his purpose now. After a long silence, he asked, "If I lend it to you, can you prevent the seal from breaking?" "There is hope! By transforming the eight ancient cities into eight divine armaments stationed in eight directions, drawing forth the blood saber to suppress the center, slaying Ying Hongyue to seize the bloodlines of the eight families, and then using my Dao to suppress the seal, it can be kept from breaking for a period of time!" Zhang An arched his brow. "Eight divine armaments?" "You didn't know, Section Chief?" "I did not." "Alright, let's assume you didn't." Li Hao smiled. "I intend to turn the eight ancient cities into eight divine armaments to serve as the foundation of a grand formation... severing Ying Hongyue’s connection to it and eradicating him completely! He is a pawn for many factions. Killing him can change many things and relieve the hatred burning in my chest! Furthermore, slaying him brings many other benefits, completely shattering the schemes of certain people. Because of his nature, everyone assumes I wouldn't dare kill him! "Everyone thinks that so long as I haven't gone completely mad, I won't truly kill Ying Hongyue. Even Ying Hongyue himself isn't afraid of me killing him. No matter how fiercely I shout, no matter how ruthless Hongyu acts... they all think I won't do it! "And I," Li Hao said with a smile, "will do what ordinary people consider impossible. If everyone thinks I won't, then I must do it!" Zhang An glanced at him, his mind whirling. Indeed, just like Thunder City before. Everyone had thought Li Hao wouldn't and couldn't do it, yet he had done it. Just like dealing with the Sovereign inside the seal; everyone thought he wouldn't dare, yet he did. The less people believed he would do something, the more determined he was to carry it out. Everyone assumed... Li Hao had too much to lose now to act so crazily. Would he really insist on releasing the Sovereign just to kill Ying Hongyue? Yet what if... he actually did kill him? At that point, everything everyone had invested in Ying Hongyue would completely vanish into thin air. It defied everyone's expectations! Galaxy City had to be lent. If he refused, Li Hao would certainly turn against him. Zhang An understood this clearly. He did not refuse, asking instead, "Then how will you take Hurricane City?" Galaxy City was simple enough, but what about Hurricane City? The Heavenly Kings were one thing, but how would you drive Zheng Yu away? Besides... a half-step Sovereign could not easily step outside. If Zheng Yu truly stepped out, his first move would be to obliterate Li Hao! "I'll find a way!" Li Hao said softly, "The Queen took half of the Silver Moon, and that is an opportunity! Zheng Yu could actually enter that Silver Moon. The Silver Moon was originally the core of the Silver Moon world, possessing even stronger shielding power than the ancient cities. Once inside, he would be like Li Daoheng—even as a half-step Sovereign, the world wouldn't target him..." "Why would he enter the Silver Moon? And why would the Queen of the God Nation agree?" Zhang An still felt Li Hao was being overly idealistic. If the combination of the eight ancient cities could truly summon the Blood Sovereign’s blood saber, perhaps it could suppress the Sovereign once more. But Hurricane City alone was enough to dispel that notion for anyone. It was too difficult! Or rather, that was the only plausible path: getting Zheng Yu to enter the Queen's Silver Moon. Li Hao smiled. "It is difficult... but there’s no harm in trying. If it truly doesn't work, there are other paths. For instance, suppressing Zheng Yu into the world barrier along with the rest—that is one! Second, pulling Zheng Yu into my Dao universe... though of course, that's too dangerous and a bit terrifying! Third, once Li Daoheng's Illusory Dao universe manifests, letting Zheng Yu charge into it... In truth, there is more than one path." Li Hao gave a faint smile. "If all else fails, I’ll pull him into my Dao universe. Zheng Yu would probably be thrilled to have such a golden opportunity!" "Don't be reckless!" Zhang An felt a throbbing headache. This madman was truly capable of doing such a thing. If that happened... all hell would break loose. A half-step Sovereign entering the Dao universe—wouldn't that be the end of Li Hao? Li Hao’s eyes flickered, and he chuckled. In truth, that method was far simpler. If he dared keep the Dao universe passage wide open, and Zheng Yu happened to have the chance to step inside... would Zheng Yu enter? One hundred percent yes! As for any traps or ambushes Li Hao might lay... Zheng Yu wouldn't consider them at that moment. If Li Hao had the ability to kill him using the Dao universe, he could do it tomorrow if not today, so entering directly was the best option! If a half-step Sovereign lacked even that much confidence, he might as well stop