Above Silver City.
Seven ancient main cities hovered as the seals held firm. Three figures stood tall in the void.
Heaven and earth spun as Li Hao brought them here.
Silver City... the place where all karma had begun.
Here was the origin of the entire story.
Here, he had stepped onto the martial path. Here, he had embarked on the road of vengeance, taking one step after another to reach this very day. Today, the man who had orchestrated the Red Moon organization from behind the scenes to murder his parents would finally lose his head right here!
It felt like the closing of a cycle of reincarnation.
Li Hao had even been willing to expose the Time Star, trapping all three supreme powerhouses on the other side and cutting off any possibility of them reinforcing Ying Hongyue.
He had forced this hegemon to face him alone.
Once again, they had arrived in Silver City.
Ying Hongyue's expression was grave as he looked at Li Hao across from him, then glanced at the seven surrounding main cities, and then at the Saints stationed around them... Everything Li Hao had accumulated over the past year and more was assembled right here.
Silver City!
A place so special that he would never forget it in this lifetime.
At that moment, he looked at Li Hao, then turned to Purple Moon beside him. Suddenly, he smiled faintly, as if slipping back into his past self—dashing and unruffled as ever. He let out a soft sigh. "My good daughter..."
Purple Moon only looked at him silently.
At this moment, she seemed even calmer than Ying Hongyue. She shook her head. "Now that it has come to this... what is the point?"
What daughter?
Just as Li Hao had said, Ying Hongyue was tainted by the power of the Red Moon and could not afford to lose any of the eight great bloodlines—how could he possibly have genuine offspring?
His supposed dozens of children were nothing more than his test subjects!
Ying Hongyue gave a self-deprecating laugh, nodded slightly, and sighed. "True enough... Li Hao has his three selves of past, future, and present. Li Daoheng has his Sword Dao clone, origin clone, and New Dao clone. That fellow Zheng Yu also has a New Dao clone and an origin clone... Everyone loves using clones to do a bit of dirty work."
He turned to Li Hao and smiled faintly. "Actually, Purple Moon doesn't really count as my clone..."
Li Hao gave a slight nod. "I know. Yama, Flying Sword Immortal, the other six Moons of the Seven Moons, and Haotian—nine people in total! Eight bloodline clones, plus one Red Moon clone: the nine-lineage bodies! Every time someone else died, Purple Moon was almost always right there, always nearby... In truth, Purple Moon was absorbing the clones of the other seven lineages alongside the Red Moon clone..."
Li Hao spoke as though reciting familiar treasures from memory. "Purple Moon indeed doesn't count as a normal clone. She should be considered a red shadow... a special type of red shadow, just like the ones I encountered back then, which were your own red shadows. All members of the Red Moon organization possess a red moon, except for the Seven Moons! None of you have one... because they themselves are your blood puppets!"
Li Hao spoke in a soft voice, "Ying Hongyue, do you have anything else to say?"
Ying Hongyue glanced at Li Hao and smiled. "Fascinating! Li Hao, why do I feel that you understand me even better than I understand myself?"
In the Red Moon organization, besides Ying Hongyue, there were six other chiefs among the Seven Moons.
Among the Three Great Organizations, there were also Yama and Feitian.
Add Haotian Divine Mountain to that, and excluding Ying Hongyue, there were exactly nine people. None of those nine had an accompanying blood shadow, perfectly matching the eight bloodline bodies and the Red Moon body.
Li Hao sighed softly. "People call you the Passionate Swordsman, but in truth, you are utterly cold-blooded and merciless! The martial masters who followed you all those years ago were long ago refined into your puppet bodies. Only Jade Rakshasa had the good fortune to escape by abandoning her identity as Purple Moon; otherwise... she wouldn't be the Purple Moon of today."
With that, he added, "It was just a guess, really. You never seemed to care about the deaths of anyone in the Red Moon organization—not even the other members of the Seven Moons. But every time someone died... someone always seemed to witness it..."
He looked toward Purple Moon. "Whenever I killed the others, this lady always seemed to be nearby."
Li Hao smiled faintly. "So, I guessed there might be a connection. Ying Hongyue... tell me, did I guess right?"
Ying Hongyue laughed and shook his head. "Not entirely! You got some parts right, but you also got some wrong! I didn't refine a separate Red Moon clone, so Haotian wasn't one of them. I only refined eight clones corresponding to the Eight Great Families! Have you forgotten what my name is? I am Ying Hongyue... In truth, I myself am one of the nine clones—the Red Moon body!"
"The other members of the Seven Moons died a bit too early... Quite a pity. Thanks to you, the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families had not fully matured, so I couldn't absorb them early on and had to let Purple Moon do it in my stead!"
Ying Hongyue looked at Li Hao with a touch of regret. "Among them, the Li family bloodline was the weakest. That is my greatest regret! If I had killed you earlier, or if you hadn't resisted a year and a half ago and let me kill you... my eight lineages would have achieved balance, growing powerful across the board. Li Hao, the one standing here pointing fingers at the world today would have been me!"
He seemed to regain his fighting spirit, looking at Li Hao with a cold voice. "To become strong, I swallowed insults and endured heavy burdens! Everyone says you, Li Hao, have the guts to gamble, but do you know how much I sacrificed to attain power? I voluntarily became part of the seal. I exploited the mutual wariness among the three supreme powerhouses to reap maximum benefits, turning myself into someone none of them would kill!"
"Li Hao, if you hadn't repeatedly ruined my plans... how could things have ended up like this today? Your teacher might not have died, either! Since leaving Silver Moon, how many Silver Moon martial masters did I actually kill?"
