After the Battle

Ying Hongyue was dead! From the day he walked out of Silver City, Li Hao had resolved to kill this sworn enemy, to kill this butcher. Now, through countless schemes and stratagems, he had finally eliminated him once and for all! Corporeal Dao clone, Illusory Dao clone, true body, eight-veins clones... Ying Hongyue had arguably been the most troublesome adversary of this era. Li Hao had barely interacted with figures like Zheng Yu, and they had never truly clashed. In their few encounters, Li Hao had not suffered any losses, so he had never felt particularly pressured. Only Ying Hongyue was different... Li Hao had crossed paths with him long ago, yet had continuously been unable and hesitant to kill him! Killing him was harder than killing a half-step Sovereign. At this moment, much of the gloom weighing on Li Hao lifted, leaving his Dao heart clear and natural. In this era, cultivating the martial path meant cultivating the mind; when obstacles blocked the heart, advancing along the Great Dao was difficult. Today, a colossal obstruction had been swept away, and his Great Dao surged unceasingly. Though he appeared calm on the surface, he was not calm at all. Standing before the empty grave, he was gripped by an emotional complexity no one else could fathom. Who could have imagined that Li Hao—who, a little over a year ago, was still fretting over how to step into the supernatural realm—would today slay multiple Heavenly Kings and destroy his greatest enemy, Ying Hongyue? A faint smile touched Li Hao's lips. *Did you see that?* *Can you... see it?* *Among these myriad stars, is there one that belongs to you?* *Probably... not, right?* Looking as though he might laugh or weep, he thought, *Most likely not.* *Even if I take control of the world, could I ever resurrect you?* *Neither my parents nor Xiaoyuan were cultivators. They never practiced the arts. Even with innate Dao bodies or innate Dao meridians, there probably isn't a single star for them, is there?* *Among the endless stars across this firmament, does one belong to you?* *Even if there is... could I ever find it?* Throughout the countless years of the Silver Moon world, how many mortals had been born, and how many had perished? How many faint, dust-like stars still lingered in this Great Dao Universe? To search among these countless specks of dust for the one that belonged to you... even a lifetime might not suffice. Li Hao's smile grew tinged with bitterness. He looked up into the starry sky, sensing the faint ripples drifting from the distance, and his gaze suddenly turned cold. Ying Hongyue might have been wrong about everything else, but he had been right about one thing: the Silver Moon world had suffered countless disasters in recent decades, and if nothing else, the three bastards in the Illusory Dao universe were guilty beyond pardon! Right now, the Great Dao fluctuated. The Corporeal Dao universe also seemed to have been affected. Coupled with the earlier self-detonations of the three Heavenly Kings, the Corporeal Dao universe churned violently. Lost in thought, Li Hao looked into the far distance. Across Mount Cang, the God of Early Martial had vanished. Just now, the Red Moon Sovereign had not dared to make a move against him, partly because he was contending for the Time Star, and partly out of wariness toward that deity and that saber. Everything Ying Hongyue had hoped for had been entirely impossible from the start. Moreover, a series of thoughts flashed through Li Hao's mind... Today, one objective remained unfulfilled: Heaven's Will had not appeared. Even when Li Hao had been besieged by seven Heavenly Kings, Heaven's Will had made no appearance. Even when the Time Star emerged, Heaven's Will still had not shown itself. *Heaven's Will... where did it go?* Li Hao surveyed his surroundings, looking at each of the powerhouses present. *Is Heaven's Will... hiding among these people?* *Does it think the time is not yet ripe?* *Or does it believe showing its head right now would mean falling into my trap?* Thoughts flickered through his mind in rapid succession. In the Silver Moon world, Heaven's Will was still immensely important. Granting you benefits might be troublesome for it, but creating trouble for you could catch you completely off guard. In truth, baiting Heaven's Will into revealing itself had been one of Li Hao's goals. Yet it had not appeared! He cast another look around. Above him, stars shone brilliantly as his Dao meridians opened one after another. Having absorbed the power of the past and the future, his strength had already increased significantly. Even though he had not actively opened meridians earlier, they were ready to unlock at any moment. At this moment, the number of stars climbed steadily from 144. Soon, the stars trembled. One hundred and eighty stars emerged! In an instant, they aligned into five circulating cycles. The moment he killed Ying Hongyue, Li Hao almost instantaneously broke through to the fifth tier of the Dao Integration Realm! Not only that, but although his spiritual sea world had been gravely wounded by Li Daoheng's