Great Love Knows No Bounds!

The three powerhouses fighting over the Time Star remained hopelessly entangled within the Illusory Dao universe. Meanwhile, Li Hao immersed himself in comprehending the various sword intents. In an instant, the vast land of Silver Moon fell into an utter stillness. Not a single battle erupted. Peace reigned under heaven, and prosperity flourished! …… Yet this era of peace was not what everyone wished for. With peace under heaven and no battles to fight, there were no opportunities to be found. In this small Silver Moon world, the corporeal Dao was controlled by Li Hao, the illusory Dao by Li Daoheng, and the Star Gate and world boundary were held by the Red Moon Sovereign. Across the border in Dali, there was also that incomparably formidable God of Early Martial. Under heaven... no sites of great opportunity seemed to remain. For ordinary cultivators, having sufficient energy was enough. Yet for Saints and those above... the few places of opportunity in Silver Moon had all been claimed. Unless one submitted to one of these factions, there was virtually no hope of advancing further. …… Somewhere in the land of Silver Moon. A figure leaned against the wall of a cavern, sighing softly. "They say that blessed by Heaven's Will, one can become the Chosen of Heaven and rule the world... But now, the mighty contend for supremacy and have locked down every single opportunity. Even with Heaven's Will upon me, there isn't the slightest opportunity in sight..." He laughed at himself with self-deprecation. "Heaven's Will, aren't you supposed to be the master of Silver Moon? Looking at you now... you don't amount to anything at all. You can't beat any of them. I thought having your favor meant advancing thousands of li in a day and rising to the apex of the world. Instead... what kind of Chosen of Heaven has to scurry about and hide in the shadows?" When he first received the blessing of Heaven's Will, he thought he had reached the peak of his life. Who would have guessed it would become a death warrant! Li Hao's people were searching everywhere. Granted, with Heaven's Will upon him, he could sense danger ahead of time. But no matter how good his luck was supposed to be, he hadn't seen any fortune—all he knew was that scurrying from hideout to hideout was far less carefree than his life before. This so-called Chosen of Heaven was completely useless. It couldn't be helped; Silver Moon... had several "fathers of destiny" lording over it! In this small world, the newly born Heaven's Will simply couldn't compete against that pack of monsters. The only one it might have stood a chance against was Li Hao... and that man turned out to be an equally vicious piece of work who had nearly devoured Heaven's Will whole. For Heaven's Will to fall to such a pathetic state... He recalled what he had read in certain ancient records: the Heaven's Will of Neo Martial had incarnated as a world seed and manipulated heaven and earth at whim, only to be defeated in the very end by the Human King... an invincible entity throughout the world. By comparison, Silver Moon's Heaven's Will wasn't even qualified to be the final villain. How truly pathetic! As the man spoke, a faint ripple spread, and the ground beneath his feet suddenly split open, revealing a tiny, newly formed energy vein. The man seemed used to this. He reached out and scooped up a large pile of energy stones, yet his smile remained bitter. "What use is this? At my level, who cares about a few energy stones? Even if I scavenged the entire world, I wouldn't find anything worthwhile!" Treasures still existed under heaven, and to ordinary people—even to those at the Sun-Moon realm—they were considered treasures. Yet to the Dao Integration Realm... they were practically worthless. At this stage, could simple herbs and treasures bridge the gap? What he needed was the Dao, insights, massive opportunities capable of vaulting him across realms—not these trivial scraps that felt like tossing alms to a beggar! For Heaven's Will to be reduced to this was truly unprecedented! Just then, a faint tremor of power stirred within the man's body, as if conveying a message. His expression shifted, and his eyes flickered. "Seek out the Western Queen? Is she reliable? I know a bit about her—she was scared out of her wits by Li Hao... Though she seems to have gained something this time, can she really be trusted?" After communicating with Heaven's Will for a moment, he murmured, "That Queen actually has hope of replacing the true Moon God... Impressive indeed!" "Then... should I go try my luck?" With those words, he vanished into thin air. Since Heaven's Will suggested it, he might as well try his fortune. Taking advantage of the current peace while the experts on Li Hao's side were busy cultivating, he could still move about freely. Once Li Hao finished and his experts took up positions across the lands, moving around