Li Hao had not lied to that supernatural.
Though it had started a bit late, a battle between Solar Radiance combatants had indeed erupted.
Beneath the rainy night, a collision of lightning and hurricane exploded more than ten li away from the warehouse.
The glare of lightning lit up that entire stretch of sky.
***
Outside the warehouse.
Li Hao looked in that direction, his expression grave. Two bursts of mysterious energy, dazzling as twin suns, had erupted over there.
At that moment, lightning flared so brightly that one could even make out two figures locked in an aerial clash.
They could fly!
Neither of their abilities seemed to be a true flight power, yet both were leaping across the sky. One tread on bolts of lightning, while the other was enfolded in a raging gale, thunder and tempest violently colliding again and again!
There was only the roar of combat. For the moment, the two top-tier powerhouses exchanged no words.
The Night Watchers had made their move.
***
In the distance.
Liu Long glanced back, his expression shifting slightly.
Solar Radiance!
A Solar Radiance expert had actually come! Not only had an enemy team of ten supernaturals arrived, but they had even brought someone at the Solar Radiance level... If the Night Watchers had not sent a Solar Radiance expert of their own, Silver City would have been utterly defenseless tonight!
The four Lunar Nether supernaturals pursuing them also turned their heads one after another.
Looking at the two Solar Radiance powerhouses suspended in midair with their mysterious energy clashing, their faces behind the ghost masks betrayed a glimmer of yearning.
Solar Radiance!
Compared to Lunar Nether, Solar Radiance was vastly stronger.
If Lunar Nether supernaturals could still potentially be killed by mundane firearms, then once someone reached the Solar Radiance realm, nothing short of city-level ordnance could threaten them. In speed, defense, and perception, they operated on an entirely different level.
Before you could even lock onto them, they would already sense you.
Just as Yuan Shuo had told Li Hao the moment he broke through to Thousand-Battler: the essence of Thousand-Battler lay in the spirit!
Ordinary people could neither see nor sense the Red Shadow.
A Thousand-Battler, however, could detect it. Even without seeing a physical form, a Thousand-Battler could perceive where the Red Shadow was. The moment it moved, Yuan Shuo would notice.
This was why powerhouses of the Thousand-Battler and Solar Radiance realms were so much stronger than those at the Lunar Nether stage.
"Huang Yun!"
Liu Long stared into the distance. Recognizing the supernatural powerhouse, his face grew grim. "Huang Yun... He was stationed in Liuyun City, the third-ranked city. To think he came!"
He had known the Night Watchers would send reinforcements, but he had not expected it to be this man. Huang Yun was formidable even among the Night Watchers—at least within Silver Moon Province, he stood as a top-tier figure.
Yet... it was plain to see that in this rainy night, the enemy's lightning power held the advantage. Up in the sky, as the tempest and lightning clashed, the storm was clearly being suppressed. Lightning flickered incessantly, and Huang Yun's silhouette drifted amid the howling winds, unsteady and buffeted.
He was no match for his opponent!
Who on earth was that lightning powerhouse?
Liu Long's expression became exceptionally grim.
A top-tier Solar Radiance existence, plus ten Lunar Nether supernaturals—just what kind of formidable supernatural organization was out to kill Li Hao?
They were far stronger than expected!
"Keep moving... What are you staring at him for? Let's protect ourselves first!"
Yuan Shuo gave a cough. What was there to look at?
Huang Yun might be outmatched, but he would not be defeated in short order. Both were in the Solar Radiance realm; though a gap existed, it was not overwhelmingly vast, so he would not fall so quickly.
Running came first!
The reason Yuan Shuo wanted to run was that since an enemy Solar Radiance had shown up, then... things were likely about to go wrong on Li Hao's end as well.
The moment had arrived!
That Solar Radiance combatant had held back until now, presumably biding his time for the right moment.
They were not far from the warehouse now.