cultivating. Thus, seizing Hurricane City was actually simple. Li Hao would go to Hurricane City, open the passage to the Dao universe, and inadvertently let Hurricane City come into contact with it... Even if only for an instant, Zheng Yu would seize the opportunity! Li Hao rubbed his chin. Zhang An rubbed his temples, clearly aware that Li Hao was seriously considering this option. He had no choice but to speak up: "A half-step Sovereign is immensely powerful! We have many Saints between our two sides, but even if all of us joined forces, including you and me... we still couldn't kill a half-step Sovereign. Conversely, a single half-step Sovereign is enough to slaughter every last one of us!" He sighed softly. "And that is merely a half-step Sovereign... in an era devoid of the origin! In the Origin era, when a swarm of Heavenly Kings besieged a Sovereign, they all perished without being able to scratch him in the slightest. In the early days of New Martial, we tried it: countless experts joined forces to besiege an Emperor, which is to say a Sovereign. In the end... we couldn't even sever a single strand of hair!" For Zhang An, that was rather crude language, but it was the stark truth. Li Hao nodded slightly. He rubbed his chin again. Perhaps... there was another way! He could draw forth that star again, orienting its illusory backside toward his own passageway. If Zheng Yu entered... charging into the Illusory Dao universe would be ideal! Of course, there was yet another method... the spiritual sea world! That world was actually attached to the outer barrier of the Illusory Dao universe. If Zheng Yu mistook it for the Tangible Dao universe, attacked all the way through, and broke the barrier, he could also breach the Illusory Dao universe. All in all, Li Hao had plenty of options. Naturally, all of them carried great risk. The safest approach was still for the Queen to do a good deed and absorb Zheng Yu, ensuring peace and safety. He chose not to disclose these alternatives to Zhang An. One always needed to keep a card hidden. Zhang An certainly wouldn't tell him everything either. After a moment's thought, Li Hao said, "I'll handle the method, and I'll take Hurricane City! Aside from Galaxy City, Section Chief Zhang, there is one more thing I need to ask of you." "Speak." "The God of Early Martial!" Li Hao said, "In all likelihood, that figure came for the Blood Sovereign's saber and the cat about to be revived within it. Perhaps to protect it, perhaps to kill it... I care little either way! Once I seize the eight ancient cities, that being might worry that I'm disrupting their plans and target me... That would be exceedingly troublesome. Section Chief Zhang, you are the grandson of the Supreme... Could I trouble you to act as my emissary? At the critical moment, travel to Dali to meet this figure... Convey that I have no intention of ruining the Blood Sovereign's plans, and that there is no need for concern, so as to avoid misunderstandings and conflict." "A cat?" Zhang An asked. Li Hao nodded. "A cat sleeps within the saber. The eight ancient cities and the formation itself exist entirely to revive this cat!" Zhang An fell silent. He had not known about this detail before. After recalling the past for a long time, he nodded. "I see." "You know about this, Section Chief?" Zhang An hesitated, then nodded. "I do! Naturally, I didn't know the exact arrangement before, but I know of this cat. This cat... strictly speaking, is neither a living thing nor an ordinary creature, yet... it can be considered one! In short, it is immensely complicated! The Blood Sovereign wishes to revive this cat likely out of a sense of indebtedness. It is a projection of the Cang Emperor, who once lived alongside the projection of the Emperor of Battle Heaven—the Blood Sovereign's previous incarnation—for countless years... It was an utterly pure cat. In the end, the Emperor of Battle Heaven bent his bow to shoot the Heavenly Emperor, and fell in battle alongside that cat... completely perishing!" He sighed with deep emotion. "To think... the Blood Sovereign was still toiling for this matter all those years later. Even the Human King could not revive that cat, because... it was not a true living creature, and possessed no origin imprint. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been any need for such trouble!" Li Hao was stunned. "A projection?" Not a living creature? Zhang An nodded. "Yes, a projection! An illusion—an incomparably powerful illusion that shrouded the projections of countless experts as if it were a real world, surviving for countless years. They possessed memories, sentience, and wisdom... yet it was like a dream realm, not truly existing in the real world! Once you mentioned a cat, I understood!" Li Hao muttered, "A projection... a parallel world... an illusory world..." Zhang An nodded again. Li Hao continued to murmur to himself. "Even a projection could turn into a living creature... From what you said, a projection could even draw a bow and shoot the Heavenly Emperor. That implies projections possess limitless power... How is that possible?" Zhang An said, "Why wouldn't it be? As long as you are strong enough, what does being a projection matter? The illusory can become tangible! It's just that it couldn't be accomplished back then." Turning the illusory into reality? Li Hao’s mind raced, his expression shifting. He muttered, "A projection... existing in another space... past... future... time..." Zhang An frowned. What was this kid thinking about? Li Hao, however, was thinking that if even a projection could be so powerful and turn illusory into reality, then if his future self in the next instant was incomparably mighty... could he fish out a projection of his next instant from the river of time and fuse it into his body to empower himself? But... where would the power come from? Who would supply the energy to support that instantaneous power from the future? Energy was truly conserved! Power would never be granted to you out of nowhere! Past, future... In an instant, the matter of the projection's revival set off endless ripples in his heart. If even a projection could come to life, wouldn't borrowing strength from the past or future be entirely natural? Countless thoughts surged, and Li Hao suddenly asked, "Section Chief, according to your words... the Emperor of Battle Heaven had already reincarnated into the Blood Sovereign, so why did the projection still possess such immense power to bend his bow and shoot the Heavenly Emperor? The Heavenly Emperor was the formidable arch-enemy of the New Martial era, which means that projection must have been overwhelmingly strong, right?" "That... is hard for me to explain." Zhang An shook his head. "The level is too high for me to comprehend! My grandfather briefly mentioned it a few times: it was likely the power of will. Although the Emperor of Battle Heaven died and reincarnated, he was so powerful in life that his willpower lingered! Using willpower to summon the strength he possessed in life was essentially an overdrawing of power, meaning he was destined to dissipate completely on that day. Whether he fired that arrow or not, he would have faded away..." The power of will! Li Hao felt a stir in his heart. He sank into deep thought once more. Zhang An could not fathom what Li Hao was contemplating. He only felt it rather bizarre—he had merely mentioned it in passing, so what on earth was this kid pondering? Li Hao was thinking of far, far too much. Naturally, he kept it all hidden. After a long while, Li Hao spoke up: "Then I won't worry about that. According to everyone, the Blood Sovereign wasn't the kind of person to engage in petty underhanded tricks. He likely just wanted to revive that cat, but before he could, the Red Moon catastrophe occurred, forcing him to leave Silver Moon... You also believe the Blood Sovereign wouldn't deliberately lurk in Silver Moon without leaving, right, Section Chief?" "..." Zhang An was speechless, nearly rolling his eyes. It took him a long while to reply: "You overthink things. Don't always view everyone with such malice! The Blood Sovereign's strength was peerless. The Red Moon Sovereign imprisoned right now wouldn't last three minutes against him before being utterly obliterated! And if he truly wanted this Silver Moon world, even the Sword Venerable wouldn't have cared... Do you think there was any need for him to lurk here?" What on earth was running through your head? Simply put, figures at that level were far beyond this realm. If not to revive that cat, he wouldn't even have bothered setting up these formations. As it turned out, it had been a fortunate coincidence that trapped a Sovereign; otherwise, without this formation and the eight ancient cities, sealing a Sovereign would have been out of the question. Li Hao thought about it and agreed. He asked again, "Then does the section chief know who this God of Early Martial is?" "Hard to say." Zhang An said thoughtfully, "If someone stayed behind here for a hundred thousand years without taking a single step away just to revive that cat... three individuals are the most likely candidates. However... it's difficult to be certain!" Frowning slightly, he continued, "Moreover, among those three, the weakest possesses power infinitely close to that of a Sovereign, while the stronger ones became Sovereigns long ago!" "..." Li Hao's jaw dropped. "You... mean to say, this person..." Zhang An frowned again. "I am merely guessing. The most likely possibility is a Sovereign who lived together with them in that illusion back then... the Emperor of Battle Heaven's page boy. Of course, that person was incomparably formidable and had already stepped into the Sovereign realm