would become nearly impossible. …… Silver City. Experts quietly cultivated, Great Dao power and Heavenly King power permeating the air. In the Illusory Dao universe, no victor had emerged yet; in fact, the commotion had died down so much that even Li Hao struggled to sense anything. As Li Hao continued meditating on sword intent, he suddenly opened his eyes. A figure had appeared beside him. "Something the matter?" The newcomer was Lin Hongyu. Seeing the sharp sword intent surging in his eyes, Lin Hongyu knew he was still cultivating. Even so, she had stepped forward to interrupt him, saying, "There is a matter that requires your personal decision." "Speak." Lin Hongyu hesitated for a fraction of a second before saying, "Didn't that Queen of the West take away some fragments of the Moon God?" Li Hao nodded slightly. Lin Hongyu continued, "You were cultivating, so she didn't dare disturb you, nor did she have the courage to come see you... The Queen said she wishes to trade a piece of information in exchange for you no longer targeting her." "What information?" "……" Lin Hongyu was at a loss for words. If she knew, what would be left to trade? "She said it is of utmost importance to you, something she learned through the Moon God fragments. If you're interested, we can contact her." Li Hao frowned slightly. "Getting too close to that woman isn't wise. She's more than capable of ruining things, yet utterly incapable of achieving anything! Whoever associates with her is doomed to misfortune." Lin Hongyu almost laughed, but held it in. Li Hao, however, was dead serious. While he didn't normally believe in people being cursed with misfortune... the Queen truly possessed that trait. Of course, it wasn't she who suffered, but everyone around her who caught her bad luck. Wherever she went, people died in droves! Of all the people who had collaborated with her, aside from Zheng Yu who was still clinging to life, practically everyone else was dead. Even the legitimate Moon God had been shattered into who knew how few fragments. In any case, Li Hao didn't believe in fate, but that woman... was truly steeped in boundless misfortune. What kind of information could she possibly offer him? Even if she did deliver it, it couldn't be trusted; trusting her would only invite disaster! Just as he was about to refuse, he paused, fell silent for a moment, and said, "Tell her to come see me. As for the Moon God fragments, I won't hold it against her. After all, she did take part in the battle and held off a Heavenly King... even if I didn't truly need her help." "Understood!" Lin Hongyu acknowledged the order. Seeing that Li Hao seemed disinclined to speak further, she couldn't help but add, "Now only three formidable enemies remain. Our strength is merely at the early stage of Dao Integration, so we likely won't be of much help to you... but we will always be your backing..." Li Hao gave her a puzzled look. Those words... sounded remarkably awkward. What was this woman trying to say? Noticing his bewildered gaze, Lin Hongyu felt helpless. She turned on her heel and left. "It's nothing. Go back to cultivating!" Li Hao watched her retreat, saying nothing more. Once she was far away, he seemed to realize what had happened and chuckled. Was she trying to express concern? How truly awkward! Shaking his head, he paid it no further mind and resumed contemplating the various sword intents. At the same time, he kept a close watch on the Illusory Dao universe. He wasn't afraid of Zheng Yu or Li Daoheng appearing; what worried him was that the two might deliberately release the Red Moon Sovereign's clone for a brief moment! Not to break the seal, but to kill him. Staying in Silver City without leaving was precisely meant to extinguish their malicious thoughts. If the Red Moon Sovereign's clone truly appeared, whether it chose to kill Li Hao or destroy the eight main cities to free its true body... those two knew the consequences. This served to deter them from using the Sovereign clone to eliminate him. While pondering this, he also reflected on the words of his future self. Half-step Sovereign power! A thousand sword intents! In the future, assuming history remained unchanged, he would likely encounter a crisis during his time as a half-step Sovereign. The only beings capable of killing him were those three. As a half-step Sovereign, he presumably wouldn't have shattered the Star Gate and left Silver Moon yet. Therefore... if this crisis were to occur, it would most likely happen when he went all out against those three, resulting in a momentary state of total powerlessness. Furthermore, considering that his future self had looked excessively weathered and aged... it was either many years in the future, or the result of overusing the power of time! The possibility of it being many years later was slim. The greater likelihood was that excessive use of time power had caused him to appear so