He glared coldly at Li Hao. "I knew better than you that they were the hope of our Silver Moon... That was why, even when I had the chance to kill them, to kill your teacher, I didn't do it! Their deaths are on your hands!"
At this moment, Ying Hongyue's aura surged with mounting power. Beside him, Purple Moon looked relieved, as if liberated, gradually dissipating into wisps of energy that Ying Hongyue absorbed.
Yet Li Hao did not stop him.
He merely watched in silence, listening quietly.
Ying Hongyue continued coldly, "Do you think that the price you paid to reach this point was caused by me? No! It was caused by the people of Neo Martial! It was caused by the Sovereign of the Red Moon! It wasn't me! I am a rebel as well!"
"The sacrifices of the Eight Great Families were necessary... because this was the bitter fruit planted by their ancestors!"
"Are people like Zhang An truly good people?"
He sneered mockingly, "The disaster our Silver Moon faces today was brought about by them, do you understand? Yet you actually collaborate with such people... You are the traitor to Silver Moon, while I... should have been the hero of Silver Moon! Be it the Eight Great Families, Neo Martial, traitors, or Red Moon... they are all targets I intend to slay! And what about you?"
"Li Hao, by this day, besides slaughtering a batch of insignificant nobodies, what important figure have you killed? If anything, you've slaughtered plenty of Silver Moon martial masters!"
His voice boomed like rolling thunder!
In this moment, Ying Hongyue sounded even more righteous and justified than Li Hao.
All those people were killed because of you!
He was the rebel, the guardian, the righteous one.
He had barely killed any Silver Moon martial masters.
Any necessary sacrifice was made for the future, made for resistance!
Li Hao was the true villain of the mortal world.
Li Hao simply watched, feeling the surge, letting him absorb the dissipating power of the eight lineages. People like Purple Moon were merely parts of his scheme; this man was indeed ambitious and exceedingly capable.
He had begun planning everything long ago.
Absorbing the power of the eight lineages, distributing the bodies of the eight lineages, connecting to the seal, weaving between the three factions...
If he had truly succeeded in killing Li Hao, perhaps with the eight lineages perfected, he might even have taken control of the eight main cities, seized the blood saber, and become a genuine supreme powerhouse standing at the apex of Silver Moon.
Pity... Li Hao suddenly smiled. Ying Hongyue's expression turned frigid. "What is so funny? History is written by the victors, and besides, I haven't lost yet!"
Li Hao chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing much. I was just... thinking about the books I've read. Throughout history, whether ambitious hegemons or cowardly fools, noble heroes or treacherous ministers... has anyone ever relied solely on underhanded schemes and conspiracies from start to finish and actually ascended to become the hegemon of the mortal realm?"
Li Hao looked at him with a smile. "I have read through the history books... Biding one's time temporarily does happen, but pretending to be a fool from beginning to end, constantly acting, constantly playing tricks... it seems not a single such person has ever succeeded!"
Li Hao sighed with emotion. "Ying Hongyue, do you intend to be the first? Enduring in hiding for decades, abandoning everything—women, status, reputation, dignity... You cast aside all of it, playing the dog and acting like a pig before the three supreme powerhouses... In the end, isn't that just being a real pig?"
"In this world, how can anyone play the pig for decades without eating a single tiger? If you haven't eaten a single tiger, you are a genuine pig, not a fierce tiger!"
Ying Hongyue's expression turned rather ugly.
Li Hao let out a light laugh. "To play the pig to eat the tiger, you at least have to eat a tiger, don't you? Even if you couldn't eat one, baring your teeth like a dog would at least show a shred of resistance. You've acted like a pig from start to finish, so why shouldn't I see you as an actual pig?"
He smiled brilliantly. "I like using schemes as well, but I am never afraid for the world to know it! Be it Zheng Yu, Li Daoheng, or even the Red Moon Sovereign up in the sky... at the very least, they won't look down on me, Li Hao. Don't you think you're overestimating yourself by comparing your pig head to me?"
He knew this man was extraordinarily confident; even at this moment, Ying Hongyue still believed that if not for Li Hao, he could have orchestrated everything!
Yet... was that the truth?
For someone so confident... how delightful it would be to crush that confidence completely!
In an instant, sword energy soared into the heavens!
A crack seemed to appear in the seal as Li Hao gave a dazzling smile. "Red Moon Sovereign, be our witness: between this Ying Hongyue and me, who is the true hegemon of Silver Moon? Who is the one you actually fear?"
At this moment, Li Hao seemed almost childish.
He actually asked an enemy to judge!
Ying Hongyue's face was utterly grim. In the void, the voice of the Red Moon Sovereign drifted down slowly, laced with faint mockery and disdain: "Ying Hongyue... nothing more than a clown who doesn't even dare use his real name. He fancies himself a peerless schemer, but in our eyes... he is merely a buffoon! Still, no era is ever short of such people..."
"Thank you for the verdict, Sovereign. In a moment, I will surely allow Your Eminence to project a bit more power!"
Li Hao's smile remained bright as his sword energy dispersed, and the seal closed.
Ying Hongyue's face was ice-cold!
Li Hao tore heaven and earth apart with another sword strike. Suddenly, the Void Dao Universe seemed to emerge. Within that universe, a sword slashed forward, as if intent on cutting Li Hao down, but Li Hao's voice echoed through: "Don't misunderstand... I have no intention of fighting over the Time Star... Since both of you are present, give me a moment of your time. I only want to ask one question: in your eyes, what kind of existence is Ying Hongyue?"
Ying Hongyue's expression shifted erratically.
Inside the Void Dao Universe, the two supreme powerhouses, locked in a brutal struggle, both paused slightly.
Damn it!
At a critical juncture like this, you have the leisure to ask such a pointless question?