sword strike, the Time Star's prolonged stay had prevented it from weakening, instead making it slightly stronger. The core of the Moon Sword intent—the Time Star representing the Sword of Time—was also more potent than before. Sword intents that could not be accommodated previously were now forming stars as well. Li Hao had comprehended 188 branching sword intents from the Longevity Sword intent. Previously, he had only condensed one hundred—or rather, ninety-nine, excluding the Time Sword intent. At this moment, the Hundred Dao Sword also began to coalesce, growing ever stronger. All around, everyone sensed the fluctuations of the Great Dao. Across the entire Haoxing continent, countless ordinary mortals waited in confusion, not knowing what the situation was. Had the Great Dao Universe merged into heaven and earth or not? No one knew. However, because Li Hao had slain multiple Heavenly Kings without absorbing their energy directly, allowing it instead to dissipate into the world, the atmospheric energy grew increasingly rich. Yet if someone claimed the Great Dao Universe had merged into heaven and earth right now... even civilian cultivators felt it lacked sufficient impact and fell short of expectations. At that moment, Li Hao's face appeared across the sky as the sky screen opened once again. "The plan to merge the Great Dao Universe into Silver Moon was disrupted by the enemy... Though we have slain seven or eight Heavenly Kings, half-step Sovereigns appeared—multiple half-step Sovereigns, and even a Sovereign—who obstructed the process of merging the Great Dao Universe into Silver Moon!" Li Hao's voice echoed through the world: "Nevertheless, after this battle, all threats below the half-step Sovereign realm in our Silver Moon lands have been thoroughly eradicated!" His voice rose in pitch: "These half-step Sovereigns and Sovereigns... will not be prancing about for long either. When the time comes, we will strike again! The realm has returned to normal. With so many Heavenly Kings fallen recently, energy is abundant. Once we slay the half-step Sovereigns and Sovereigns... the world will evolve naturally! With us here, there is no need to fear these cowards!" The entire populace fell silent. There was no panic, only a touch of bewilderment. Just how powerful were half-step Sovereigns and Sovereigns? They did not quite understand! Yet it sounded extraordinarily formidable. As for Heavenly Kings, they had a vague idea; they were said to be at the fourth tier of the Dao Integration Realm or higher, a terrifying stage of cultivation. The Marquis had killed quite a few last time, and having killed another batch today... no one found anything amiss. Meanwhile, the cultivators who knew and understood more felt immense lingering fear and apprehension. Half-step Sovereigns? Sovereigns? Did such legendary beings and realms truly still exist in the Silver Moon world? It was unbelievable! Heavenly Kings were not weak even back in the Neo Martial era, yet... a whole batch of them had been slaughtered just like that? Just how powerful had the Marquis of Silver Moon become? Although the plan to merge the Great Dao had failed this time, no one felt anything was wrong. The world's energy had indeed risen again, and by a substantial margin. For the common people... it was currently more than enough for cultivation. They had merely spent a bit of time, drawn upon a great deal of the Spring of Life, and felt the surge in energy. For everyone, nothing had been lost; they were all overjoyed. As for encroaching powerhouses... the people believed that as long as the Marquis of Silver Moon was here, there would be no problem. By now, everyone held unconditional trust in Li Hao. Because every time a formidable enemy attacked, they were either repelled or slain. Ever since Li Hao had taken control of the realm, no major chaos had broken out on the Haoxing continent. *** "Marquis!" Only at this point did Lin Hongyu and the others dare to approach Li Hao. Li Hao's aura had grown increasingly formidable. However, after reaching 180 Dao meridians, he had stopped opening more, choosing instead to unlock Illusory Dao sword intents. Inside his spiritual sea world, the number of Illusory Dao sword intent stars had reached over 130. In terms of cultivation realm, Li Hao had stepped into the fifth tier of the Dao Integration Realm... The increase was not as massive as one might think and fell short of his original expectations for this endeavor. He had paid a heavy price this time. He had exposed his spiritual sea world, lost the element of surprise for an ambush on the Illusory Dao universe, revealed the Time Star, and shown all his trump cards... In the end, he had merely killed one Ying Hongyue and a few Heavenly Kings who did not alter the overall situation. His cultivation realm had only risen by a single minor level. In the eyes of outsiders... setting aside personal vendettas, it was thoroughly not worth it. The fifth tier of the Dao Integration Realm was roughly equivalent to the middle-to-late Heavenly King Realm. And that referred to Heavenly Kings without