Comprehending the Dao

Leaving Dali behind, Li Hao felt utterly invigorated, brimming with youthful valor. Had I been a few years older, I might not have been able to resist his offer. For him to propose it himself—offering to slay one of the three... what an incredible temptation! Yet at this moment, it held no sway over Li Hao. I just don't want it! Call it youthful impulsiveness or the obstinate pride of a martial master—I simply refuse. I only want this saber, to gain some enlightenment from it, and that will be that. Traveling through the void, he soared through heaven and earth. ... A long time later, at the former ruins of Star Suppressing City. Li Hao entered with the saber in hand. The blood saber trembled as if unwilling to be wielded by him. This was a Sovereign's saber, and it still had its duty. To be taken by Li Hao was not the blood saber's desire. At that moment, Li Hao spoke: "I gathered the bloodlines of the eight families to feed you! That mighty expert wanted to repay my favor, but I did not do it for him—I did it for you. You swallowed the eight bloodlines and owe me a favor. What is wrong with letting me glean some insight from you? Be it a saber or a cat, does that give you the right to default on your debts?" The long saber quivered slightly. As the weapon of a Sovereign, even if it lacked a spirit like the Old Turtle's, after so many years, it still possessed some measure of sentience. Be it a saber or a cat, can one just ignore a debt of gratitude? Although it could gather the eight bloodlines itself, who knew what year and month that would take? The long saber ceased trembling. It seemed to acknowledge this debt. Li Hao broke into a smile. "That's more like it! All things possess spirits, and a saber of Neo-Martial ought to uphold the Neo-Martial spirit. The martial path must be fought for; only with sacrifice comes reward. You are an opportunity I strove to obtain, and likewise, I strove to win an opportunity for the two of you... How could you not repay it?" All things possess spirits? The long saber gave a faint tremor. Even a saber had a spirit, didn't it? In that instant, the long saber quieted entirely, and a faint Sovereign might drifted outward. Within the saber, a cat was still fast asleep. Li Hao glanced at it, somewhat curious. Supposedly, this cat was not a real living creature. It was a projection from another void. A projection... Was it similar to drawing back something from the past or the future without killing it, absorbing it, or merging it, allowing it to simply exist? Was that the origin of the cat inside the saber? If so... to anchor an entity from another void into heaven and earth and even bestow life upon it was simply unimaginable. At the very least, the current Li Hao was utterly incapable of doing so. Be it dragging from the past or projecting from the future... at least for now, it was utterly impossible for him to keep such an existence in the world without it dissipating. This showed that the Blood Sovereign's power was truly peerless! Back then, within the two characters for "Battle Heaven," he had witnessed that figure cleave heaven and earth into eight with a single stroke. Looking back now, that had merely been raw valor; to leave behind this projected cat and even revive it—that was the Dao! Li Hao stared at the cat in the saber. It was chubby. If this was a projection of the Cang Emperor, did the Cang Emperor also look like this? Its fur had a slight fiery-red hue. It seemed to possess an aura of bristling fury! Curious, Li Hao took a few extra looks. In the Neo-Martial era, that cat seemed unavoidable. It was just that many people did not know that the fabled Cang Emperor was a cat, so they could only refer to him respectfully as the Great Emperor! "A cat... able to reach such heights... truly incredible!" Li Hao murmured. The cat inside the saber seemed to draw a breath. This cat had stayed in this world for countless years. The Blood Sovereign had visited the Silver Moon small world more than once, perhaps always for its sake, showing just how important it was. "Senior Saber, Senior Cat... Today, I intend to trace back the Sovereign's power to comprehend the Blood Sovereign's saber intent. Time may flow, or unforeseen changes may occur... There is no need for the two of you to be nervous!" The long saber quivered, letting out a crisp ring, as if scoffing: *Ridiculous.* *Us, nervous?* *You probably don't know where we come from!* *We watched the Human King slaughter the Heavenly Emperor; we watched the Four Emperors battle the Nine Sovereigns; we roamed the Great Universe of Origin... What could possibly make us nervous?