They didn't want to answer, nor could they be bothered to.
Yet at that moment, Li Hao's voice rang out again: "If you two don't answer me... I will completely shatter the seal right now and let the Red Moon Sovereign come play with both of you!"
Zheng Yu's laughter drifted over: "You really are tiresome, Li Hao! Ying Hongyue? Does he even matter? Just an arrogant little fellow who thinks everything is going according to his plans, when all of it was merely us indulging him... He is simply a conduit for us to weaken the Red Moon Sovereign. He isn't entirely useless—he has ambition, ability, and decent strength... But the day the seal shatters will be the day he dies. His supposed collection of the Eight Great Families' bloodline clones has been watched by us the entire time. Otherwise, how could he have obtained the heritage behind the stone door so easily? Did you not notice that I willingly handed it to him?"
At that moment, Li Daoheng's detached voice also echoed across: "A pawn who fancies himself a chess player—why waste words on him! Li Hao, are you coming in to claim a share?"
Li Hao burst into hearty laughter. "Forget it then. You two carry on; I won't disturb you!"
Boom!
The universe closed shut. In that exact instant, a burst of sword energy slashed out directly from the closing space, only to be instantly shattered by Li Hao. Li Hao smiled. "Truly sinister. I only asked a question, and you still tried to assassinate me..."
He looked back at Ying Hongyue and smiled. "Well?"
The aura on Ying Hongyue had surged to its absolute peak. Of the eight bloodline powers, seven had grown extraordinarily robust!
He glared at Li Hao, his eyes venomous. "You are too childish!"
"Li Hao, do you think their opinions can change anything? Can they crush my confidence? You're dreaming!"
"You actually asked enemies to judge... The more they belittle me, the more it proves they fear me!"
Li Hao laughed. "Fine then. It seems you simply refuse to admit you're useless! You've boosted yourself to your limit now, right? Come on, let's see what you can change. If you act like a pig for long enough, aren't you just a pig? Have you ever fought a Sovereign? Have you ever battled a Heavenly King to the death? Have you ever clashed with a half-step Sovereign? Aside from your slightly stronger aura and your stubborn mouth... you... are nothing!"
In an instant, sword energy soared into the heavens!
The long sword swept across the sky!
The Time Sword struck, piercing the firmament!
Ying Hongyue let out a low roar. At this moment, having completely absorbed the power of his clones, his eight-lineage power was formidable, and his aura was ferociously domineering. He, too, slashed out with his sword, unleashing a burst of thunder!
Li Hao's voice rang out again: "Useless trash. Even today, your supposed martial techniques are nothing more than a crude mishmash of the combat arts of the Eight Great Families! You possess nothing of your own. In my eyes, your sword intent... is utterly hollow!"
Boom!
The long sword burst forth, piercing straight through heaven and earth as the river of time unfurled. With a sharp snap, a blood-soaked wound deep enough to expose bone split open on Ying Hongyue's arm!
Blood poured out!
Ying Hongyue's expression shifted slightly. Right now, his combat prowess was undeniably at the absolute peak of his life; he even felt capable of matching a late-stage Heavenly King!
His immense power caused heaven and earth to tremble.
Yet beneath a single strike, his sword snapped, and his arm was mangled.
Li Hao drifted through the sky, letting out a soft sigh. "Aside from playing your petty schemes, you poured all your heart into underhanded tricks. Beyond that... you have nothing! You made rapid progress, even stepping into the Heavenly King Realm in a short span of time... But who have you ever truly fought? How many genuine life-and-death battles have you experienced?"
Crack!
The long sword erupted with a hundred kinds of sword intent, shattering the thunder in a single blow. Li Hao chuckled. "You look down on the Eight Great Families and humiliate them... yet the skills you use still belong to them. Don't you find that laughable?"
He moved like a phantom, as if stepping out from the river of time.
A great river encircled heaven and earth!
In this moment, it coiled around Ying Hongyue, unleashing sword strike after sword strike.
"You fancy yourself the greatest figure under heaven... How ridiculous, how conceited!"
Li Hao slashed out yet another sword strike. With a thunderous roar, he forced Ying Hongyue into a continuous retreat!
Li Hao's voice rang out once more: "You still have hidden cards and aren't afraid of me killing you... because you are also cultivating the New Dao. Yet today, your New Dao shows no reaction at all. It seems you still have New Dao clones hidden in this Silver Moon land. Do you think that even if you lose this time... you can still stage a comeback?"
Ying Hongyue's expression changed, and he retaliated rapidly, yet he still could not keep up with Li Hao's tempo. Li Hao thrust his sword forward; with a tearing sound, blood sprayed into the air!
Li Hao's voice sounded like the herald of death: "Why do you always love looking down on everyone else? Do you truly believe you can scheme against the entire world? Even I, Li Hao, would not dare claim such a thing. What gives you the right?"
A strand of blood was absorbed by the long sword.
Instantly, a river of chaos emerged. The strand of blood spread through the river and soon merged with portions of Great Dao power. The river surged, tracing that strand of Great Dao power all the way into the void!
Among the hundreds of millions of stars, several flickered with brilliant light!
In that single instant, those stars shattered to dust!
Ying Hongyue's face twisted!
Li Hao spoke with a laugh, "You forgot that I am the master of the Great Dao! What right do you have?"
The moment the stars shattered, people all across the world suddenly suffered injuries!
Li Hao's voice resonated through heaven and earth: "To all Inspectors and Investigation personnel across the world: apprehend anyone who suddenly suffered unexplained injuries just now! Black Panther, follow their auras and hunt them down. I want every single one of them dead!"
The Black Panther darted through the sky and vanished in an instant!