the origin path. Only at the sixth tier, or even the peak of the sixth tier, could one match a peak Heavenly King, which was still some distance from a half-step Sovereign. To rival a half-step Sovereign, one needed at least the seventh tier of the Dao Integration Realm; matching a top-tier half-step Sovereign might even require the eighth or ninth tier. At this moment, Zhang An landed as well and looked at Li Hao with a sigh of admiration. For a moment, he did not know what to say and offered a helpless smile. "I have always wanted to resolve those traitors, yet now... aside from Li Daoheng and Zheng Yu, you have killed them all!" He had schemed for so long. Yet before he could even figure out how to deal with Zheng Yu, Li Hao had already slaughtered everyone except Zheng Yu and Li Daoheng! Even Zhang An could not help marveling that Li Hao... truly resembled his own grandfather. That Supreme revered by everyone in Neo Martial! At least in terms of foresight and calculations, Li Hao succeeded every single time. Moreover, they were open schemes—the kind where you knew it was a trap, yet had no choice but to step into it. Even his machinations possessed grand majesty! If that God of Early Martial was indeed Tianji's clone, then for someone who had managed to stay hidden until the end of time even in the Neo Martial era to be forced out of his seclusion this time showed true capability! He had been left with no choice but to step forward! The convergence of the eight bloodlines was a gift Li Hao had delivered to him and that saber... Even if Tianji did not care about himself, he had to consider that saber, so that figure was likely depressed to the extreme right now. Endless sighs of admiration filled Zhang An's heart! Li Hao was a truly capable man! A thought surfaced in Zhang An's mind once more: if Li Hao could survive the trial of Silver Moon, his future might even surpass his grandfather's. Of course, whether he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Human King remained to be seen. Though the Human King was not skilled at scheming and disliked doing so, his overbearing might and sheer valor were unmatched by anyone. At this moment, one could clearly sense that Li Hao and the Human King were two entirely different kinds of people. Behind him, several Saints were at a loss. All the targets were dead... leaving only two half-step Sovereigns. What were these Saints supposed to do now? Go kill a half-step Sovereign? Or what? It seemed... there was nothing left for them to do. For a time, they felt helpless and turned toward Zhang An. They had originally followed Zhang An thinking that Neo Martial people would avenge their own grievances, but as it turned out, the greatest contribution Zhang An's side had made from beginning to end was conquering Galaxy City! Just then, the Zhang family Saint from Dingtian City suddenly spoke up: "Marquis Li, we are powerless against half-step Sovereigns; the gap is far too vast! However, it is said that if Neo Martial cultivators transplant their Great Dao into the new path, it can stabilize the new path. If so, could the Marquis take another step forward? Could you step into the seventh tier of the Dao Integration Realm and rival a half-step Sovereign? There are not many of us, but we are all genuine origin path Saints!" This man possessed peerless saber intent and formidable combat power. When Dingtian City's guardian monster plant had rebelled, he had executed it on the spot. Moreover, the Zhang family was Xiaoyuan's ancestral lineage. To directly propose joining Silver Moon right now would seem overly mercenary! Yet by phrasing it as using their origin path to stabilize the new path and propel Li Hao further, it carried not the slightest hint of opportunism. Instead, it sounded righteous and magnificent: *I offer my origin path to stabilize the new path! To aid Li Hao so he may battle half-step Sovereigns!* What magnificent breadth of mind! Indeed, had they bluntly offered to join the new path faction, the Silver Moon martial masters would have been displeased, wondering why they were only showing up now instead of earlier. Yet now... hearing these words, the Silver Moon martial masters thought it made complete sense! They were all genuine origin path Saints! If these people transplanted their Dao to stabilize the Great Dao Universe and the river of the Great Dao... though they were few in number, it would indeed provide considerable assistance. For a moment, no one objected, and all felt it was worth considering. Of course, it required Li Hao's consent. Such was the art of speech. That Zhang family Saint looked upright and simple... but the moment those words were spoken, Qian Wuliang and a few others looked at him several times. He was quite a figure. Even before Zhang An had spoken, this man had stepped forward, instantly winning the goodwill of many! He was truly worthy of being the descendant of an official. His ancestor had been a governor of Neo Martial and a half-step Sovereign from the hometown of figures like the Human King. If Li Hao was compared to the Human King, this man's ancestor