haggard; otherwise, he wouldn't look so weathered. He repeatedly replayed the phantom of his future self in his mind. From his actions and condition, he sought to deduce the circumstances. Although it was only one of countless possibilities, the current situation in Silver Moon was limited to a few specific trajectories. His future self had not revealed anything about what lay ahead. He hadn't even mentioned who killed him. Li Hao understood why: his future self feared causing him to misjudge. For instance, if he were told he would be slain by the Red Moon Sovereign, Li Hao would be constantly on guard against the Red Moon Sovereign, leaving him vulnerable to an ambush by Zheng Yu and the others. Only Li Hao truly understood himself! He knew his future self remained silent precisely for this reason—to avoid interfering excessively with his present judgment. *The future can be changed... but losing my strength once is inevitable. It will happen during the half-step Sovereign stage, for only then can I repay the power I borrowed... and it must be at the pinnacle of my fighting spirit...* Li Hao turned these thoughts over, contemplating how to weather that coming crisis. To gain was to lose! Having borrowed power from the future, it had to be repaid eventually. Wave after wave of contemplation surged through his mind. After a time, he sensed a distinctive power—the energy of the Silver Moon. The Queen had arrived! …… On the perimeter. The Queen felt somewhat apprehensive. She was reluctant to see Li Hao, but she knew that in today's world, Li Hao held supreme authority. Even though her strength seemed greater than before, she felt that opposing Li Hao would lead to no good end. Hadn't someone like Ying Hongyue been slain all the same? Everyone had thought Ying Hongyue couldn't be killed! Yet even with his ties to the Sovereign's seal, he had been systematically eliminated in the end. Now, people believed the Moon God couldn't die, and neither could she, because the Silver Moon represented the core power of the Silver Moon world. Thoroughly shattering it might bring about immense catastrophe. Yet... who could say for sure in times like these? And so, she came. "Your Majesty!" The moment she arrived, Lin Hongyu and several others rose into the air to receive her. The Queen wore a frosty expression, disinclined to converse with them; she had no fear of these people. "Where is the Marquis of Silver Moon?" "The Marquis awaits Your Majesty inside the city!" The Queen said nothing. It was merely a formality; she had long sensed Li Hao's sword intent. Following them down, she walked toward Li Hao's location. …… Yuan Family Courtyard. The Queen stepped inside just as Li Hao's voice echoed out: "The rest of you may attend to your own affairs!" The others withdrew, leaving only the Queen, who walked toward the inner room with a trace of unease. The courtyard door opened. Li Hao sat in a chair, completely relaxed. He gave her a slight nod. "Sit." The Queen replied coldly, "No need! Li Hao, this Queen does not fear you. At present, you are merely at the fifth tier of the Dao Integration Realm, the mid-stage of the Heavenly King Realm... This Queen has also stepped into the mid-stage of the Heavenly King Realm and is on the verge of reaching the late stage..." Li Hao glanced at her with surprise, his tone calm. "And then? Are you going to kill me?" "...No!" The Queen felt choked with frustration. Who said anything about killing you? She just wanted him to be wary! She was not to be trifled with either! Dispensing with further games, she stated plainly, "There is a traitor by your side, a pawn of Li Daoheng. Through the Moon God fragments, I learned a few things. As long as you promise to stop troubling me, I will tell you who it is!" Li Hao chuckled. "I have no interest in troubling you. Besides, you uncovered insider secrets through the Moon God fragments?" Li Hao treated it as an outright joke! Yet the Queen was utterly solemn. "Indeed! Furthermore, it is someone you would never believe! All of this was stored within the core of the Moon God. This time, she suffered such catastrophic damage that she was nearly obliterated, allowing me to seize her core secrets!" Li Hao had already guessed what kind of secret this woman might want to trade. Hearing it now, it didn't come as much of a surprise. With a faint smile, he asked, "Tell me then, who is it?" "You..." "I agree to your condition." Seeing him agree so casually, the Queen felt uneasy again. But having come this far, withholding it would only invite more trouble. Gritting her teeth, she said in a low voice, "Li Daoheng planted more than one pawn—one in the light, one in the dark! Both are by your side. On the surface, it is a cultivator named Dao Jian under your command! But the true core pawn... isn't him. It is the Earth-Overturning Sword!" The Queen's face darkened with gravity. "The Earth-Overturning Sword: myriad