Ying Hongyue looked wretched. Li Hao said calmly, "No need to look so sullen. That was only the corporeal Dao universe. Knowing your cunning, Ying Hongyue, that was just one part of your preparations. Another part is probably hidden in the Void Dao Universe!"
At this moment, Ying Hongyue could remain silent no longer. He bellowed coldly, "Can you control the Void Dao Universe as well? Even if you kill me and wipe out these corporeal Dao clones, the Void Dao clones will eventually become the next me, striking fear and dread into you! I will not perish so easily!"
This man was truly ruthless.
He possessed countless clones!
Some were in the corporeal Dao universe, and others were in the Void Dao Universe.
Li Hao chuckled. "I will make sure you fall into utter despair before I kill you! Ying Hongyue... I want you to watch with your own eyes as every single one of your clones is slaughtered by me, leaving not one behind! I will extinguish every last shred of your hope!"
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, seizing a fleeting opening, Ying Hongyue abruptly threw a punch. Casting aside his sword, he struck with all eight lineages unified, landing a direct blow on Li Hao!
A gleam of delight flashed in his eyes!
He had finally landed a hit!
From start to finish, he had been suppressed by Li Hao, all his plans seemingly anticipated by his foe. But now, he had finally pierced through Li Hao's overwhelming shadow.
Yet in the very next instant, his expression drastically changed!
He recoiled violently!
What had just struck before his eyes was not Li Hao at all, but a long sword. Sword energy crisscrossed, detonating instantly. With a deafening boom, the sword energy pierced through his entire body, blasting Ying Hongyue backward with a deathly pale face!
He threw his head back and roared at the sky, "Li Hao, you only know these deceitful tricks! Do you dare fight me head-on?"
A river of chaos materialized instantly.
It coiled around him!
The great river roared, washing over heaven and earth as the power of myriad Daos converged. Rushing with thunderous momentum, it slammed into his body over and over again. His flesh instantly melted away, releasing torrents of energy. Ying Hongyue bellowed, tearing himself free, his flesh regenerating as his face remained drained of color.
Li Hao reformed into human shape, licked his lips, and chuckled softly. "The fused bloodlines of the Eight Great Families—the blood tastes rather good!"
Ying Hongyue's expression shifted drastically!
This lunatic is drinking my blood raw!
Li Hao walked toward him step by step. "Don't you love fusion? Don't you love the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families? Come, merge with me today. I'm giving you the chance! Ying Hongyue, when given the opportunity, do you not dare take it?"
He spread his arms, looking at him with a laugh. "You are no match for me in any aspect. Right now, I will give you one final chance: come, fuse with me, devour me... If you succeed, you remain Ying Hongyue; if you fail, I will devour you bit by bit. How does that sound?"
Ying Hongyue turned pale and stumbled back several paces.
Li Hao smiled. "Come on! I keep my word. I'm giving you the chance to fuse with me... to absorb the Li family bloodline you covet most. Once all eight lineages are thoroughly unified, perhaps you can jump off this chessboard and become a true player!"
Ying Hongyue gritted his teeth and roared, "Don't push me! Do you think I don't dare?"
"Then come!"
Li Hao barked coldly, "Do you have the guts? You are just a rat who only dares live in the dark shadows. When have you ever dared step out into the light of day?"
Li Hao was exceptionally talkative today.
Everything seemed to be a release, a venting of pent-up grievances.
He wanted to crush all the confidence and hope of the man before him, thoroughly breaking and killing him in his strongest domain!
Ying Hongyue clenched his teeth. In the next moment, with a shrill screech, he suddenly transformed into a Bagua diagram and hurtled straight toward Li Hao, instantly engulfing him. Li Hao didn't dodge at all, allowing the Bagua diagram to envelop him entirely.
Outside, the onlookers were horrified. Zhang An even shouted anxiously, "That is a scaled-down Qiankun Bagua Formation, you..."
He couldn't let him seal him at will!
He knew Li Hao was desperate for revenge and wanted to crush Ying Hongyue across every domain... but in Zhang An's view, simply killing and tormenting Ying Hongyue was more than enough. Why take such a risk?
It was far too dangerous!
The complete version of this seal could imprison a Sovereign!
Ying Hongyue's aura was formidable right now. While not on par with the complete version, Li Hao was currently only at the fourth or fifth tier of the Dao Integration Realm. Although he held the upper hand at every turn, turning the tables at the final moment was an all-too-common occurrence!
Villains died from talking too much!
Li Hao wasn't killing Ying Hongyue immediately, instead engaging in a battle of wills. In Zhang An's eyes, this was utterly irrational—many antagonists had capsized in the gutter precisely like this!
At this moment, Li Hao appeared thoroughly sealed.
The Bagua diagram enveloped his entire body!
Ying Hongyue's shrill voice rang out: "Li Hao, you are far too arrogant!"
Having gained the upper hand, this lunatic had become arrogant beyond belief!
He had allowed him to power up, allowed him to seal him—and now, this might genuinely be his chance to seize the Li family bloodline, gather the Eight Great Families' bloodlines in one body, and achieve complete unification of the eight lineages!
Li Hao was too conceited!
A powerful devouring force radiated from the Bagua diagram. The eight lineages surged, intent on swallowing every drop of bloodline within Li Hao's body.
Yet Li Hao merely sat cross-legged, letting him absorb at will.
Gradually, strands of distinct bloodline power seeped out from Li Hao's body, swallowed by the Bagua formation. The Bagua glowed with mounting brilliance. Ying Hongyue was wild with excitement—the devouring was... actually working!
How... how was this possible?
Even he could hardly believe it!
Had he truly turned the tables?
On the perimeter, the Saints and Dao Integration experts were struck with shock and horror!