long before the final battle! However, if it were him... possessing such power, he would have stepped forward to slay the Red Moon Sovereign long ago, rather than letting things develop to this stage." A few silhouettes faintly surfaced in his mind, and he continued, "Ignoring everything and letting events run their course resembles another Sovereign expert... except... he shouldn't be here. When the war between Red Moon and New Martial broke out, as a Sovereign, he wouldn't have had the leisure to linger here." Li Hao's curiosity flared. "Who?" Zhang An stayed silent for a moment, then shook his head. "It is merely my speculation... it might not be him!" "Tell me, Section Chief, and I'll see if I've heard of him in the New Martial chronicles." "The son of the Western Emperor... an invincible expert among the Nine Emperors and Four Sovereigns of the Origin era, who later ascended to become a Sovereign—a single family boasting two Sovereigns! His personality fits the bill, except... he shouldn't be here!" Zhang An shook his head. "If a Sovereign were truly here and refused to participate in the war against Red Moon... the Human King would have pummeled him to death long ago! The Human King can tolerate the weak staying out of battle, but this man is a bona fide Sovereign. If he dared dodge the war, it would be strange if the Human King didn't beat him to death!" Li Hao chuckled. "The Human King was... that ruthless?" "It wasn't ruthlessness; he simply couldn't stand cowards avoiding the fight! That Sovereign... at any rate, was never very bold. In terms of personality... he believed fewer troubles were better than more. If he could avoid getting involved, he would never get involved. That's why I say this God of Early Martial resembles him in demeanor! But with Red Moon invading and a Sovereign trapped here, he still didn't resolve the enemy and continued hiding. If the Human King found out, a single slash would cleave him in two!" Zhang An laughed. "He feared the Human King greatly, so... even if it truly is him, it is almost certainly an avatar, not his true body, lacking the power to kill a Sovereign. That would explain why he laid low for a hundred thousand years. Both Zheng Yu and Li Daoheng are connected to Sovereigns—one to the Sword Venerable, the other to the Star Suppressing City Sovereign. Leaving them alone would make sense in that case!" Zhang An seemed to piece it together and smiled. "In all likelihood, it is him! Otherwise, I cannot imagine who else could remain motionless for a hundred thousand years! However, it definitely isn't his true body... Even so, his strength won't be weak, most likely at the level of a half-step Sovereign." Li Hao's gaze shifted. "Then could you..." Zhang An shook his head. "As I said, this man has a... peculiar temperament! Less trouble is better than more. On top of that, he is merely an avatar. Both Li Daoheng and Zheng Yu are tied to Sovereigns; even though I am a descendant of the Supreme, he wouldn't care about us! Unless... we eventually deal with those two and seek him out to join forces in slaying the Red Moon Sovereign. In that case, he might make a move, because that would be a foreign war, whereas our squabbles count as internal strife!" Li Hao pondered this, nodding, and couldn't help but say, "He is a Sovereign, after all... Would he... still be wary of the descendants of Sovereigns?" "It's not wariness! It's that he doesn't want to get involved... he refuses to care! He wishes the entire world would ignore him, and he has no desire to pay attention to the world either!" Zhang An sighed. "Both he and his father were invincible beings! Yet... no matter which faction it was, they refused to help anyone, wishing the entire world would forget them. In the New Martial era, King Locust—the ancestor of General Locust’s master—and this person were both known as the world's greatest fence-sitters... King Locust did it out of helplessness because he lacked strength, but this family simply refused to meddle in anything." Li Hao nodded, chuckling endlessly. "If it truly is as you guess, then so long as I don't disrupt the Blood Sovereign's revival plan, he won't interfere with us?" "Correct. Beat each other to death—one less nuisance for him. So long as you don't look for trouble with him, he won't care what happens to us!" Zhang An was equally helpless. "Besides, you can't ask for more from him! If his true body were here, things would be manageable. But with merely an avatar here, even the Human King couldn't force him to do anything. At worst, you could kill his avatar... what else could you do to him?" Li Hao's interest was piqued. "What is his name?" The son of the Western Emperor? The Nine Emperors and Four Sovereigns of New Martial were supreme experts spanning three eras—Early Martial, Origin, and New Martial—remaining formidable from beginning to end. To