Gritting his teeth, Liu Long gripped his short axes and looked back at the pursuers behind them. "Counterattack! We still have three Lunar Nether supernaturals on the Night Watchers' side. Since they've already joined the fight, we can join forces and turn the tables!"
The enemy had only four Lunar Nether combatants left. The Night Watchers had three, and together with Liu Long and the heavily injured Yuan Shuo... their combat strength was roughly balanced.
Of course, that excluded the Red Shadow.
That thing was far too troublesome.
Even so, their situation was much better than before.
As for the warehouse, the ice crystal chamber was only an emergency contingency. If they could slaughter the enemies right here, that would be even better—they might even be able to lend Huang Yun a hand.
At that very moment, a thunderous, booming voice rang out across the sky: "The Night Watchers have interfered—wipe them out! Let them know that this is no longer their era!"
What did the Night Watchers amount to anyway?
Deploying one Solar Radiance and three Lunar Nether combatants to a backwater like Silver City was already the absolute limit of what the Night Watchers could spare.
Supernatural organizations were completely free to go wherever they pleased, but Night Watchers had duties and assigned defense sectors. Silver City was outside their operational zones, nor was it Huang Yun's jurisdiction. Gathering this many Night Watchers here was already the greatest effort Silver Moon Province could muster.
If they pulled away any more personnel, other defense sectors might fall into chaos.
The Night Watchers had suffered setbacks before. Coupled with their heavy losses in the ruins, numerous supernatural organizations were now eyeing them like vultures, secretly waiting for opportunities to ambush and kill them.
Behind Liu Long and Yuan Shuo, the four ghost-masked supernaturals came to an abrupt halt upon hearing the order.
Farther back, Wang Ming had just rendezvoused with Hu Hao and Li Meng. Seeing this, Wang Ming looked rather exhilarated. "Kill them! The Night Watchers will assert our authority today! Slay these bastards, and those supernatural organizations will have to think twice before crossing us!"
To the younger generation within the Night Watchers, there were not so many complicated considerations!
They only knew that in recent years, the Night Watchers had been thoroughly stifled.
Restricted at every turn!
There were even differing opinions within the higher echelons; some senior officials advocated absorbing select supernatural organizations, granting them special privileges, and dividing up benefits. As a result, internal stability among the Night Watchers had deteriorated.
Vaguely, Wang Ming had even heard that powerhouses above the Solar Radiance realm at headquarters were plotting something, aiming to secure independent enforcement authority.
When a person's power far surpassed that of ordinary people and even firearms could no longer harm them, desires would sometimes swell without limit!
Nowadays, aside from the central regions, remote territories like Silver Moon Province were already engulfed in rising smoke and spreading turmoil.
Twenty years of supernatural ascension had allowed these organizations to expand at a terrifying pace.
Hearing Wang Ming's words, Li Meng opened the third eye between her brows, her face glowing with excitement. "It's Brother Ming! Brother Ming is here! Hu Hao, strike together and kill them!"
She was thrilled!
She recognized Wang Ming as a young genius of the Night Watchers in Silver Moon Province. Though not a Heaven-Blessed Divine Master, he had entered the supernatural realm only a few years ago and was already an expert among the Lunar Nether tier.
According to the detailed supernatural grading system introduced by the Night Watchers three years prior, the Lunar Nether stage was divided into Crescent Moon, Half Moon, and Full Moon.
Wang Ming had become a supernatural less than five years ago, yet he was already at the peak of the Half Moon stage, approaching Full Moon.
As for Hu Hao and Li Meng, Li Meng was merely at the Crescent Moon stage, while Hu Hao was close to Half Moon, though he had not quite crossed that threshold.
Seeing Wang Ming now, Li Meng was naturally excited.
The younger generation of Night Watchers all yearned to make a name for themselves through glorious deeds, yet circumstances had rarely permitted it. Today, even Huang Yun had taken the field; Li Meng felt their opportunity had finally arrived.
"Kill!"
Wang Ming did not bother with caution. Equally pumped with adrenaline, he instantly condensed a sword of light energy in his hand.