Zhang An took a stride forward, intending to enter the fray, but several Dao Integration experts instantly appeared to block his path. Lin Hongyu looked at Zhang An with a heavy expression, shaking her head as she transmitted, "The Marquis instructed... until he kills Ying Hongyue, no one may interfere!"
"You..."
Zhang An was furious. "Can't you see the situation?"
They saw it!
Yet Lin Hongyu remained steadfast. "The Marquis said, under any circumstances!"
"You people..."
Zhang An was rendered speechless!
What kind of time was it to be so stubborn?
Meanwhile, within Li Hao, strands of bloodline power continued to be extracted—a unique bloodline laced with sharp sword intent. The golden radiance in Li Hao's eyes began to dim.
That was the divine ability of Sword Eyes!
Now, as these bloodline powers were stripped away, the Sword Eyes divine ability was dissipating. Ying Hongyue was ecstatic!
Success was at hand!
Li Hao, you were too arrogant!
More and more power was drawn out. Li Hao's aura appeared slightly diminished. Inside his mind, within his spiritual sea, the hundred stars of sword intent began to waver unsteadily!
His sword intent was leaking!
Yet Li Hao's gaze remained crystal clear as he watched silently.
No one knew how much time passed before the Bagua formation grew increasingly dazzling. Ying Hongyue had been wildly overjoyed at first, but now he felt a creeping dread. Throughout the entire process, Li Hao... had not resisted at all!
This filled him with profound unease!
Why wasn't he fighting back?
The Bagua formation was powerful, but Li Hao was no weakling. Why didn't he resist?
Yet having come this far, he could not stop. Fear and unease replaced his excitement and ecstasy.
Just as he drew out the very last wisp of bloodline power, Li Hao suddenly let out a breath. "Finished absorbing? Impressive! To tell you the truth, I've wanted to strip out all the Li family bloodline power for a long time. Li Daoheng clearly left some hidden hands in it, but I couldn't purge it myself... Thank you very much!"
A smile appeared on his face. The golden light that had once shone in his eyes was completely gone.
At this moment, Li Hao seemed to have returned to simplicity, smiling faintly. "The Firmament Sword accompanied my Li family for countless years; its bloodline power had seeped deep into my marrow... Even after replacing my physical body, I couldn't shake off the influence of those bloodlines... I always wanted to strip them away to neutralize Li Daoheng's hidden traps... but I never succeeded. I truly must thank you!"
Ying Hongyue roared shrilly, "Li Hao, do you think stripping away the Li family bloodline means you gained an advantage? Today, my eight lineages shall achieve complete unification..."
In an instant, the Bagua formation reformed into human shape!
The eight bloodlines began their thorough fusion. Ying Hongyue's aura skyrocketed, instantly suppressing Li Hao completely.
A cold sneer surfaced on his face. At this moment, the two were practically face to face. He glared at Li Hao. Eradicating Li Daoheng's hidden traps?
No!
Even if you eradicated them, you still lost!
Li Hao, you were simply too arrogant!
Yet Li Hao didn't even spare him a glance. He merely looked up toward the sky and said softly, "Just about time."
What?
The moment that thought crossed Ying Hongyue's mind, all seven main cities erupted with dazzling light! Within the seal, Sword City also burst forth with radiant brilliance!
The seal in the sky began to tremble violently!
Above Li Hao's head, two words suddenly materialized: Battle Heaven!
"Eight lineages converge—summon the Sovereign's saber!"
Li Hao let out a low shout that shook heaven and earth. Suddenly, beneath Star Suppressing City, a blood saber began to vibrate violently.
In Dali!
The God of Early Martial, who had only just returned, suddenly suffered a drastic shift in expression. Li Hao's voice drifted across: "Senior, pray summon the blood saber, and nourish the Sovereign's saber with the blood of Ying Hongyue!"
The God of Early Martial's face shifted. In the next moment, he gritted his teeth and let out a furious roar, unleashing a mighty burst of vitality that reverberated through the world!
In the distance, beneath Star Suppressing City, the blood saber trembled violently!
In a flash, it ripped out from the ground!
It seemed to burst forth from an entirely different dimension!
A formidable presence flew out from the north, darting through the void in an instant. He grabbed the blood saber with trembling hands, hurtling across shattered space with the saber in hand, arriving above Silver City in the blink of an eye!
At this moment, the God of Early Martial wore a complicated expression.
Below, Li Hao spoke with absolute composure: "Senior, pray use the saber to sever the eight lineages!"
The God of Early Martial's expression wavered. Ying Hongyue's face also warped in terror as he gritted his teeth and roared, "The eight lineages were arranged by the Sword Venerable and the Blood Sovereign to guard Silver Moon! You stay out of all worldly affairs—you cannot strike..."
Li Hao's voice remained calm: "Senior, use the saber to sever the eight lineages!"
The God of Early Martial ignored Ying Hongyue. He merely gave Li Hao a deep, searching look and said in a low rumble, "You... had this prepared all along... You're using me..."
"Senior, strike! Simply fulfill your duty... The fusion of the eight lineages is the finest nourishment!"
The God of Early Martial let out a sigh. Damn it!
He had still been outmaneuvered by this brat!
Strike with the saber?
Of course!
In an instant, the blood saber slashed down! Ying Hongyue, whose eight lineages had just fused, paled drastically and reached out to snatch the great saber. But this was the Sovereign's saber—and what was more, the one wielding it was a half-step Sovereign!
A single slash!
The pillar of blood born of the unified eight lineages shattered instantly. Within the saber, the sleeping cat snapped its jaws open; all the bloodline power vanished in an instant, swallowed whole by the cat!