held a status equivalent to Zhao Shuguang. Li Hao did not say much, merely glancing across the many Neo Martial Saints. Redwood and the others included. Although they had constantly spoken of cultivating the new path, in reality, they had only been comprehending it. None had formally switched paths yet, so they were not considered new path cultivators, but origin path cultivators. There were quite a few Neo Martial Saints. If they all switched paths and integrated into the new path, as the Zhang family Saint had noted, it would indeed help stabilize it. Glancing at the void, then at the ripples in the Great Dao Universe and the lingering residual energy left behind by the deaths of multiple Heavenly Kings... Li Hao suddenly smiled. "Very well! Let us seize this opportunity to transform all Neo Martial cultivators willing to walk the new path... into new path cultivators! Shanqi and the rest have been waiting all along... Now is a fleeting chance that must not be missed! No one will obstruct us, and no one will interfere... Those three fellows are fighting to the death in the Illusory Dao universe; they won't be coming out anytime soon!" Zhang An frowned slightly. "Are we really going to leave them alone for now? If the Time Star is truly captured..." That would be catastrophic trouble! Was he not going to think of any solution? Li Hao shook his head. "I have no way to deal with them. They all possess half-step Sovereign strength, and there are three of them! The Time Star will not be captured so easily, and with the three of them checking each other, a triangle is the most stable structure. If it were only Zheng Yu, I might worry he couldn't defeat Li Daoheng... but none of the three currently has the strength to fight two at once!" If there were only two, it would be troublesome. A life-and-death struggle might decide ownership. With three, however... it became interesting. Three monks have no water to drink! Any two could easily overpower the third, forming the most stable deadlock. Right now, if even one were missing, Li Hao would have to worry about a disaster. Zhang An nodded slightly. After a moment of thought, he spoke: "I have no objection to them switching to the new path. Since you've agreed... all the better! To reach this stage... frankly, I never expected you to resolve all troubles below the half-step Sovereign realm so quickly! Your capabilities far exceed mine. If everyone is willing... they are yours to command." He paused briefly before continuing, "That you have come this far greatly exceeded my expectations! Still, I have one question... I wish to ask." "Please speak freely, Senior!" Zhang An looked at him, remaining silent for a long moment before saying, "What if... I mean hypothetically, if none of you can advance to Sovereign, and Li Daoheng and Zheng Yu are willing to join hands with you—a three-way alliance to slay that Sovereign from Red Moon... would you be willing?" Li Hao looked at him deeply without uttering a word. Zhang An continued, "As things stand, that Sovereign remains the greatest threat, and he hails from the Red Moon universe! It would be exceedingly difficult for any single party to kill him! Moreover, everyone worries about the other two reaping the benefits... If the three factions join forces to kill the Sovereign first, eliminating the strongest combatant before deciding the victor... perhaps both of them would be willing!" As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding powerhouses fell silent. Zhang An's suggestion was not bad. If such an opportunity truly existed, slaying the Sovereign first before settling their own life-and-death feud would not only offer a higher chance of success, but also eradicate an enormous calamity. A Sovereign was simply too powerful! Even Li Daoheng, whose plans had repeatedly been foiled by Li Hao—did he still possess his previous certainty of killing the Sovereign? Li Hao smiled. "We shall see. At the very least, I will only entertain such thoughts once I reach the seventh tier of the Dao Integration Realm... Otherwise, as I am now, any random half-step Sovereign could kill me. Cooperating with them would be nothing short of walking into a tiger's jaws, wouldn't it?" Zhang An's suggestion was not wrong. It was simply... impossible right now. Currently, Li Hao was the weakest, yet he controlled the Corporeal Dao universe, which both Zheng Yu and Li Daoheng desperately desired. If the Time Star escaped this time, the two of them would be even less inclined to let Li Hao off easily. Because only Li Hao might have a chance of drawing that star out again. How that star had appeared in the first place was completely beyond their understanding. Furthermore, each attempt grew harder than the last. Now, even if Li Daoheng conjured a galaxy or forged a Sword of Time... those were tricks Li Hao had already played. The Time Star would have no interest and would not appear. Even if someone conjured three-lifetime bodies again, the star had already witnessed it. Without something newer and more novel, once it hid away, who could catch it? Li Hao dropped the topic. Glancing