Hu Hao's expression was grave. Those opponents were not easy to deal with!
Yet at this stage, there was no room for hesitation. He swiftly slipped into the air, vanishing into the darkness.
Li Meng opened her third eye, and a beam of crimson light shot forth, streaking rapidly toward the figures ahead.
***
"Truly... foolish!"
At this sight, Yuan Shuo shook his head, and Liu Long let out a heavy sigh.
These three Night Watcher supernaturals... their combat experience was beyond hopeless.
Especially that Li Meng—unleashing her three-eyed divine beam from such a distance served virtually no purpose other than squandering her mysterious energy.
Though the younger generation of Night Watchers possessed plenty of hot-blooded fervor, their experience was pitifully lacking.
They were nothing like the veterans such as Huang Yun. Even if Huang Yun had possessed little combat experience before becoming a supernatural, he had accumulated plenty over the decades. This very point was why supernaturals had grown increasingly dismissive of martial masters.
Originally, martial masters boasted superior combat experience and practical fighting skills. In the first few years after supernaturals emerged, even though supernaturals of the same tier were stronger, had better survival mechanisms, and commanded a wider variety of techniques, life-and-death clashes had usually ended with the supernatural dead.
Yet twenty years had passed. Today, the older generation of supernaturals possessed combat and practical experience that was no longer inferior to that of martial masters.
Without a word, Liu Long spun around and charged straight back!
If he left them alone, those three rookies would almost certainly be wiped out.
A clear disparity existed!
The remaining four opponents were by no means weak; they stood at the very top of their ten-man squad. By Liu Long's assessment, one of the four was at the peak of Hundred-Breaker—equivalent to the Full Moon stage of the Lunar Nether realm among supernaturals.
The other three were nearly all at the Half Moon stage.
Wang Ming and his companions stood very little chance against them.
"Hey!"
Yuan Shuo called out, feeling helpless as he watched Liu Long run off.
Leaving an old cripple like me behind—doesn't your conscience bother you at all?
Besides, have you forgotten that your mission was to protect Li Hao? These supernaturals are entangling us without any rush to hunt down Li Hao... which likely means other powerhouses have already gone after him.
That fool Liu Long—losing his head at the critical moment!
Fine, I'll go by myself.
Dragging his battered body, his face ashen, he panted and shouted, "I'm heading over to Li Hao's side... These people aren't leaving; instead, they're bent on killing the Night Watchers. I'm worried Li Hao's in danger... Liu Long... catch up as soon as you can..."
In that single sentence, he gasped for breath seven or eight times.
A moment later, he staggered toward the warehouse.
Behind him, battle erupted in an instant.
Seven supernaturals and one Hundred-Breaker martial master—eight powerhouses clashed in a split second. In the blink of an eye, the previously thrilled Li Meng let out a shrill scream as her third eye was struck by a bolt of lightning from an enemy supernatural, sending blood splashing outward.
That attacker was the very same supernatural who had threatened Mu Sen earlier—and the leader of this squad, a Full Moon lightning-type supernatural.
The only person who could truly match him was Liu Long.
Everyone else, including Wang Ming, was a cut below him.
Liu Long swung his axe forward.
Yet before the strike could connect, Liu Long's face turned pale. He felt his internal organs burning again—that damned thing was back!
He at least had some experience dealing with it.
Wang Ming, who had been charging forward excitedly with his light sword to hack down enemies, suddenly grunted. His mysterious energy scattered, the light sword in his hand destabilized and shattered, and he spewed a mouthful of blood, looking dazed and uncomprehending.
What kind of power was that?
Liu Long could not help but curse loudly, "You idiot! You've trailed us for so long and still haven't figured it out? There's an invisible, spirit-level monster out there that burns your internal organs and disrupts your mysterious energy! Keep your guard up!"
He had assumed that because they had followed for so long while he repeatedly surged his vitality and blood, any experienced martial master would have understood that he was doing so because he was in mortal danger.