Delivering the single slash, the God of Early Martial vanished with the saber instantly, his voice echoing back with a mixture of helplessness and irritation: "Don't expect me to owe you a favor; I don't owe you anything! If you want to talk about favors... go find the Blood Sovereign, not me! I'm just an errand boy... Damn it, damn it all!"
Fusing the complete eight great bloodlines made for the ultimate tonic—far more potent than all the faith he had accumulated over the years. The cat within the blade even showed signs of opening its eyes!
For the Blood Sovereign, and for him... this was a debt of gratitude!
Damn it!
How infuriating!
He had helped Li Hao sever his enemy's eight lineages, yet ended up owing a favor instead... Just thinking about it made the God of Early Martial feel swindled, and he vanished from sight in an instant.
And just like that, the eight lineages were cleanly severed!
Ying Hongyue, who had been at the pinnacle only moments before, suddenly suffered a catastrophic collapse in vitality and strength. His face turned ashen as he stared blankly at Li Hao—stared at this young man before him, for whom everything seemed to have gone precisely as foreseen. He mumbled, "You... plotted against me?"
Li Hao looked at him silently for a long time, then murmured, "Plotted? How does this count as plotting? The fusion of the eight lineages was inherently the finest nourishment for that saber. You claim to scheme against the heavens, yet you didn't even know that? If you couldn't even anticipate this, what kind of scheming were you doing? Why didn't Zheng Yu try to fuse the eight lineages? Why didn't Li Daoheng try to fuse the eight lineages? Only you were the cleverest, only you could fuse the eight lineages?"
Li Hao spoke with thick mockery: "Everyone knew the eight lineages could be merged... Even half-step Sovereigns weren't as 'clever' as you, yet you set your whole mind on fusing the eight lineages to become invincible in an instant? Ying Hongyue... how could you possibly be so brilliant?"
Ying Hongyue's face was utterly lifeless as he mumbled, "No, that's not how it is. Fusing the eight lineages allows one to control that saber..."
"The Sovereign's saber—is it yours to control? Its master isn't dead! The fusion of the eight lineages is precisely when the saber strikes. The merging of the eight lineages means someone has devoured the Eight Great Families. To the Blood Sovereign, anyone who dares devour the Eight Great Families... is walking the path to death! Slaughtering one's own kin—how could they not die?"
Li Hao continued to mock him: "So... the moment you achieved the fusion of the eight lineages—or the moment anyone did—was the arrival of their death! Did you... look down on the Neo Martial Sovereigns?"
Ying Hongyue's face was stark white; at this moment, his spirit and will collapsed entirely.
He had pursued the fusion of the eight lineages for an entire lifetime. If he had never succeeded, that would be one thing. But at the very moment of success, when his aura had surpassed Li Hao's and drawn infinitely close to a half-step Sovereign... with a single slash, the eight lineages he had fought for his entire life were utterly gone!
Such a blow could no longer be described merely as despair.
He stared blankly in the direction where the God of Early Martial had vanished, murmuring, "Why... If not by fusing the eight lineages, how could anyone draw near that saber... That saber could only be approached through the fusion of the eight lineages..."
Li Hao sighed. "You are still so foolish. To resurrect the cat he wants to bring back, why would the Blood Sovereign let anyone approach his saber? The saber he left behind was never meant for anyone to approach. Aside from the person he designated, who could possibly draw near?"
That was never a fortuitous opportunity!
Li Hao shook his head. "That saber was never a treasure left for others, you foolish creature. Do you understand now?"
It wasn't an opportunity, so why would it allow you to get close?
Its very purpose was to prevent anyone from interfering with the resurrection of that cat. From the very beginning, the saber's mission was to protect that cat. No one, aside from the God of Early Martial, could take it away!
Ying Hongyue's face was completely drained of color as he stared blankly at Li Hao.
Not an opportunity!
That saber had been regarded by him as the greatest opportunity of his life. According to his calculations, after fusing the eight lineages, he would claim the saber; armed with the Sovereign's saber, so peerlessly mighty, he could even kill a half-step Sovereign!
Yet today, Li Hao told him it was never an opportunity at all!
He mumbled, "The Blood Sovereign... didn't leave behind a fortuitous opportunity..."
Everyone said the Blood Sovereign was benevolent—how could the saber he left behind not be an opportunity?
Li Hao laughed softly. "Why would the Blood Sovereign leave behind an opportunity? Even if he did, it wouldn't be like this. He wanted to resurrect a being he treasured. Even saints have their bottom lines, not to mention a Sovereign who slaughtered his way out of Neo Martial. You dared touch his bottom line? You truly are... an idiot!"
Just like me: if I were to resurrect my teacher, would I turn the place of his resurrection into a treasure trove?
Letting people disrupt it at will to reap benefits?
I would turn that place into the deadliest slaughterhouse, where anyone who dared barge in would die!
The Blood Sovereign had refrained from slaughtering every intruder on the spot; that was already considered merciful!
Yet this fellow had treated it as a fortuitous opportunity... What an utter moron!
"Impossible... impossible... Zheng Yu and the others have been scheming after that saber all along..."
Ying Hongyue still refused to accept it, crying out in despair, "Not just me! They were scheming after that saber as well! His father even died for the sake of that saber... Li Hao, by your logic, isn't Zheng Yu a moron too?"
Li Hao smiled brightly. "They, like me, hoped to fatten up someone like you. Look at you—with the eight lineages fused, weren't you the best nourishment for the blood saber? By feeding that saber, the God of Early Martial owes me a favor... Did you think what they cared about was the saber?"
Wrong!
What they wanted was the God of Early Martial!
You idiot!