into the void, he smiled. "Very well, while we have the chance, whoever wishes to convert their Dao should make it quick. If we delay, once those fellows finish their battle, they might come looking for trouble with me!" Heaven and earth were not yet able to fully accommodate the manifestation of half-step Sovereigns. Earlier, it was only because the Great Dao Universe had overlapped excessively with the mortal realm. Now, as the spiritual universe was retracted, the Corporeal Dao universe would close off as well. From here on, it would be extremely difficult for half-step Sovereigns to emerge. Of course, the Red Moon Sovereign did not care! If he wanted to come out, he might break out directly... and would even welcome the destruction of the seal. But the other two would most likely not give him that chance, or at least Li Daoheng wouldn't. None of that concerned Li Hao anymore. He needed to swiftly complete the conversion for these people and seal off the Corporeal Dao universe. A group of Saints switching paths was indeed beneficial to him. Without further delay, Li Hao immediately set to work assisting them in converting their Dao. *** Inside the Illusory Dao universe. The three powerhouses truly had no leisure to worry about Li Hao right now. The three chased after the celestial body, while the Time Star ahead seemed startled, fleeing unceasingly, covering infinite distances with each leap. Had the three not possessed the power of half-step Sovereigns, they likely would have lost track of it already. At this moment, Zheng Yu let out a sigh: "Even knowing Li Hao did this intentionally... we still fell for his trick. This star is not easy to catch! Red Moon Sovereign, why didn't you eliminate Li Hao directly earlier to save us this trouble? Li Daoheng and I might not have caught this star either. If we lose it now, the three of us will end up with nothing, all to Li Hao's benefit!" Behind them, the Red Moon Sovereign's clone held his hands behind his back, unhurried, seemingly drifting casually along behind the other two as he looked around to familiarize himself with the universe. Thunder gathered in the sky above. However, the Red Moon energy within this clone was not excessively dense. Though the thunder was powerful, he could withstand it. Hearing Zheng Yu's words, his expression remained tranquil. "This Sovereign thought it over—why bother? If Li Hao is to be killed, you two should be the anxious ones! This Sovereign cannot control this Great Dao Universe anyway. At least until my true body emerges, it has nothing to do with me... Why should I eliminate an opponent for you?" Zheng Yu chuckled softly. "Is the Sovereign afraid he cannot best that one from Dali?" Both were clones, but one had just been condensed, while the other had been formed a hundred thousand years ago and held a blood saber... In all likelihood... this clone was no match for that one. The Red Moon Sovereign took no offense, remaining serene. "Zheng Yu, if you wish to goad this Sovereign, your methods are a bit lacking! Furthermore, Li Daoheng poses a far greater threat than this Sovereign's clone... Right now, you and I joining hands to resolve him would be the proper course!" After all, this was the Illusory Dao universe, where Li Daoheng was stronger and more familiar with his surroundings. His words were not wrong; in this place, that man was indeed the greatest threat. It was more appropriate for him and Zheng Yu to join hands and suppress Li Daoheng. Zheng Yu merely laughed. "Resolve him... and your true body will forcibly break the seal! In this day and age, the seal has weakened considerably. It is not as though the Sovereign cannot break through by paying a certain price... It is just that you still have reservations right now. If Li Daoheng is truly slain, will the Sovereign still have any misgivings?" The Red Moon Sovereign smiled faintly and said no more. The three powerhouses continuously breached the void. This Great Dao Universe seemed boundless. There was no end in sight! Had they been in the Silver Moon world, tracking across this distance would have brought the three half-step Sovereigns to the world barrier long ago. Yet in this Great Dao Universe, even they had not sighted the world's edge. If they continued chasing like this, even half-step Sovereigns might become lost. Up ahead, the sword-bearing man frowned slightly. Further ahead, a river of stars coiled around. Like Li Hao, he had transformed into a river of stars to pursue the celestial body. The sword-bearing man turned back to look at the two figures trailing behind him and said coldly, "This star is the center of the Dao. At this moment, it lacks something to attract it, making it impossible to halt! Continuing this chase is an exercise in futility... The key still lies with Li Hao; he might have a chance of drawing this star out again..." Pursuing it like this was far too difficult! Zheng Yu smiled. "Brother Li, do you think Li Hao will help you draw this star out again? Better to keep chasing. Perhaps... once we reach the edge of the universe, it will stop. The Great Dao Universe