* "Very good!" Li Hao nodded with a smile, as though understanding the saber's meaning. Then all was well! Without another word, the world spun around them. In an instant, the man, saber, and cat seemed to emerge in another void. "The blood saber!" An exclamation sounded from the void. It came from one of the three realm guardians—the Blood Sovereign's saber! "The Cang Emperor!" "No... not the Cang Emperor..." Another voice was filled with shock. What on earth had Li Hao brought in? Yet Li Hao did not respond. Instead, he spoke: "I intend to draw out the Blood Sovereign's saber intent and merge it into my sword intent, drawing upon the strengths of all schools! The Sword Venerable, the Blood Sovereign, the Queen of the Human King, Zheng Yu, Li Daoheng—all of them are worthy of my study!" "Senior guardians, steady the sea of consciousness. During this process, I hope you three can also gain some insight and take another step forward! After this, I may open a temporary Dao realm, merging the illusory and the corporeal. I hope it won't burst the world you seniors have forged!" Heaven and earth trembled. The Sword Tree and the other two were astounded. Merging the illusory and the corporeal? Was that even possible? Well, regardless, they harbored no objections now; they would simply grow stronger to prevent the world from being burst open. ... Li Hao cast away distracting thoughts. A long river manifested. This river differed from the Chaotic River; it gathered over a hundred stars. One of them resembled the Time Star, but was actually merely a simulation—a star forged from the core of the Bright Moon sword intent, the Time sword intent. The river was not turbid, but exceptionally clear. Unlike the Chaotic River of the Great Dao Universe, which pooled ten thousand Daos—many of which Li Hao did not truly comprehend, merely blending with them and knowing what they were without knowing why—he understood all hundred-plus stars outlined by sword intent here. They were sword intents he had genuinely comprehended on his own. This was the greatest difference between the two! The Chaotic River was truly a chaotic blend. Powerful though it was, Li Hao could not actually unleash much of its strength. Here, it was the exact opposite: the river was modest, but Li Hao could exert his full power. One was formed from myriad stars and the collective will of the people. The other was formed from Li Hao's personal comprehension of the sword Dao. One represented the will of all living beings, while the other was Li Hao's unique and solitary will. One gathered the power of the multitude, while the other was entirely Li Hao's solo performance. Li Hao manifested the long river, glanced at it, and then looked toward the long saber. "Tracing back the past... let the saber intent erupt! Try not to shatter my spiritual world. They say the Blood Sovereign is peerless and powerful; suppress yourself a little. A saber that cannot control its own power is not a good saber!" *Clang!* A crisp metallic hum rang out. The blood saber seemed displeased with Li Hao's words. What kind of nonsense was that? *I can't control my own power?* *Who are you looking down on?* The next instant, the river coiled around it, washing over it with sword intent as time reversed. The blood saber bobbed in the river, accompanied by the surging of waves. There was already saber intent on the blade, and it was immensely powerful. Yet that was not what Li Hao sought. He wanted to witness the true saber intent! The next moment, the two characters for "Battle Heaven" emerged. This would make it easier to draw forth the true saber of the Blood Sovereign. The saber intent grew stronger and stronger! The small world within his sea of consciousness trembled slightly. At this moment, Li Hao had to marvel once more at the foundation used to forge this small world: the Sword Venerable's tree, the Sword Venerable's seal, and the Sword Venerable's whetstone! All three were entities capable of bearing the Sword Venerable's sword intent without breaking! Otherwise, mere Saint positions—even three Saints—would have been useless if replaced by ordinary humans or demon beasts; they would have been shattered instantly by a Sovereign's intent. Only these three were an absolute stroke of genius! The river flowed, endlessly surging to wash out the past. Li Hao wanted more than just a bit of saber intent; he wished to directly flush out the phantom of the Blood Sovereign and even exchange blows, truly crossing swords with a Sovereign of the past! Even if... it was perilous. So what? A formidable surge of vitality blood, vast as a crimson ocean, emerged upon the long saber, rising bit by bit, seeming somewhat illusory. Long ago, Li Hao had come into contact with the Blood Sovereign's phantom. However, separated across spacetime, neither side had ever made genuine contact. This time, Li Hao hoped the other would condense that ocean into form! Suddenly, bursts of sword intent erupted, provoking the long saber. In Li Hao's hand, the Firmament Sword manifested. Strands of peculiar power were forced out by Li Hao as the Firmament Sword trembled incessantly. Li Hao ordered, "Spit out all the bloodline powers of the eight families!" The Firmament Sword was originally a substitute for the Starry Sky Sword. It had swallowed the divine weapons of the eight families and possessed an abundance of their bloodlines. Now, Li Hao was forcibly expelling that vast power. The Firmament Sword seemed reluctant! Swallowing it down was easy; spitting it back up was hard. Li Hao's voice rang out again: "Only through destruction can there be creation! While the bloodline power of the eight families is fine, if you wish to truly take another step forward, you must let go to gain! Now, I comprehend the Bright Moon sword intent, with Time as its core! Having the bloodlines of the eight