have a direct son of theirs here, who was himself a Sovereign... just how ancient was he! "It cannot be spoken. If it truly is him, even with an avatar here, mentioning his name would trigger a premonition. It is best not to speak too much. Say too much, and he might assume you're plotting against him. Though reluctant to meddle, he might still strike first to eliminate a troublemaker like you!" Li Hao chuckled. "You are the grandson of the Supreme..." According to what Zhang An had said, that person would never lay a hand on him. Zhang An nodded. "Yes, but... you aren't!" "..." Li Hao was struck speechless! He laughed helplessly. Zhang An continued, "You mentioned earlier having me act as an emissary to Dali... If it is his avatar, that makes things much simpler. As long as you guarantee you won't disrupt the Blood Sovereign's revival plan, he will definitely leave you alone!" "That's good! Did Li Daoheng and Zheng Yu guess this as well? Otherwise, from what I've seen, neither of them meddles with that side, seeming to ignore it entirely." "Probably!" Zhang An said, "I didn't know there was a cat inside the saber. Had I known earlier, I likely would have deduced his identity long ago. Those two... have most likely seen the blood saber. You must be careful. It is normal for Li Daoheng to have seen it, but when did Zheng Yu see it?" Li Hao said, "Not long ago, his avatar went over there." Zhang An thought about it and nodded. "Perhaps! In any case, it is most likely him. Otherwise, Li Daoheng and Zheng Yu wouldn't leave him be. If it is who we think it is, their mindset is the same as ours: so long as they don't disrupt his plans, he won't intervene. It's that simple." Li Hao sighed. "To think such a person exists, possessing immense power yet refusing to manage anything, living so... carefree?" Could that be called carefree? Perhaps it counted. Still, hearing this, it was only an avatar, and that person still had people he feared—the Human King, for instance. If his true body were here, he wouldn't dare stay out of things, but now he had an excuse. "Alright, Section Chief, that's settled then. You don't need to worry about anything else. At the critical moment, hand Galaxy City to me, and make sure that person in Dali doesn't interfere... I will resolve the rest!" "You... truly intend to do this?" Li Hao nodded. "Of course!" "Sigh!" Zhang An let out a sigh. "You progress rapidly. Perhaps you could wait a little longer, until you reach the sixth tier of Dao Integration. Even if you're no match for a half-step Sovereign then, you’d have a chance to resist somewhat... You are only at the fourth tier of Dao Integration now. With your rapid growth... perhaps in half a year, you’ll reach the sixth tier!" Li Hao shook his head. "The sixth tier of Dao Integration would need to be at its peak at the very least, requiring the opening of around 252 meridians... I lack major fortuitous encounters right now, and still need to open about 108 more. Even opening one every three days would take a year. What’s more... given the current situation, how could I open one every three days?" All those who could be killed had been killed recently; where would he find another grand opportunity? Zhang An opened his mouth, then stopped. It was truly painful to hear: what did he mean by 'even opening one every three days would take a year'... In a year, I’ll be able to match a half-step Sovereign? Truly... damn it! "I agree to the two conditions you mentioned. Is there anything else?" Zhang An couldn't be bothered to say more. Li Hao’s mind was clearer than anyone's; whoever thought he was taking a wild gamble was the one truly in danger. This fellow probably had heaps of backup plans! It looked like a gamble, yet he came through unscathed every time! Li Hao was a gambler, but he didn't gamble blindly; he continuously increased his odds of success until they reached their peak before executing his plans. A person like that couldn't truly be called a gambler anymore. Li Hao suddenly said with a grin, "Nothing else, really. But seeing how hospitable the section chief is, I thought it would be rude of me not to ask for a little something. How about lending me your Great Dao Book to read for a few days?" "..." Zhang An stared at him without a word. Sometimes, Li Hao was a gentleman. At other times, he was shameless to the extreme. The Great Dao Book! Even one's own son wouldn't dare bring up such a request lightly; it involved the very core of one's cultivation path. Before Zhang An could speak, Li Hao said with a beaming smile, "If the section chief lends me your Great Dao Book, I won't be stingy either. I will allow your natal star to tour the chaotic river into which my body has merged! You saw it last time—my river of stars gathers myriad Daos. You know how powerful and crucial it is... While it might not compare to the Great Daos of the