is merely a newborn universe after all; could it truly be infinite?" The sword-bearing man glanced toward him and suddenly sneered, "Zheng Yu, you don't seem worried at all about Li Hao growing stronger. You are even calmer than the Red Moon Sovereign and me! It seems you still have cards up your sleeve..." Zheng Yu shook his head. "Brother Li overthinks things. I simply feel there is no need to worry. If I can win, I win; if I truly lose... I will treat it as a Sovereign Tribulation. Heavenly tribulations are tribulations, and human tribulations are tribulations as well! If one cannot cross a heavenly tribulation, then crossing a human tribulation... might also offer hope of attaining the Sovereign realm!" A human tribulation! The sword-bearing man glanced at him and said no more. The statement was not fallacious; the heavenly tribulation of a Sovereign was meant to temper the mind, and a human tribulation served the same purpose. If one truly had the power to shatter a human tribulation, even if a heavenly tribulation remained, one would fear it no longer! At this moment, the three seemed less like enemies as they chatted within the boundless cosmos. They had been too lonely! One trapped in Hurricane City, one dwelling upon the moon, one sealed within the world barrier... For a hundred thousand years, all three had remained awake, yet without communicating, watching the changes of heaven and earth in silence. Now, rare opportunity had placed the three in the same domain. Be they mortal foes or unsettled grudges, conversing here while the star remained out of reach provided a rare reprieve from a hundred thousand years of solitude. *** While the three chatted and pursued the star at their leisure, back in the Silver Moon land... Paths of the origin Dao manifested, crisscrossing heaven and earth. Simultaneously, other Great Daos appeared, severed directly by Li Hao! Those were the Daos of the Heavenly Kings! Several of the Heavenly Kings were not completely dead, but would Li Hao show mercy? It was better that they died completely! The dissipation of their origin power would bring substantial energy to the realm, supplementing the Neo Martial cultivators who were switching paths. This conversion was somewhat different from previous ones. In the past, people reconstructed their physical bodies and started afresh. This time... Li Hao did not help them reconstruct their physical bodies. Reaching the level of a Saint, they were already immensely powerful. This time, Li Hao directly drove their Daos through the universe to condense the stars they required. Only a single star each! Which also meant only a single Dao meridian! If they wanted other Dao meridians, they would have to forge them themselves. For beings at the Saint level, condensing Dao meridians was not overly difficult. Li Hao did this not merely to save effort, but because reconstructing physical bodies consumed too much energy and wasted too much time. However, doing it this way left these individuals with a slight disadvantage compared to those who had reconstructed their bodies. First, their Great Dao had lower compatibility with the new path universe, requiring time to be tempered before it could fully integrate. Second, because they possessed only a single Dao meridian, they had to condense the rest on their own. They could not steadily and immediately surge toward higher realms like Wang Ye and the others, but had to fill out their meridians before advancing step by step. All of this had to be done by themselves. All Li Hao did was connect them to the new path universe. Quite a few Saints underwent the transition this time—not just one or two. Li Fuhai, the Ninth Division Commander, General Locust, Old Turtle, Vajra Wood, the Zhang family Saint, the two Saint Elders of the Wulin Alliance, and Redwood were all converting. The other Saint under Zhang An's command remained enigmatic and did not convert. Li Hao glanced over, unconcerned. What other Saint? It was Zhang An himself! The Zhang An who cultivated the origin path! The Zhang An visible before them currently cultivated the new path. These Neo Martial powerhouses had a penchant for producing multiple clones at every turn; he had grown accustomed to it long ago. As these Saints switched paths, cultivators at the Immortal Realm and Peak Realm followed suit. Monster plants joined in succession as well. The new path... had become an unstoppable tide! Anyone with eyes could see that the new path had far surpassed the origin path, at least in this world. Li Hao's strength had surged, and the appearance of the Time Star had led even Zhang An to suspect... that the potential of this new path universe might surpass that of the origin path! Why the Time Star would appear within the new path, and why the new path would give birth to time... even Li Hao did not understand. Yet that did not stop everyone from recognizing the immense potential of the new path universe! This was also why the Neo Martial cultivators who had previously been in no hurry to switch paths were now anxious to do so. If they did not seize the opportunity now... as