families only interferes with me... If you hesitate to spit it out because you fear temporary weakness... then to make you better suited for my Bright Moon sword intent in the future, I will have no choice but to forcefully shatter and reforge you, or... abandon you!" "A sword without a master may do as it pleases. With a master, it is the master's weapon and must not act like this! Hesitating once, hesitating twice—that is a lack of trust in me. If that is so... perhaps years from now, you too will be cast aside into the void of the universe by me, just like the real Starry Sky Sword!" Li Hao's tone was somewhat cold. A sword without a master could be willful. Now that it had a master, it had to obey, even if ordered to self-detonate without a second thought. The Sword Venerable had discarded the Starry Sky Sword, perhaps because it was not strong enough, or perhaps because it was no longer handy. What was the point of keeping a sword that no longer felt right in hand? The Firmament Sword shuddered. A moment later, eight streams of bloodline power began to flow out. These were born from the many things it had swallowed. A vast surge of the eight bloodlines poured forth and was entirely absorbed by the blood saber. The blood saber seemed excited, and the cat within once again opened its mouth, swallowing all of that power whole. Li Hao had long seen through the so-called power of the eight bloodlines: it was the primordial energy of the Silver Moon world, absorbed by the eight main cities and transferred into the saber to be absorbed by that cat. They were using the purest worldly energy to nurture and cultivate this cat, hoping it would revive. Now, as the blood saber absorbed the power of the eight bloodlines, a sea of blood seemed to emerge atop it. The blood sea roiled! An exceedingly faint phantom began to gradually take shape. Li Hao grew increasingly weathered, aging noticeably. Such was the price of wielding the power of time: however much you used, you would deplete that much. Without the Chaotic River, Li Hao's lifespan was not so boundless, but he did not care much. At this moment, he thought of his future self. So aged, so weathered. Could it be... that he had also yielded the Chaotic River, resulting in severe damage to his lifespan? Otherwise, with the Chaotic River present and nourished by myriad people, would he have aged so quickly? Who knew! The figure before him became increasingly distinct. Around him, vitality blood blanketed heaven and earth as saber intent flashed. Supposedly, the Blood Sovereign was most skilled with the bow, but in truth, that was his past incarnation, the Emperor of Battle Heaven! The true Blood Sovereign was actually a master of the saber! With a single saber, he had traversed the world. The Human King's use of the saber had also been influenced by him; as both mentor and friend, because the Blood Sovereign wielded a saber, the Human King followed suit. The figure grew more and more solid! The blood saber vibrated! After an unknown length of time, the river grew turbulent. Suddenly, a figure materialized completely. At this moment, Li Hao felt an immense, boundless pressure, and the river trembled violently! The small spiritual world seemed unable to bear it. The power of time flowed frantically! Using the saber intent and blood qi on the blade, he continually traced back the past, manifesting a fragment of bygone scenes. It appeared to be a youth... looking quite young. He resembled the Blood Sovereign seen in illusions, though back then, Li Hao had never seen their true faces. Today, he finally caught a glimpse of the man's true features: very young, with a gentle calm in his eyes... but hidden deep within was a chilling solemnity! This was a Sovereign of peerless slaughter! Supposedly, when the Human King and the others attained the Dao and became Sovereigns, they were not very old, all around their twenties. In that era, there had been more than one young Sovereign; there were many. All at that age. The Human King had not walked to the end alone; the friends from his youth and school days had accompanied him all the way to the very end. What a blessing that must have been! Li Hao was briefly dazed. Suddenly, a long sword materialized in his hand. Stepping onto the River of Time, he wore a grave expression. "Junior Li Hao has presumptuously summoned the Sovereign's form. In order to comprehend the true essence of the Great Dao, I wish to cross swords with the Sovereign! I beseech the Sovereign... to grant me your guidance!" The young Sovereign opened his eyes and looked at him! Boundless pressure came rolling in. Even though it was merely a projection, a wisp of an imprint from the past, it exerted immense pressure on Li Hao—a pressure that seemed to surpass even that of the Red Moon Sovereign. It was unimaginably powerful! It was not just raw strength or aura, but that sheer... majesty! The young Sovereign said nothing. Reaching out with one hand, he grasped the blood saber, looked at Li Hao, his expression tranquil beyond measure, as if he were merely a mechanical projection devoid of consciousness. Holding the saber, he uttered not a word and slashed out! The river's flow was severed! You wish to challenge a Sovereign? And not just any