"Zheng Yu kept feeding you resources all along—did you really not see through it? Did you think he was feeding you so you could help him take the saber? No, he was fattening you up to feed the saber!"
Pfft!
A mouthful of blood sprayed out as Ying Hongyue bordered on madness.
Fattening me up not to take the saber, but to feed the saber!
He recalled all the benefits Zheng Yu had bestowed upon him during this period—countless boons, even letting him devour his own clones, and allowing him to enter behind the stone door to obtain countless heritages.
He had originally thought the man wanted to deal with the Red Moon Sovereign, using him to claim the saber...
As it turned out, that wasn't it at all!
Zheng Yu had done it so that he would grow powerful, unify the eight lineages, and then be fed to that saber—thereby putting the God of Early Martial in his debt, leading to an alliance to kill Li Daoheng!
So that was it!
They had never planned to touch that saber. Even if they did, it wouldn't be now, but after attaining Sovereign status!
Li Hao lightly patted his cheek and chuckled softly. "Even if they refine Silver Moon, they might still encounter Neo Martial in the future... Why would they lightly touch that saber? You really are stupid... They were all thinking about how to help the Blood Sovereign resurrect that cat. Then... even if all the people of Silver Moon died, as long as they presented that cat, the Blood Sovereign would protect them to the death! In truth, everyone here is worth less than that single cat... Even if the Human King flew into a rage, the Blood Sovereign's steadfast protection would ensure Neo Martial wouldn't target them... You still don't understand!"
On the perimeter, even Zhang An froze, his entire person going blank for a moment.
Li Hao's voice was laden with coldness: "Did you think people only look at what's in front of their eyes? Only look at Silver Moon? Neo Martial must still exist! If anyone truly ruined the Blood Sovereign's plans, the moment they stepped out of Silver Moon, they would face the pursuit of an invincible Sovereign! Even the Sovereigns of Neo Martial would hunt them down! Even Zhang An's status in Neo Martial isn't as high as that dead cat's. Do you understand now?"
Ying Hongyue stared blankly at Li Hao like a lunatic. Li Hao gave a chilling smile. "So, what made you think you could lightly lay a hand on that saber? Be it the eight main cities or the small world of Silver Moon, all of this can be cast aside by Neo Martial... Only the cat inside that saber... can never be abandoned!"
He turned to Zhang An and smiled. "Director Zhang, do you think what I said is correct?"
Zhang An was taken aback. After a long pause, he nodded.
Even in my case... Grandfather has more than one grandson; if I die... so be it.
Grandfather could sacrifice him for the greater good.
Yet... the Blood Sovereign appeared gentle, but that cat was something he was determined to resurrect. If the resurrection failed, if hope was completely extinguished, a reincarnator of the Emperor of Battle Heaven, a supreme powerhouse who was both teacher and friend to the Human King... if he flew into a mad fury, Neo Martial might even abandon the war against the Red Moon Great World just to hunt down the one who ruined the resurrection plan!
Who would dare make a rash move?
No one would dare!
Had the Blood Sovereign truly inherited all of the Emperor of Battle Heaven's strength?
If he had... even his grandfather wouldn't be a match for him. An invincible powerhouse like the Sun God would perhaps only be on equal footing.
At this moment, even Zhang An fell into a daze.
All of this... it seems I never considered it, either.
Ying Hongyue fell into absolute despair; before his eyes lay only endless darkness. Li Hao reached out gently, gripping his head and patting his cheek. "Ying Hongyue, as I said, killing you takes merely a single thought! What other hidden cards do you have? Your fusion of the eight lineages—I let you achieve it. Now... do you have anything left?"
Li Hao had allowed him to climb to the absolute peak of his life!
He had allowed him to achieve the fusion of the eight lineages he had chased for so long, only to snatch it away in a single instant!
In this moment, Ying Hongyue broke down completely, trembling in frantic despair: "Kill me... Li Hao... kill me..."
"Kill me!"
He had gone mad, roaring hysterically, "The fusion of the eight lineages—it was all a trap! A trap..."
The unification of the eight lineages he had pursued for decades was actually nothing but a trap!
Then what was the meaning of everything he had sacrificed?
He thought back to the past, thought of that time in Silver Moon, thought of the martial masters who had followed him... Turning to look, not a single one remained!
I thought I could reach the apex.
Yet my fall from the summit took only an instant!
This was more agonizing than death itself!
My fusion of the eight lineages!
"Kill me!"
Ying Hongyue wailed wretchedly, completely deranged, struggling violently as blood began to seep from his seven orifices.
He refused to accept this!
He truly refused to accept it!
Even when defeated and crushed by Li Hao, he had never felt such despair.
Li Hao's expression was cold. "A rat like you collapses into despair so easily? How could that be! Do you think I'll spare you and let you suffer... Do you love trying to fathom people's minds that much?"
Right then, Li Hao slashed out with his sword. In the distance, the Black Panther returned with a group of people, whom Li Hao slaughtered cleanly in an instant!
Ying Hongyue's aura plummeted further!
At the same time, Li Hao tore the firmament open once more. A stream of blood surged within. In the void, a burst of sword energy erupted, and Li Hao swung his sword to deflect it!
"Li Daoheng! Help me detect all Void Dao lineages connected to this blood!"
"Li Hao!"
A cold voice echoed through the world. You are crossing the line!
Li Hao's voice remained calm: "Help me this once, and aside from the Time Sword, I will gift you a copy of the remaining ninety-nine sword intents of the Bright Moon Sword for you to study!"
The void instantly froze!
Zheng Yu's voice drifted over as well, carrying a hint of surprise: "You lunatic... to kill a buffoon, is it worth it? Even if a few clones survive, what difference could it make?"
The Bright Moon Sword Dao!