Li Hao's strength continued to grow, would he still permit Neo Martial figures to enter the new path? *** Li Hao merely assisted them with their transition, taking no part in anything else. He walked off to the side alone, sat cross-legged, and began to silently comprehend, cultivate, and absorb everything from today. Inside his spiritual world, the Sword Tree—which had previously fallen dormant—awoke today in some pain. Li Daoheng's sword strike had severed many of its roots, causing it considerable agony. Yet at this moment, Li Hao paid no heed to the Sword Tree's condition. A phantom figure emerged, continuously reversing time to gradually condense a thread of sword intent and a thread of whip intent in the void. These belonged to Li Daoheng and Zheng Yu, both of whom had passed through the spiritual universe earlier! Not only that, but the two had clashed here. Besides that, there was also the ethereal intent of the Thousand Dao Sword. Though hazy and indistinct, it still served as a reference for Li Hao, effectively granting him the Dao intents of three half-step Sovereigns! These were the treasures they had left behind for Li Hao upon traversing his spiritual universe! And that was not all! There was another place Li Hao had yet to visit: the saber that had slashed Ying Hongyue, severing eight veins with a single blow—the saber intent of the Blood Sovereign! This time, the Blood Saber had truly struck. These were Li Hao's greatest gains from this battle, even if outsiders regarded them as inconsequential. There was also the God of Early Martial, whose strike with the saber had likewise left behind traces of Dao intent. Though it seemed to be a path of pure physical strength, it was still a form of Dao intent left behind by supreme beings. For Li Hao, these were invaluable treasures. In terms of cultivation realm, he fell considerably short of these figures. The remnants they left behind could all serve as objects for his contemplation. Such an opportunity was something no one else could enjoy. Gradually, a sword, a long whip, and an illusory sword manifested within the spiritual universe. As the power of time flowed continuously, they grew increasingly distinct! A flash of delight appeared in Li Hao's eyes! This was where his greatest harvest lay: knowing oneself and knowing the enemy. By contemplating the Daos of these powerhouses, even if he could not absorb them directly, he could discern some of their underlying secrets. In the void, the Sword Tree's projection appeared, no longer wailing. As Li Hao operated the power of time, the entire spiritual universe stabilized further, and the Sword Tree's injuries began to heal. Looking at the strands of sword intent in the void, it was somewhat shaken. One came from Li Daoheng, one from Li Hao's future self, one was Li Hao's own, and there was a faint wisp of the Longevity Sword intent... It could be said that the Daos of the world's most formidable swordsmen were gathered right here! "All that's missing is a bit of the Queen of the Human King's sword dao..." it muttered. Li Hao's heart stirred. "Right, the Queen of the Human King was also a sword cultivator!" The Sword Tree took human form and nodded. "The Queen of the Human King's sword dao was not overwhelmingly powerful, and her rise to Sovereign was largely due to the Human King... Yet because of that, she drew from a hundred schools, and the Sword Venerable instructed her on multiple occasions... Contemplating her sword intent would be simpler and more direct!" Li Hao asked, "Would her sword have remnants of her sword intent?" "More or less, there should be some." Li Hao nodded. He would likely need to borrow Empress Dowager Shuiyun's sword for a look! Thinking of the King of Dali's Overlord Gauntlets, he asked, "Are Emperor Batian's gauntlets... truly Emperor Batian's, or the Iron Sovereign's?" "Much the same..." the Sword Tree replied. "What remains in Silver Moon... is probably a replica? Hard to say... It could belong to that God of Early Martial you speak of... If he truly is the clone of the Western Emperor's son... it might be his own, or it could belong to that slain Early Martial expert you mentioned before..." Li Hao's heart stirred again. "Why did he kill an Early Martial expert?" He had nearly forgotten about that. The Sword Tree shook its head. "I wouldn't know. If the speculations you and Zhang An made hold true, that person would never interfere in anything unless pushed to absolute extremes—unless that Early Martial expert attempted to disrupt the revival of that cat! As for the specifics, only he knows." Li Hao nodded and pressed no further. The Sword Tree had given him a useful reminder: perhaps he should gather some of the Queen of the Human King's sword intent. He knew the core of her sword intent resembled flowing water, carrying the sensation of a gentle stream. It aligned well with the flow of the Great Dao River... If he could comprehend some of it, he might glean sword intents not contained within the Longevity Sword intent. Drawing from a hundred schools was something every junior martial master should do. He