transformations, a single sword turning into ten thousand swords! He is the pawn Li Daoheng planted by your side from the very beginning! Li Daoheng began laying out his game long ago. With you holding the Starry Sky Sword, it was impossible for him to ignore you entirely. Thus... the moment you stepped onto the martial path, someone was already following you: the Earth-Overturning Sword!" As she spoke, she grew slightly excited. This was massive news, and she felt that trading with her was the wisest choice Li Hao could have made. "This Queen also knows that the Earth-Overturning Sword is one of the few people you truly hold in high esteem! But think about it yourself: among those who followed you from the very start, how many remain? How many specialize in the Dao of the Sword? Whose swordsmanship is mighty, ever-changing, and bears a resemblance to the Sword Venerable's sword? Who else could it be?" Her excitement grew with every word. "Now do you realize the importance of the news I brought you? If the Earth-Overturning Sword betrays you at a critical juncture, you are finished! That man seems to occupy an exceptionally vital position within your Great Dao Universe... Once he usurps control of the Great Dao Universe, you will die without a doubt! This Queen originally had no desire to tell you any of this, but I have no wish to see Li Daoheng succeed either!" She stared at Li Hao, seemingly waiting to see despair, panic, or even outrage erupt across his face. Yet no matter how she looked, Li Hao remained entirely calm. It was as if... he hadn't heard a word. The Queen frowned. Was he feigning composure? Or had the news dealt him such a devastating blow that he simply couldn't accept it? Li Hao lifted his teacup and took a sip of liquor. His teacup rarely held tea; it was almost always filled with wine. After taking a few sips, he asked with utter tranquility, "This information was extracted from the core of the Moon God fragments?" "Yes!" The Queen nodded, speaking solemnly. "This Queen would never deceive you. Moreover... it was exceedingly secretive, with only a wisp of remnant mental energy left behind. Fortunately, I acted quickly; otherwise, it would have dissipated entirely. Even so, I managed to capture such crucial intelligence!" The Earth-Overturning Sword! She knew how pivotal this man was. Someone like Dao Jian had joined later and wasn't particularly conspicuous within their camp, so Li Hao was likely guarded against him. Yet the Earth-Overturning Sword, who had accompanied him all along, was the true pawn... Li Hao almost certainly had no suspicion of him. The Queen had deduced the situation herself... and concluded that the Earth-Overturning Sword was indeed planted by Li Daoheng. After all, since Li Daoheng had cast away the secondary sword of the Starry Sky Sword, he naturally needed someone to guide Li Hao, and even monitor his every move. Who was more suitable than the Earth-Overturning Sword? As Li Hao strode along the sword path to reach this day, the Earth-Overturning Sword had indeed accompanied him the entire way and contributed immensely. Seeing that Li Hao still remained silent, she pressed on, "In any case, I have told you. It is understandable if you find it hard to accept! I know a bit about Hong Yitang as well; his behavior was abnormal from the start, you simply overlooked it! In his early years, he kept a low profile and endured in silence... Your master challenged him multiple times, yet he refused every time. Yet he turned around and followed you so easily—that doesn't fit his character at all! Furthermore, he has no blood ties to you, yet he helped you repeatedly... On multiple occasions when you faced mortal peril, he was the one who resolved it, back when your master had yet to break his restrictions!" "Only Li Daoheng had reason to ensure you didn't die too early—not until you uncovered the new Dao universe, which fulfilled Li Daoheng's objective! Besides, don't you think the Earth-Overturning Sword is excessively detached from desires? If he desires nothing, why help you at all? That directly contradicts his early cautious nature!" The Queen sounded somewhat self-satisfied. "I once ruled the world and governed countless subjects! I even know that his wife is currently gathering hearts and minds in the Divine Kingdom. You must understand that the Divine Kingdom has always been my territory, as well as the domain of the Moon God and Li Daoheng. Gathering faith there can prove immensely useful at a critical juncture... Under the faith of millions, that Hongxiu could even become the Moon God!" "I even have another suspicion: this Hongxiu might be an incarnation of the Moon God! Going to the west now harbors malicious intent. The Moon God suffered grievous wounds, but her life remains. If you relax your vigilance toward the Moon God now, then at the critical moment, the first god of Silver Moon might give you an