ordinary Sovereign, but one who rose from slaughter? Then come! A sword struck out, cold light enveloping heaven and earth. Li Hao swung his sword toward the blood saber, time wrapping around it as the blade erupted with brilliant sword intent—one strand, two strands, three strands... a hundred strands of sword intent fused into a single strike! The long saber held no intent, only intent to kill! Li Hao felt as though he were frozen stiff, his very thoughts coming to a halt. This phantom was not overly powerful; it was impossible for Li Hao to summon the true Sovereign. Yet at this moment, one saber, one sword! They collided in the void! Without a sound! Only an eruption of blood qi, a flow of time. Like a shattering mirror, a faint sound cracked out. The hundred sword intents instantly collapsed, the intent crumbling and time freezing. A thin line of blood appeared across Li Hao's forehead! The saber strike dissipated. The line of blood spread from his forehead... Li Hao looked down at his hands. Cracks spread across his sword, and more than half of the hundred stars shattered. The long saber vanished, and Li Hao instantly split apart! A single strike! Li Hao stared blankly at the other side, where the young Sovereign also watched him in silence. Sword intent derived from the Sword Venerable, slightly altered with many personal additions... but still too weak. A single strike was enough! "Li Hao!" Cries of shock echoed through the void. With just one strike, the Blood Sovereign from the past—not overwhelmingly powerful, possessing only the strength of a Heavenly King—had slain Li Hao! Was this a Sovereign? Li Hao's thoughts grew sluggish. Was a Sovereign... truly like this? Before making his recent breakthroughs, he had taken a palm strike from a Sovereign. That Red Moon Sovereign had not been this terrifying. Yet this mere phantom from the past had slain him with a single blow! *Boom!* Li Hao's true form collapsed! In an instant, the river trembled as time flowed, as if trying to revive him. Yet right at that moment, the long saber reappeared, cleaving down toward the river! "No!" The Sword Tree, the stone, and the great seal—the three spirits manifested instantly, paralyzed with terror! The river was the key to Li Hao's resurgence; once severed, Li Hao would be truly dead. This Sovereign projection defied all expectations, possessing unbelievable might. After slaying Li Hao with one strike, it was actually about to cleave the river in two, extinguishing his hope of revival. Li Hao, who had come merely to comprehend saber intent, had been obliterated in a single blow. At this moment, the river quivered, as if sensing fatal danger. A faint phantom emerged from the far end of the river, flickering into view. Li Hao's figure appeared, grave and solemn. The opponent intended to sever the river! "Kill!" A low roar seemed to travel from another spacetime. Li Hao stepped out of death in an instant, gripping his sword, thrusting it forward, and slashing! This strike crisscrossed with a hundred Daos. Heaven and earth overturned as the five elements converged, yin and yang intertwined, and light and darkness manifested together! At the other end of the river, the young Sovereign brought his saber down, as cold and detached as ever. The slash fell, still soundless, carrying only monstrous blood qi mingling with a crimson river. The saber was pure; the strike was lethal! *Pop!* Like a bursting bubble, Li Hao's hundred sword intents disintegrated in an instant. The Firmament Sword in his hand cried out with a hum of fear and despair, cracking open with a loud rumble beneath that strike. And Li Hao's phantom collapsed immediately! Still just one strike! The young Sovereign watched in silence, as though he had merely crushed an ant. A moment later, the river trembled again. Li Hao reappeared, bearing a touch of calm and gravity: "Exceedingly powerful! If... this was the combat strength of a Sovereign in his youth, during his time as a Heavenly King, then the current Sovereign and those two half-step Sovereigns are either hiding their strength or... are truly useless!" Both at the Heavenly King realm! The other had killed him with a single stroke. Both at the Heavenly King realm... yet those two half-step Sovereigns had never exerted such a threat, and even their true bodies had never made Li Hao feel so imperiled. Was this the true youth of a Sovereign? "Take another strike of mine!" The sword flared again, this time integrating even more sword intent. Uniting all intents into one, he slashed out as the river surged and time wheeled around. Yet... opposite him, it was still just one saber strike! Devoid of all flash and trickery, there was only that oceanic slash! The saber struck—*boom!