was not so arrogant as to believe himself stronger than these Sovereigns; their sword intents, including Li Daoheng's, were of immense benefit to him! "Li Hao... my connection to the Illusory Dao universe was severed..." the Sword Tree spoke again. "Now, even if the spiritual universe grows stronger, we won't be able to breach the Illusory Dao universe..." "I already hold the coordinates to the Illusory Dao universe!" Li Hao was unconcerned and smiled. "Being severed is fine too. Otherwise, now that Li Daoheng knows about it, if he charged into my spiritual universe, I would have a hard time resisting him! The spiritual universe at least fulfilled my plan by luring both of them in..." Zheng Yu's entry through this path meant Li Hao's plan had succeeded. It was no loss! Li Hao added, "The spiritual universe was constructed by modeling the Illusory Dao universe... and since the Illusory Dao universe is controlled by that fellow, I was worried he might leave behind some trap! Li Daoheng cannot be underestimated... I believe that even in the final moments, the spiritual universe should remain the foundation, primarily to devour the power of the Illusory Dao universe..." The Sword Tree was somewhat surprised. *Could that really work?* *The universe the three of us forged is far inferior to a true Great Dao Universe!* At this point, Li Hao spoke again: "Let us set that aside for now. Seniors, the three of you should focus on recuperating. Only when your strength grows will the spiritual universe become stronger and accommodate more sword intents! You were born of the sword; the stronger the sword intent, the stronger you become... It is the best synergy! This time, various sword intents have dissipated into the surroundings... which is an opportunity for the three of you as well!" Hearing this, the Sword Tree said nothing more. It vanished on the spot, merging into the spiritual world to begin its cultivation. Their intelligence was limited, far inferior to Li Hao's. Watching Li Hao scheme against Sovereigns and half-step Sovereigns, it felt he handled everything admirably, requiring no worry on their part. At this moment, the Sword Tree contentedly settled into letting things take their course, feeling it was nice to have a backer. Even if this backer was slightly weaker than the Sword Venerable, this feeling of relaxation was a rare luxury. *** From that moment on, Li Hao paid no heed to anyone or anything else, ignoring even the struggle in the Illusory Dao universe. With single-minded focus, he began contemplating the various sword intents and Dao intents within his spiritual universe. Externally, he gathered the intent of the Blood Saber, the fist intent of the God of Early Martial, and borrowed Empress Dowager Shuiyun's sword to begin his comprehension. *** In Dali. The God of Early Martial felt a touch of melancholy. The realm had fallen quiet at this moment. Yet he was far from peaceful. He couldn't shake the feeling that his intervention this time had broken something... In the future, he might not enjoy any peace! Cultivating the Dao meant cultivating the mind... For him, the same held true. Owing favors was far too troublesome. If he truly didn't care, it wouldn't matter, but the fact that he *did* care made it agonizing! Back then, he had owed the Blood Sovereign a favor, which had ended up costing him a full hundred thousand years of guardianship—and even now, that favor remained unpaid. Now, Li Hao had pulled the exact same trick on him. He felt some regret; perhaps... he shouldn't have used the Blood Saber. But without the Blood Saber and without devouring the eight bloodlines, with a great world war about to erupt, that cat might have lost all hope of revival, leaving the Blood Sovereign's favor forever unsettled! To him, this was sheer torture! "The Human King was better after all..." Inside the hall, the God of Early Martial muttered to himself, feeling a sudden nostalgia for the Human King. The Human King was overbearing and brutal... but he disliked playing games. If you owed him a favor... he would demand payment tomorrow, and you had no choice in the matter. At most, owing him a favor meant going to battle a Sovereign; kill a Sovereign, and the slate was wiped clean. Yet characters like the Blood Sovereign and Li Hao were not decent folks at all! At the drop of a hat, they would saddle you with an exhausting, time-consuming chore that would tie you down for a lifetime! "I miss Neo Martial..." He muttered with a complex tone, truly disliking being tangled up with these schemers whose heads were stuffed with too many plots. It was infuriating! Glancing toward the Blood Saber he had relocated nearby, he grumbled, "Just when will you revive?" If it didn't revive soon... once Li Hao reached the half-step Sovereign realm, a war of half-step Sovereigns or even Sovereigns would inevitably erupt across the world! If Silver Moon was truly shattered, where would he find another place to revive the cat? And even if he found one, was he expected to endure another hundred thousand years? "Sigh!" A heavy sigh echoed—a rare bout of melancholy.