unpleasant surprise!" At this moment, the Queen seemed to fancy herself the goddess of wisdom. Part of this came from what she had seen, and part from deduction. She was no fool; upon reasoning it out, she felt her conclusions matched Li Daoheng's schemes perfectly. Hongxiu went west precisely to prepare for reinforcing the Moon God at a crucial juncture. Although faith in the Moon God had partially collapsed over there, the foundation remained. If Hongxiu replaced the Moon God under her current identity—having aided countless orphans and widows, revered like a living Buddha by thousands of families—gathering faith anew would be effortless! "There is one more thing: Heaven's Will!" The Queen smiled with supreme confidence. "Hongxiu has continually performed good deeds, so receiving the blessing of Heaven's Will is only natural! If she is an incarnation of the Moon God, they have always sought to capture Heaven's Will. Now, Heaven's Will walks right into the trap, falling into her hands voluntarily! That is true brilliance! Right under your nose, she gains the favor of Heaven's Will and may even capture it... With Heaven's Will's aid and the true Silver Moon body... Li Daoheng might soon step out and become the first half-step Sovereign to break free of the restrictions!" "When that time comes... caught in a pincer attack from within and without, you are dead!" The Queen stood tall, overflowing with confidence. "Li Hao, this Queen has saved your life today by laying bare their entire plot beforehand. You owe this Queen a life!" "……" Li Hao simply looked at her without speaking. Was there any flaw in the Queen's deduction? Logically speaking, none at all. According to her narrative, Hongxiu scheming for Heaven's Will as an incarnation of the Moon God, reviving the Moon God at a critical juncture, and seizing Heaven's Will to advance further in strength was entirely reasonable. As for the Earth-Overturning Sword... his myriad sword intent was indeed profoundly wondrous, second only to the special divine character of "Dao." It could manipulate and transform into ten thousand Daos. If Li Hao's "Dao" character collapsed... the Great Dao Universe might truly fall under the Earth-Overturning Sword's control. From both perspectives... this scheme was magnificent! Had Li Hao deduced this himself... he would have been astonished, perhaps even disheartened. Yet... coming from the Queen's mouth, it caused barely a ripple in him. He quietly stared at her for a long time before finally saying, "You truly have great luck and formidable capability to uncover such secrets." "Naturally!" The Queen smiled. "Without good luck, could this Queen have survived to this day?" She truly... had no self-awareness whatsoever! "Fine, I understand." "Then what do you intend to do?" "None of your business! You may leave!" "……" The Queen froze, taken aback by his blunt dismissal. This was completely different from what she had anticipated. In her mind, after exposing Li Daoheng's most pivotal scheme for Li Hao... even if Li Hao didn't weep with gratitude, he certainly shouldn't display such cold indifference. What did he mean by *none of your business, you may leave*? "Li Hao, this Queen knows you are confident and believe all people under heaven are within your grasp. But let me warn you... excessive confidence leads to a miserable death! You had best eliminate those people immediately... otherwise, you will suffer a catastrophic backlash!" "Enough. You may leave!" "……" "Li Hao..." The Queen grew furious. Was this how he treated a benefactor? She had shared such a profound secret with him when she could have easily kept silent and let him fall into the trap! Li Hao felt a headache coming on and waved his hand impatiently. "Stop yelling. Get out! Immediately! Furthermore, I have received this information. As promised, I will not trouble you again. Just keep your distance from me!" The Queen's face turned livid! Bastard! Out of pure goodwill, she had risked offending Li Daoheng and the Moon God to deliver such vital intelligence, yet he met her with this attitude. Fine! In that case... go ahead and die! Without another word, she turned and stormed out with a cold huff. If you refuse to act or believe it, don't blame this Queen. …… Once she was gone, Li Hao exhaled and smiled. Just now, that woman seemed to be seeking his approval... He wouldn't dare give it; she was far too dangerous. "Li Daoheng... Moon God..." Recalling the Queen's words, Li Hao smiled again. It all made sense! He had obtained the Starry Sky Sword. Even if others didn't know, Li Daoheng must have been watching constantly. His own clan had served as experimental subjects, so someone had to inspect the results. From that perspective, the Earth-Overturning Sword fit the profile perfectly! He had guided Li Hao onto the path of the sword, imparting the true intent of sword dao upon their very first meeting... Combined with that