* Li Hao's phantom shattered once again, blowing apart into fragments. The long saber flicked, and even the river began to crack. The phantoms of the three Saints appeared, filled with boundless dread. It was over! If this continued, and the Blood Sovereign's phantom refused to dissipate... Li Hao was dead without a doubt. How could this be? In their eyes, even if Li Hao had not surpassed the Sword Venerable and the others at the same age, he shouldn't have been far behind. Why... why couldn't he even take a single strike from the Blood Sovereign's phantom at the same realm? This was impossible! At the same realm in the Neo-Martial era, the Blood Sovereign was exceedingly powerful. Back then, in equal-realm combat, aside from the Sword Venerable, the Human King was first, followed closely by the Blood Sovereign. Yet this was not the Blood Sovereign in person, and Li Hao was by no means weak. At such a young age, he had opened a spiritual universe of his own, fused a hundred sword intents, and inherited the sword intent of the Sword Venerable, the Queen of the Human King, and others—a peerless existence. Why was it like this? Just as the three Great Saints were trembling with fear, the river surged once more. At the end of the river, Li Hao's phantom reappeared. He looked at the young Sovereign's phantom and let out a breath. "So strong! Turns out my sword had so many flaws..." Chuckling self-deprecatingly, he gathered his sword once more, instantly merging the hundred sword intents. Li Hao sighed, "Not fused deeply enough? So that's how it is..." The sword struck! The long saber slashed back once more! *Boom!* This time, the sword intent shattered, but Li Hao vanished instantly, reappearing in another breath with yet another strike. The long saber slashed down, a sea of blood blanketing the world, slaying Li Hao on the spot once more! The three Saints watched with pounding hearts, but soon realized that the Blood Sovereign's phantom had not completely severed the river, allowing them to secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Soon, Li Hao emerged once again. The battle continued! He never lasted past three strikes; at most three, and Li Hao was certain to die. Each time was more brutal than the last! Above the river, Li Hao wore azure robes while the young Sovereign was clad in crimson, a sea of blood gathering behind him. Slash after slash fell; every time Li Hao emerged, he was wiped out anew. The river grew increasingly fragile. It seemed the power of time was on the verge of being drained dry. After several such rounds, when Li Hao materialized one last time, the other did not strike. At this moment, to Li Hao's surprise and shock, the young Sovereign, who had remained silent all this while, suddenly spoke. His voice was calm: "You helped the blood saber swallow the eight bloodlines. I have killed you eight times, and spared your life eight times! That you did not die eight times over was not due to your strength, but because I spared your life eight times!" "With this battle, our debts are settled! Your sword... is too weak, riddled with too many flaws. It is not that you are incapable, but that you are fundamentally too frail. I am a Sovereign in form and Sovereign in realm, and have been so since long ago!" "A true Sovereign is not someone you can contend with!" The crimson figure began to dissipate, though the voice continued to echo: "When you battle me, you are actually battling yourself... What you consume is your own power, your own comprehension... Do not summon recklessly. This time, the blood saber was sufficient to bear the load; without support, without a vessel, if you summon a Sovereign's form again... you will not be able to bear the price, and you will surely die!" "Comprehending the Dao amidst death... you have ruthlessness, you have grit... yet the Dao cannot be attained by grit alone! The Silver Moon world contains countless preserved combat arts, including the *Records of Yuanping*... yet the Daos of the world, the myriad arts and myriad Daos... you may study them, or you may ignore them! If fortune allows, go read the *Zhang Family Education Record*. It records a Sovereign's path of comprehending the Dao step by step from nothing. That book does not preach the Dao, only experiences; do not muddy yourself with thousands of disparate Daos..." The crimson shadow dissolved completely. Li Hao's eyes flickered, and he hurriedly shouted, "Does Neo-Martial still exist?" The void was silent. After a long time, a voice suddenly drifted from afar: "Neo-Martial exists within itself! I am merely a remnant of the past. If Neo-Martial were no more, my true body would be gone, and I would have collapsed into nothingness—there would be no 'me' in the world!" The next instant, silence fell entirely. Li Hao's gaze flickered. At this moment, the blood saber reappeared. Only, it seemed far weaker than before. It appeared to have expended a great deal of power. Li Hao's form also gradually condensed into solid reality. The phantoms of the three Great Saints appeared at once, the Sword Tree wearing a look of terror. "Why did you act so recklessly? The Blood Sovereign's slaughtering prowess was second only to the Human King and a few others—one of the few beings in the world who could fight the Human King at the same realm!" Fearing Li Hao did not understand and was summoning blindly, the Sword Tree added, "Among contemporaries of the same realm, Neo-Martial held several Martial Arts Conferences. The Blood Sovereign once engaged in a bitter battle against the Human King and did not suffer an outright defeat. Later, he even integrated the insights of the Emperor of Battle Heaven... He was already a top-tier powerhouse, and after so many years, he has surely taken further