New Martial Sovereigns, the section chief's book isn't a Sovereign's Great Dao Book after all!" If it belonged to the Supreme, trading with Li Hao wouldn't be worth it. Yet Zhang An was not the Supreme, only the Supreme's grandson, and his realm was merely quasi-Heavenly King. Trading with Li Hao was no loss at all; in fact, he stood only to gain, since he was cultivating the new Dao as well. Zhang An looked at Li Hao, frowning slightly. "Are you truly so indifferent toward your own Dao?" Just letting anyone look at it so casually? He said in a deep voice, "Sharing is indeed broad-minded. New Martial has always shared its martial arts, but once it touches upon the core of the Dao, one still needs to undergo tests; it isn't shared haphazardly. Furthermore, by opening the Dao universe right now... the good and the bad are mixed together. You are being rather reckless!" Li Hao had shared his Dao universe with Silver Moon, allowing core figures to enter, and many could come and go at will... As a result, the Dao universe was no longer particularly mysterious. Continuing like this could lead to disaster! Li Hao smiled. "I trust everyone!" Zhang An gave him a searching look. You... trust everyone that much? Li Hao merely smiled in return. Yes, I trust them... and those I don't trust have already been moved into my spiritual sea. None of you know anyway! I just haven't located your star yet; once I do, I'll move you in as well, and then you'll be the one crying. "Section Chief, are we trading?" Zhang An went silent for a moment, then nodded. "Very well!" "Many thanks, Section Chief!" Zhang An had nothing to say. There was no need for thanks; it was an equal exchange, and he had even gained slightly. Just as Li Hao said, he wasn't his grandfather; although his Great Dao Book touched upon the concepts of many Sovereigns, what he comprehended was not a true Sovereign's realm after all. Without further words, Zhang An reached out, and a Great Dao Book materialized. Li Hao took it directly, standing on no ceremony, and said, "If the section chief wants to take a dip, feel free to visit my river of stars at any time. While I could conceal it somewhat before... by now, quite a few people have probably guessed something, so it no longer matters! However, looking is fine, but don't go siphoning the power of my myriad Daos, Section Chief!" "..." Zhang An was rendered speechless. "I won't!" Seeing Li Hao stand up to leave, he asked, "Where are you going now?" "To pay a visit to the Queen!" Li Hao smiled. "It's been months since I returned. I'll go check on them, and on Zheng Yu as well! If I don't show my face, everyone worries I'm up to something bad. In that case, I might as well show myself and pay them a visit!" At this point, he added, "Oh, by the way, Section Chief, if you have time, move your city next to Hurricane City. It’ll make things much more convenient!" Zhang An was left utterly dumbfounded. "They still have multiple Heavenly Kings!" They weren't out of manpower! "Is the section chief afraid of them?" Li Hao chuckled and said no more, vanishing in an instant as his voice reverberated across the city: "Together with Section Chief Zhang, take a stroll near Hurricane City. Fellow Neo-Martial Saints, if any Heavenly Kings show up... slaughtering a few won't be a problem!" Li Hao had already drifted away. After he left, Zhang An stepped forward and looked in the direction of his departure, his brow still furrowed. This fellow... was growing bolder by the day. This time, he actually planned to drive Zheng Yu away. Ying Hongyue... if Li Hao succeeded, Ying Hongyue was truly finished this time. …… In the north. A bright moon flashed, about to flee, but Li Hao appeared in an instant, blocking its path. The Queen's figure manifested, crying out bitterly in her heart! Had I known, I wouldn't have been so conspicuous! What does this fellow Li Hao want with me? This queen hasn't provoked him lately! Li Hao beamed. "Your Majesty, long time no see. I’ve missed you dearly—it’s been quite a while since you’ve delivered benefits to me!" "..." The Queen said nothing, maintaining a cold silence. Li Hao smiled. "Last time, I shattered the Moon God’s true body and you reaped the rewards, so you owe me a favor. Surely you don't dispute that?" The Queen said coldly, "What do you want?" Li Hao smiled. "Nothing much, just one small thing... Go to Hurricane City and tell Zheng Yu that you are willing to accommodate him into your true body. Tell him to relocate—I want Hurricane City!" "What?" "I want Hurricane City!" "Li Hao, have you lost your mind?" The Queen was furious! What do you take me for? Li Hao frowned slightly. "It's for your own good! Li Daoheng possesses the power of a half-step Sovereign and resides right inside the Moon God’s true body. You are merely an early-stage Heavenly King—how do you plan to contend with him? Although