unique "Sword" character, making him one of Li Daoheng's clones was practically seamless! Li Hao had trusted him implicitly, even incorporating the Earth-Overturning Sword's Dao star into his River of Chaos. Aside from the Earth-Overturning Sword, only Lin Hongyu's star rested within his River of Chaos, undergoing the baptism of the ten thousand Daos. If anything happened to Li Hao, either of them had hope of commanding the River of Chaos. And the Earth-Overturning Sword had a far greater chance. Because his sword dao aligned so closely with the true essence of the entire Great Dao. Arranged together, the Dao stars formed the shape of a sword. "And yet... I don't believe it!" Li Hao murmured, "Whether the Queen stumbled upon this information by accident, or whether you deliberately plotted to make me dismiss suspicion by playing hard to get... I shall grant your wish and refuse to doubt him. What can you do then?" Was Li Daoheng the kind of person whose plans could be so easily uncovered by others? Even if everything seemed completely logical, it wouldn't do! Li Hao chuckled and suddenly called out, "Uncle Hong, please come over!" Moments later, Hong Yitang tore through the void and arrived. …… Li Hao remained calm as he sized him up, then asked, "The Queen came by and claimed you are Li Daoheng's clone. Martial Uncle, are you?" "……" Hong Yitang's eyes flickered as he looked at Li Hao. "She also said Aunt Hongxiu is an incarnation of the Moon God... that traveling in the west is meant to gather the power of faith so she can instantly recover at a critical juncture. What do you think?" "……" Hong Yitang was stunned for a moment. Li Hao continued, "She further claimed that you've been monitoring me from the very start, that your Sword character is a substitute for the Dao character, and that once the Dao character crumbles, you will become the next master of the Great Dao. Martial Uncle, do you find... any flaws in that logic?" "……" Hong Yitang smiled bitterly. After pondering carefully for a long while, he replied, "Flawless. According to her reasoning, I... am indeed under immense suspicion! In fact... besides me, there seems to be no second person who fits the profile of a pawn planted by Li Daoheng so well!" Even as he listened, he almost believed it himself, unable to offer any rebuttal. Hong Yitang sighed helplessly. "If I don't defend myself, I appear to admit it! If I do defend myself... it seems equally inappropriate, doesn't it?" He looked at Li Hao. "What do you say?" With another bitter smile, he added, "If you trust me, you wouldn't suspect me. But if I truly am a clone, that creates an impossible knot. It seems... terribly troublesome!" Li Hao nodded. "It is indeed troublesome! So... I gave it some thought. Having the Queen say such things is rather uncomfortable... After considering it, Martial Uncle, how about this: to help you smoothly merge the twin Dao universes as soon as possible, I will yield the corporeal Dao universe to you!" Hong Yitang sighed. "In the end, you still chose to believe her..." It was a helpless outcome. Li Hao, however, shook his head. "Not at all. I am being entirely serious—I'm handing the Great Dao Universe over to you!" "……" Hong Yitang stared, completely dumbfounded. Li Hao looked at him again. "I said, I am giving the Great Dao Universe to Martial Uncle! I thought it over... Recently, the Great Dao Universe has been exposed far too much; the River of Chaos and everything else have been laid bare!" Li Hao gave a light sigh. "Right now, I have practically no hidden cards left! Everything is laid out before the eyes of others... Thus, after much thought, I've decided to leave behind the River of Chaos and let Martial Uncle take command of it! I must leap out once more!" Li Hao smiled faintly. "Whether Martial Uncle is truly Li Daoheng's clone or not... it doesn't matter. If you are, I will fulfill your purpose; if you aren't... then I have all the more reason to empower you! A universe of the sword dao should naturally be governed by a swordsman. The ever-changing Sword character is actually far more suited for this Great Dao Universe than I am!" Hong Yitang's expression shifted continuously as he stared at Li Hao with utter gravity! Was this trust, distrust, a test, or had Li Hao simply gone mad? Li Hao had just outmaneuvered several mighty experts and broken through to the fifth tier of the Dao Integration Realm, yet now he wanted to withdraw from the Great Dao Universe... What on earth was he thinking? Li Hao chuckled. "Martial Uncle, don't look so shocked! When I say withdraw, I don't mean a complete withdrawal. I will take some things with me and leave some behind... Moreover, even if I relinquish the rest of the Great Dao Universe, that one particular star is something I intend to keep!" The Heart of the Great Dao! Without that thing, this Great Dao Universe was fundamentally no different from an ordinary Great