strides... You were playing with fire!" Li Hao smiled faintly, looking somewhat weary and emotional. "He was indeed formidable! But... isn't that a good thing? In this era, who of the same realm could contend with me? It's fine; this battle made me realize that the pinnacle figures of the Neo-Martial era were peerlessly powerful even in their youth. Otherwise... I would have been led astray by those Heavenly Kings and Saints, genuinely believing I was invincible among peers and could sweep through Neo-Martial!" At this point, he asked curiously, "What kind of book is the *Zhang Family Education Record*? Is there a copy in Silver Moon?" The Sword Tree explained, "It is a martial legacy left behind by the Supreme. Calling it a martial legacy... well, strictly speaking, it doesn't entirely qualify. It doesn't record actual martial techniques or combat arts, but rather stories and growth chronicles, including the experiences of the Human King, the Sovereigns, and the Great Emperors. The Supreme of the Zhang family began recording from the time the Human King and the others rose up, from beginning to end, without missing a single detail! Later, when the Human King reached the pinnacle of the world, he banned the book and forbade its circulation..." Li Hao could not help but laugh. "Why?" "It contained too much embarrassing history." The Sword Tree looked awkward. "Supposedly, the young Human King was glib-tongued and silver-tongued. He used to... swindle, bluff, and hoodwink the Blood Sovereign and the others constantly. The Blood Sovereign fared relatively well, but several other Sovereigns fell for it hook, line, and sinker. It's said that... the Iron Sovereign was once duped so badly he nearly called the Human King 'Master,' and might have actually done so. In short, it was terribly complicated, which was why, in the early days of Neo-Martial, the book was forbidden from circulating..." Li Hao chuckled heartily. "Is it still around today, then?" Since it was a banned book! "I don't know, maybe... If nothing else, Yuanping Martial Arts University should have a copy, shouldn't they? Or that Zhang An might have one..." Li Hao nodded. The Blood Sovereign's phantom had told him not to place too much stock in concrete Daoist techniques, for they were mere surface dressings; the true Dao was not found there. This actually made a lot of sense. Having just been cut down eight times, Li Hao had gained considerable insight across those eight deaths. The man's saber... was truly savage! A saber art forged purely to kill! Terrifying! Yet this seemed to resonate deeply with Li Hao's mindset. Be it saber arts or sword arts, weren't they meant for killing? Could it be... that practicing the sword or saber was just meant for parlor tricks? At this moment, the Sword Tree asked with a grave expression, "Li Hao, why could that projection of the Blood Sovereign from back then speak, and even possess his own thoughts?" Li Hao laughed. "It wasn't that exaggerated. In truth, it was merely some lingering will within the blood saber! He used the blood saber for many years without ever changing masters, and it had always remained at its peak... In essence, it was the blood saber speaking." The trio froze, all turning to look at the deathly quiet blood saber. Did that mean... the blood saber had just been speaking? The blood saber seemed to twitch slightly. Li Hao added, "The blood saber served merely as the vessel, rather than the saber speaking of its own accord, but the general idea is the same." The Sword Tree did not dwell on the matter, only warning sternly, "You cannot mess around like this next time. The Blood Sovereign was relatively gentle, at least not too harsh on juniors. If you had dared to summon the past Human King, he would have cleaved you in two with a single slash!" Li Hao nodded. "No need for that! The Human King's Dao isn't suitable for me. The Human King also drew from the strengths of all schools, with no distinct peculiarities... The path I tread is similar to the Human King's, yet not entirely the same." The Sword Tree was somewhat baffled. Similar? It felt that Li Hao's Dao shared virtually nothing with the Human King's, but was quite similar to the Sword Venerable's. Why did he say it resembled the Human King's? As if reading its thoughts, Li Hao explained, "The similarity of Daos doesn't lie on the surface, but in their origin and essence! The Human King must have also combined the Daos of ten thousand schools, drawing from all strengths while discarding the dross. Thus, he seemed to lack distinct traits, yet was comprehensively powerful! The path I intend to walk is of the same type! As for the Sword Venerable's Dao, in the end it is all the same: what is strong remains strong, while the shortcomings are shored up..." The Sword Tree did not fully comprehend this and said no more, only asking in confusion, "Then next, will we be able to bear your merger of the illusory and the corporeal?" "Shouldn't be a problem!" Li Hao replied, adding, "I will first gather one hundred and eighty stars. Once that's done, I will visit Senior Zhang An to borrow that book. Perhaps it will aid my fusion of the Dao." Without another word, he sat down cross-legged, hiding nothing and allowing the three