They had all witnessed it; they had even seen the Thousand Swords strike earlier. It was extraordinarily powerful—it represented all the Great Dao insights Li Hao had gathered after taking charge of the Great Dao and comprehending the Longevity Sword intent.
Neither Li Daoheng nor Zheng Yu had ever taken Ying Hongyue seriously; as Li Hao said, he was merely fodder to feed that saber.
Yet, to slaughter Ying Hongyue's Void Dao clones, Li Hao was actually willing to hand over the true essence of his Sword Dao!
Even though both were half-step Sovereigns, neither would belittle the sword intent essence of a Dao Lord.
Li Daoheng's voice came through: "Agreed!"
A strand of blood instantly merged into the Void Dao Universe. In the next moment, the universe trembled. All across the world, screams of agony abruptly erupted!
Li Hao said nothing. Around him, Saints and Dao Integration experts vanished one after another.
Before long, cultivators were dragged back, one by one.
At this moment, Ying Hongyue fell completely silent.
He merely looked at Li Hao, and after a long time, let out a self-deprecating laugh. "To kill me... truly... such madness that I can hardly believe it... It seems even dying is worth it..."
To kill him, Li Hao had truly gone insane!
He had promised the Red Moon Sovereign to release more of his power.
He had promised Li Daoheng the true essence of his Sword Dao.
He had given up the Li family bloodline and handed over the fusion of the eight lineages...
In Li Hao's eyes, all the heroes under heaven seemed less important than the pleasure of killing him. He had even exposed the Time Star.
Ying Hongyue looked around at the clones being reduced to dust.
In this moment, his heart died completely. He sighed softly. "Perhaps my greatest mistake... was waiting, waiting for you to rise... Perhaps from that very day, I was wrong; I should have killed you immediately!"
Li Hao remained expressionless. "Time for you to hit the road. No matter how great the price paid to kill you, I consider it worth it... because... I despise you!"
Snap!
Bones splintered inch by inch, and flesh sprayed!
Li Hao crushed him down bit by bit, shattering his bones inch by inch. Ying Hongyue groaned repeatedly, refusing to cry out. He clenched his teeth until they shattered, a feral glint surfacing in his eyes: "You want to see me utterly broken and despairing... I won't give you the satisfaction! Li Hao... even in death, I will become your nightmare!"
"I don't care about any of that anymore. All I care about is your absolute death!"
Crack!
His tongue was crushed, and Ying Hongyue could make no more sound. The surrounding onlookers watched silently.
They watched as Ying Hongyue was crushed into fragments bit by bit by Li Hao, yet a pair of eyes remained, staring wide open at it all!
At this moment, Li Hao was so calm he hardly seemed like a living man.
In the sky, a corner of the seal began to crumble. A surge of Red Moon power welled up as an illusory figure began to take shape. Li Hao watched that direction quietly.
That illusory figure grew increasingly formidable.
More and more powerful!
After a long time, it assumed the likeness of the Red Moon Sovereign. He looked at Li Hao, seemingly eager to charge over and finish this fellow off right now, for Li Hao gave him a distinct sense of threat.
At this moment, the eight main cities vibrated wildly!
In the distance, a blood saber seemed suspended in the sky, and someone held the saber, seemingly locked onto this location. The Red Moon Sovereign sighed softly. "Leaving you alive always feels... like it will bring great trouble!"
With that, he sighed, shattered the void with a single punch, and vanished on the spot in the next instant, plunging into the Void Dao Universe!
Boom!
The eight main cities radiated light, and the seal closed once more!
Ying Hongyue's eyes dimmed completely. That Sovereign clone... ultimately chose not to kill Li Hao.
Li Hao let out a cold laugh. "What were you hoping for? If he dared lay a hand on me... wouldn't the eight bloodlines have been fed for nothing?"
Ying Hongyue's pair of eyes dimmed entirely, dissolving into ash in an instant!
Ah.
I forgot.
My fused eight lineages fed that saber; that God of Early Martial... would surely have intervened!
Could a Sovereign clone match that man wielding the blood saber?
Probably... not!
In Dali.
The God of Early Martial sighed, cursing under his breath. Damn it!
Why didn't he attack?
If he had attacked, I could have slain that clone, and we would have been even—I wouldn't owe you anything!
How infuriating!
He felt deeply annoyed. He hadn't wanted to get involved, but Li Hao had fed the blood saber the unified eight lineages, and the cat inside seemed close to reviving. This favor was far too heavy!
...
Silver City.
The eight cities suppressed the realm, and the seal closed.
Ying Hongyue was thoroughly reduced to smoke and dust.
All around, the crowd watched Li Hao silently. At this moment, Li Hao spoke not a word, vanishing from the spot in an instant and landing on a hilltop. Wisps of ash drifted across the mountain.
Li Hao quietly gazed at several empty graves on the hill, murmuring silently in his heart: I... have slain one of the chief culprits!
Ying Hongyue is dead!
He tilted his head to look at the sky. Now, only those few formidable enemies remain. They are chief culprits as well, and I will not spare a single one of them!
"Dad, Mom, Xiao Yuan... it won't be long!"
Li Hao murmured.
That day would not be far off. Every enemy in this land of Silver Moon would be thoroughly eradicated by him!
In that moment, the Great Dao surged, and a giant dragon soared.
Surges of Dao meridian aura washed between heaven and earth!
Li Hao's Dao meridians began opening once again.
From the original 144 Dao meridians, the count began to climb frantically.
A faint smile appeared on his face. Only today had he finally slain the man he had hated for so long; it felt almost like a personal failure to have taken this long.
Yet at this moment, the haze in his heart cleared considerably.
Chapter 400