Dao universe or the origin realm. Hong Yitang's face twisted with conflicting emotions. "What are you talking about? What are you thinking? Right now, everyone places their hopes on you! You are at the fifth tier of the Dao Integration Realm; with the Neo Martial Saints integrating their Daos one after another, you should soon reach the sixth tier and become the top combatant beneath half-step Sovereign..." Li Hao said softly, "Martial Uncle can do that as well!" "You..." Li Hao said earnestly, "Martial Uncle, let me put it this way: I need... someone to stand as my pillar of support, someone who can lend me a helping hand at a critical moment! Having drawn upon my future self, a crisis is bound to strike, and looking at the current situation, no one around me can save me! The people beside me are not strong enough. Only Martial Uncle, if you take control of the Great Dao Universe, has a great chance... of playing a monumental role!" Hong Yitang's expression looked grim. Li Hao continued, "Martial Uncle has always maintained a low profile and is accustomed to enduring in silence. Therefore... moving forward, no matter how fast your strength grows, do not reveal anything! Since Li Daoheng wanted me to suspect and eliminate you... I thought about it for a long time, and decided it would be better to make you even more terrifying!" Li Hao smiled. "If you truly are Li Daoheng's clone... I suppose I don't have that much lingering attachment to Silver Moon anyway. Fulfilling your purpose could be considered repaying your kindness for aiding me in the past! And if you aren't... then I have won my gamble, and Martial Uncle will become my strong right arm at the critical moment!" "I had already been considering this... The Queen's visit and words today only cemented my resolve!" Hong Yitang's face drained of color. "Are you serious? This isn't a test?" "It isn't." "You lunatic!" Hong Yitang was nearly beside himself. "Have you lost your mind entirely? You spent so much blood and sweat developing the Great Dao Universe to where it is today, with the people cultivating and placing their faith in you, Li Hao! And now you want to abandon it... What will you do? What will everyone do? What will become of Silver Moon?" "It's not abandoning it!" Li Hao shook his head. "I never said I was abandoning it. I only said I am temporarily relinquishing control over this Great Dao Universe. I want to... open my own heavens!" "What?" Li Hao smiled. "Neither the corporeal Dao nor the illusory Dao can successfully merge right now! I cannot deal with that fellow, and he cannot easily control me... Both of us have headaches! In that case, I will simulate a fusion of the corporeal and illusory Daos, combined with a miniature version of the Time Star..." Li Hao's smile grew increasingly radiant. He possessed all of them! He had corporeal Dao stars, illusory Dao stars of his own creation, and the core of the sword of time—a Time Star. Though they were all smaller versions, he had constructed, forged, and cultivated each of them step by step! What would happen if he orchestrated a true fusion of Great Dao universes within his own body? Naturally, it was perilous! Yet... everything would belong to him! From beginning to end, entirely his own. If he could not open the heavens within the chaos, then why not use himself to open another heaven and earth, to forge another Great Dao universe? It was an utterly insane idea! Yet Li Hao's heart raced with excitement. He had the foundation for it! No one had a better foundation than him. Constructing the spiritual universe had been a stroke of divine genius, bridging what he lacked in the Illusory Dao universe. This was simply a heaven-sent opportunity! He wanted to truly... open a world, even a Great Dao universe, that belonged entirely to him! "……" Hong Yitang stood dumbfounded, momentarily losing the ability to speak, forgetting everything around him. Was the person before him truly the Li Hao he knew? The things everyone else coveted seemed utterly beneath his concern! The Great Dao Universe, the world of Silver Moon, the Great Dao, the Sword Venerable's sword intent... He didn't seem to care about any of it! *You want them? Fine, I'll give them to you!* *I... am simply myself!* *And I cultivate only myself!