guardians to observe. At this moment, amidst the starry sky, the shattered river reconstituted into stars, though they appeared somewhat dim after the massive expenditure. Star after star surfaced, and soon, new stars began to condense continuously. Stars materialized one after another, condensing at a rapid pace, visibly carrying some characteristics of the Blood Sovereign. In the void, the blood saber seemed to watch as well, while the cat within... now faintly showed signs of opening its eyes. Earlier, when the Blood Sovereign's phantom dissipated, a portion of its will had seemingly settled into the saber. Coupled with the eight bloodlines expelled by the Firmament Sword, the cat now truly showed signs of revival. Not only that, not far away, the two characters for "Battle Heaven" faintly radiated light, and a peculiar power was absorbed by the cat. Li Hao noticed this, but paid it no heed. Those two characters... had been borrowed from Battle Heaven City. After this, he would return them. As for how much this cat absorbed, that was none of his concern. Battle Heaven City, the blood saber, and the saber itself were all left behind by the Blood Sovereign; his own possessions being absorbed by the cat he wished to revive had nothing to do with Li Hao. The number of stars continued to multiply. One hundred and sixty, one hundred and seventy... Sword intent swept across the entire world, carrying a distinct, newfound killing intent compared to before. This continued for several days until, suddenly, one hundred and eighty stars encircled the sky. *Boom!* The spiritual world roiled, as if completing a modest transformation. One hundred and seventy-nine stars orbited the Time Star, like a cluster of stars revolving around the moon, highlighting the Time Star at the center. Li Hao opened his eyes, glanced at them, and revealed a slight smile. Not bad at all! One hundred and eighty corporeal Dao stars, and one hundred and eighty illusory Dao stars—an exact match, just enough for fusion. Only... which corporeal Dao star could merge with the Time Star? The other one hundred and seventy-nine stars were straightforward! "Or perhaps... do not merge with Time, but take Time as the core? And gather another illusory Dao sword intent star?" That was feasible, but the Time Star remained somewhat illusory, not truly substantial. "Unless... I merge with the real Time Star!" Thinking of that genuine Time Star—half illusory, half physical—perhaps merging with that one would achieve a true union of the illusory and corporeal. Using it as the core, interlacing the illusory and the corporeal, would be the only way to achieve genuine integration. "Yet that star is difficult to capture; even if caught, it might flee..." Li Hao pondered continuously: how could he ensure it wouldn't run away? Unless there was something fun and interesting enough on his side to keep it entertained and staying voluntarily. Li Hao shook his head, somewhat helpless. A single star... could be so elusive. What a hassle. ... A short while later, having been in seclusion for several days, Li Hao vanished once again. In Dali. A saber flew back in an instant. Tianji caught it. He started to curse, sensing that the saber had been heavily drained, but the next moment, he froze. Looking at the cat within the blade, his expression turned peculiar. "Strange... how... how does it feel like it's truly about to revive?" Li Hao had left the blood saber somewhat depleted, but that was no issue; the real question was why the cat inside felt as though it were on the verge of complete awakening! Looking at it that way, they hadn't lost out at all. ... In Silver City. Battle Heaven City. Li Hao manifested in an instant. The two large characters appeared and settled onto the city gatehouse, prompting several Saints to appear immediately. The Old Turtle was somewhat surprised. Why had the characters for "Battle Heaven" been returned? Was he done borrowing them? General Locust, also taken aback, spoke up: "The Marquis comes at a good time. In the north, the King of Dali came by earlier, hoping to borrow the two characters for 'Battle Heaven'..." "No need!" Li Hao shook his head. "It is no longer necessary." The other party had wanted to borrow the two characters simply to revive that cat. Since the cat had already absorbed their unique energy, there was no longer any need. The others did not understand, but since Li Hao said not to lend them, they wouldn't. The Old Turtle added, "Marquis, the Void Dao Universe has been very quiet lately. Previously, we could faintly sense battles... but recently, there hasn't been the slightest disturbance." Li Hao nodded. He was already aware of this. The Time Star had run off, so what was there left to fight over? Earlier, during the transfer of the Great Dao Universe, the Time Star had even made a brief appearance. "I know!" "Marquis..." "For other matters, look for Lin Hongyu. I will likely enter seclusion again soon!" With that, Li Hao gave them no chance to speak further and vanished instantly. After he departed, the Old Turtle sighed helplessly. "Everyone, do you feel... that he is becoming increasingly mysterious?" Lately, Li Hao rarely involved himself in general affairs. In the past, he had at least managed things