Zheng Yu is a villain as well, he and Li Daoheng are natural enemies! Without a half-step Sovereign shielding you, sooner or later you will be devoured until not even your bones remain! What do you think you are? Your current strength was either bestowed or picked up from the ground; the Moon God can descend into your body at any moment to seize your power! Only with another half-step Sovereign stationed inside can you avoid that fate. Do you understand now?" The Queen's expression shifted slightly. These words were not a lie; she was well aware of her situation. She had simply assumed... that no one would bother with her for the time being. Li Hao said softly, "Go persuade Zheng Yu. Tell him it came from me: I need Hurricane City! Tell him to relocate. Otherwise, if the Moon God seizes you, it won't do Zheng Yu any good either, and he knows it... We are all sensible people, and conversations between smart people are much simpler." The Queen gritted her teeth. "Impossible! I cannot allow Zheng Yu and his people to move in... Do you think I'm an object? This queen is..." Li Hao laughed. "The moon’s true body isn't yours to begin with. Do you truly consider yourself the Moon God? Go and persuade him! Pass on my message, or else... I will launch a forceful assault on Hurricane City when the opportunity arises! Tell Zheng Yu to wash his neck and wait for me!" The Queen frowned. "You are also only an early-stage Heavenly King! He is a half-step Sovereign..." "What business is that of yours?" Li Hao said calmly, "Are you going or not? If you don't... starting today, I will kill and eradicate you first! Keeping you around is of little use anyway if you aren't even willing to do a small favor for me!" The Queen was incensed! We are enemies! What kind of talk is that? Who ever agreed to help you? She wanted to curse, but seeing Li Hao’s cold, dark gaze fixed on her, her confidence wavered. Gritting her teeth in fury, she spat, "Even if this queen were willing, Zheng Yu would never agree! Li Hao, you are daydreaming!" "Just go and give him an option. I never force anyone! Having an extra choice is always a good thing!" "..." The Queen wanted to refuse, thinking she could pretend to agree first and flee the moment Li Hao left! Just as the thought crossed her mind, Li Hao said faintly, "Don't think about fleeing, unless you sever some of the Dao meridians in your body first... Otherwise, I can find you whenever I want! Have you forgotten that the first time I went west, it was specifically to track you down?" The Queen's face turned pale! Sure enough! I knew opening Dao meridians so quickly felt off! Gritting her teeth, she said, "Isn't this your hidden ploy? Aren't you luring me, luring Li Daoheng, luring the true Moon God into the Dao universe? Why are you telling me this?" Li Hao chuckled. "It's so obvious; Li Daoheng isn't an idiot, so do you think he only figured it out now like you did? Zheng Yu has probably seen through it as well. Did you think no one in the world knew? If you don't believe me, ask Zheng Yu if he dares use you to enter the Dao universe. Since that's the case... why should I fear people knowing? You are the bait I cast. Who dares take the bite?" "Li Hao, do not push your luck too far!" The Queen was furious. "Do you think this queen must cultivate Dao meridians?" "You don't have to cultivate them—just blow them up yourself!" Li Hao said nonchalantly, "I won't stop you! After detonating them, you might not even retain Heavenly King power. In this era... without even the power of a Heavenly King, you will be utterly ruined. Right now, at least you still have a sliver of a chance to resist!" The Queen gnashed her teeth! For the first time, she felt so... helpless, humble, and powerless! These bastards, every single one of them, what did they take her for? Everyone was manipulating her! How utterly detestable! Li Hao was even blunt about it, not bothering to conceal his intentions in the slightest: you are just bait for me to go fishing... and even if everyone knows it, I don't care. After a long time, the Queen looked utterly dejected. "Li Hao, what exactly do you all want from me?" Li Hao shook his head helplessly. "Don't overestimate yourself. No one wants anything from you... You are purely a tool. See for yourself if you can find a chance to break free; who has the time to care what happens to you?" "You..." "Enough. I've said all that needs saying. Go handle this for me as quickly as possible!" Leaving those words behind, Li Hao vanished. Boom! The Queen shattered the firmament with a punch, her rage boiling over. Detestable! Too detestable! It was nothing short of a monstrous humiliation! Livid to the point of suffocating, she gritted her teeth after a long while and flew toward Hurricane City. Zheng Yu, joining forces with you to kill this bastard as soon as possible would be the best outcome!