* At this moment, Hong Yitang didn't know what to say. His very thoughts seemed frozen, his throat parched. "Are you... serious?" Li Hao nodded, his smile bright. "Martial Uncle, a swordsman must carve out his own sword dao! Besides, I am not merely a swordsman. As I've said before, I am a Dao Lord! I want everyone to address me as Dao Lord, but if everything I have was picked up cheaply from others, what kind of Dao Lord would that make me?" Li Hao's smile was brilliant. "I know it is immensely difficult. I know I am arrogant... perhaps even ridiculously so! But I want to try!" "To achieve what others cannot!" "To leap out of this chessboard! What you care about, I don't; what you treasure, I dismiss! The bloodline of the Li family, the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families—I want none of them! The Great Dao Universe, the Silver Moon world... whatever you left behind, whatever you disregarded, I disregard as well! I am not the Sword Venerable, nor the Human King, nor the Blood Sovereign... My strength may not match theirs yet, but in mindset, I will surpass them!" At this moment, Li Hao's smile reached its absolute zenith. "Everyone believes my success stems from the Li bloodline, from the Great Dao Universe... Then I shall discard them all. From this day forward, I shall live solely as Li Hao! Does Martial Uncle think... that works?" Hong Yitang stood frozen, his soul shaken to its core! Was this truly the Li Hao who had just turned twenty-one and had yet to reach twenty-two? He said... he would live solely as himself! Li Hao offered a somewhat bashful smile. "Of course, that's boasting a little. I will still need to borrow some of the shade left by our predecessors. For instance... from the Great Dao Universe left by the Sword Venerable, I intend to... take away the Time Star! I also want to learn their true Dao intents... first imitating, then matching, and finally... surpassing them!" Li Hao suddenly sat up straight and chuckled. "Additionally, I must ask Martial Uncle not to act recklessly. My master's and the others' natal stars might still be inside... I still intend to resurrect them! Make sure nothing goes wrong... Martial Uncle, what do you say?" "……" Reeling in shock for a long time, Hong Yitang swallowed hard. "Tell me... is there a possibility that I truly am Li Daoheng's clone, only I don't know it myself... If you hand the Great Dao Universe to me, I..." "Then live as yourself!" Li Hao raised his fist like an innocent child, beaming radiantly. "Just like the Blood Sovereign—everyone said he was the reincarnation of the Emperor of Battle Heaven, yet he lived as himself! If you truly are Li Daoheng's clone and didn't know it, then live as Hong Yitang! Once you control half of the Great Dao Universe, why fear him? When you strike him down, whether you choose to call yourself Hong Yitang or Li Daoheng, I won't mind!" "As for slaughtering the Li family, that was Li Daoheng's doing. What does it have to do with you?" Li Hao chuckled. "Does it matter whether you're a clone or not? What matters is that in my heart, you are Hong Yitang, the Earth-Overturning Sword, the martial uncle who guided me in the sword dao. If you truly are a clone, all the better: when he tries to merge with you, hit him with everything you've got and seize his Illusory Dao universe! Then the entire Great Dao Universe will be yours. I have no demands other than resurrecting my master and the others! As for me, I will cultivate my own universe!" "……" Hong Yitang felt as if five bolts of thunder had crashed into his mind at once! What was Li Hao saying? *Even if you are his clone, it doesn't matter, I don't care. Just live as yourself, live as Hong Yitang. I don't want the Great Dao Universe, I give it to you... to repay past kindness!* What... what madness was this? "Li Hao... do you truly possess no sentiment at all?" he murmured. Was this passionate devotion? No, this was utter heartlessness! He cared nothing for these worldly treasures; he seemed indifferent to it all. He cared only for the specific things he valued, and beyond those, he could abandon everything. How terrifying! Suddenly, he felt that the Li Hao before him was terrifying enough... to truly deserve the title of Demon Sword! Demon Sword Li Hao! Li Hao wore an embarrassed expression and suddenly produced a pennant, displaying it with a touch of pride. "Martial Uncle, don't wrongly accuse me. I, Li Hao, have received the recognition of countless people! Look, what does this say?" *"Delighting in Helping Others, Boundless in Great Love — Presented to Inspector Li Hao of the Inspectorate."* Hong Yitang stared blankly at the thing. What... what on earth was this? It even looked weathered and worn. Where did he dig this up? "Back when I worked at the Inspectorate, the common folk presented it to me..." Li Hao grinned broadly. "See, everyone knows that I am a man of boundless love, who delights in helping others! A few days ago, I thought I had lost it, so I went back to the ruins of the Inspectorate. It was still there, so I brought it back." Fuck! Who was blind enough to give him this? Hong Yitang was completely struck dumb! The kicker was that Li Hao had actually gone back to retrieve it... He was truly... beyond words. Li Hao chuckled, stroking the sword in his hand as he looked at Hong Yitang... He was off to open his own miniature universe! How delightful! Only by doing so could he truly step outside the board! *I, Li Hao, have never been inferior to anyone. If you, Sword Venerable, don't want it, then neither do I!* *Hmph!*