to some extent. The others exchanged glances, saying nothing. There was no helping it; with several half-step Sovereigns and a Sovereign likely to appear and strike at any moment, the pressure on Li Hao was immense, which everyone could understand. ... Elsewhere. Hearing Li Hao's request, Zhang An was somewhat surprised and frowned slightly. "That book was indeed written by my grandfather... Though called a book, it is actually a chronicle of an entire era! It also records many combat arts, but none in great depth—just brief mentions. People preferred to read it as a gossip book." He sighed helplessly. "Later, it was banned by the Human King! Of course, the book certainly wasn't meant purely for gossip. My grandfather once said this book was his lifelong exposition of the Dao... Though others claimed my grandfather spent his whole life gossiping!" He looked embarrassed and sheepish. "After it was banned, my grandfather remarked that since no one could understand it, so be it! If it's banned, then let it be banned; if someone can understand it, it is indeed worth reading! Provided, of course, that one does not pay too much attention to the gossip..." Li Hao grew interested. "There's that much gossip?" "A ton!" Unable to keep a straight face, Zhang An gave a bitter laugh. "Back then, my grandfather... loved listening in on heaven and earth the most! In truth, it was for overarching command and monitoring enemy spies, but he couldn't stop people from slandering him, insisting he did it just for gossip... And so... everyone later boycotted the publication of this book!" Li Hao laughed heartily. "Then you must still have a copy preserved, right? Lend it to me to read. I won't look at the gossip; I'll study the true essence of the Great Dao!" "..." *Are you sure?* Zhang An was sorely tempted to say there wasn't much true essence of the Great Dao in there at all; ninety-nine percent of it was various pieces of gossip and scandalous news. Yet after a moment's thought, he nodded and produced a storage ring. "This is probably the most complete set preserved. Silver Moon actually has copies in some places, but they are all excerpts—incomplete versions that stripped out all the gossip... Though doing so made it exceedingly dry and boring." Li Hao chuckled and accepted the storage ring. "Then I shall read it thoroughly and study it. The Supreme's Dao legacy must be profound... Your Great Dao Book only seems to scratch the surface." Zhang An nodded helplessly. That was fair enough. It truly was just the surface! Without another word, Li Hao swiftly made his exit. Zhang An sighed. Was this fellow... truly going to study the Dao, or just read gossip? Well, who knew. Let him be! Before long, a burst of unbridled laughter rang across heaven and earth. Hearing it faintly, Zhang An couldn't help but curse inwardly. *Didn't you promise not to read the gossip?* Clearly, this was Li Hao laughing out loud at the juicy rumors. "Grandfather, oh Grandfather... That education record you left behind... seems truly impossible for anyone to understand..." Shaking his head, he recalled how his grandfather had once claimed that all the people could understand it and benefit from it. In the end, all everyone got out of it was gossip; it richly deserved to be banned. Who knew if, a hundred thousand years later, this Li Hao could actually gain something from it instead of obsessing over the gossip. ... At this moment, Li Hao was reading with immense relish, roaring with laughter. Hilarious! Fascinating! This was probably the most comprehensive history book of the Neo-Martial era, completely authentic. No wonder the Human King had banned it; if he hadn't, everyone would know how shameless the Human King was in private. Burrowing into holes, digging tunnels, cheating, bluffing... resorting to every conceivable underhanded trick with utter shamelessness. It thoroughly dragged down the Human King's stature. If it were me, I'd ban it too! As he read on, Li Hao's laughter gradually subsided. What he saw now was no longer gossip, but the authentic historical scenes within, completely recreating Neo-Martial's history of war, humiliation, and struggle against external foes. Along with the process, experience, and outcome of each Sovereign's comprehension of the Dao. This book was more like the myriad states of human life, the origin of all ten thousand Daos. The source of the Dao! Li Hao watched silently. What appeared before his eyes was true history, leaving him somewhat entranced. This book chronicled the journey of nearly every Sovereign, detailing how they had walked step by step to reach that pinnacle. Such a work was truly beyond comparison with mere gossip books. He read on quietly. The book even employed certain techniques of dissecting characters—breaking down words to reconstruct historical scenes, immersing the reader in a profound, wondrous experience. "What a great book!" Li Hao murmured. This was far more comprehensive than the *Records of Yuanping*. In hindsight, the *Records of Yuanping* only scratched the surface; this book was the true essence. Any Dao seemed to find its source here. At this moment, Li Hao's spiritual sea churned as well, shifting freely at will and recombining into different Daoist arts.