And yet... rookies were rookies after all!
Far too green!
Right at the start of the engagement, both Li Meng and Wang Ming were injured, leaving Liu Long wanting to weep. If he had known they were this incompetent, he would rather have run off with Yuan Shuo!
"Retreat!"
Seeing these results right out of the gate, he dared not tarry any longer and bellowed, "Break through with me!"
At this moment, he was ironically the strongest combatant among them.
Wang Ming snapped awake, flushed with shame and exasperation. He had only ever undertaken minor missions against weak targets; this was his first time clashing with supernaturals of this caliber.
He had been caught completely flat-footed!
How humiliating!
There was no time for wounded pride now; breaking out was indeed their only choice.
Just then, Liu Long produced a short sword and barked coldly, "The Li family sword is in my hands! If you want it, come and get it!"
With that, he kicked off the ground, vaulting clear of the skirmish, and sprinted swiftly toward the warehouse.
Part of the reason he was not overly worried about Li Hao's safety was this very factor: the Li family sword was on his person. Those people might require both the person and the sword together. Of course, he also simply had his hands full.
The short sword in his grip emanated a faint, profoundly enigmatic pulse of mysterious energy.
All at once, the four supernaturals stiffened, shock registering behind their ghost masks. The sword was with Liu Long?
"After him!"
The four promptly abandoned Wang Ming and the others. Slaying these rookies was merely incidental; the Li family sword and Li Hao were what truly mattered!
By now, the rain had taken on a faint bluish tint.
Lightning crisscrossed overhead!
Thunder born of a rainy night, rain turning blue—that was the designated time to deal with Li Hao. The four wasted no more time and charged in relentless pursuit.
As for the three behind them, they paid them little heed.
In terms of combat experience, the four were far superior. If one were to rank them into three tiers, then aside from being slightly weaker than Liu Long, those other three were pure novices, utterly beneath notice.
In the rear, Hu Hao phased out of the air, grabbed Wang Ming and Li Meng, and dashed after Liu Long.
Wang Ming's face was as dark as thunder.
"We've disgraced the Night Watchers!"
A disastrous start!
To be injured the moment they engaged was truly humiliating.
Remembering the thing that had just harmed him, a lingering dread gripped him. He warned, "Watch out for that hidden monster. I don't know what it is—there was no sensation at all before it burrowed inside me. Not only did it scorch my vitals, but it also disrupted my mysterious energy so badly that I couldn't even condense it!"
It was terrifyingly dangerous!
If Liu Long had not been there just now, he might have been slaughtered on the spot.
At this moment, none of them dared look down on anyone anymore.
Thinking about how Liu Long and the others had managed to hold out in such peril and even turn the tables to slay several foes, Wang Ming and his peers felt complicated beyond words.
Had martial masters truly declined?
A Hundred-Breaker martial master like Liu Long was, in terms of sheer vitality, inferior to them.
The destructive power of inner force was also inferior to mysterious energy.
Though claimed to be on the same tier, in truth, a supernatural's speed and physical resilience were generally superior to a martial master's.
And yet, Liu Long had managed to kill several supernaturals!
Hu Hao murmured, "Martial masters are different. We're too young and lack experience! Martial masters carve their way out through real bloodshed. Liu Long has practiced martial arts for decades and has plenty of blood on his hands! An old martial master like Yuan Shuo—back during the era of martial duels, he had a match every three days and a life-and-death battle every ten. He has killed more people than anyone!"
Wang Ming said nothing more, glaring fiercely at the figures ahead through gritted teeth!
They had been looked down upon!
As for that hidden monster, he recalled Liu Long's countermeasure from before. He wondered if surging his mysterious energy would work; at least he had some inkling now.
Combat experience was forged rapidly in such moments of life and death, one encounter after another.
If the three supernaturals survived tonight's battle, they would never again be as utterly bewildered and helpless in the face of sudden peril.
***
*Cough, cough, cough...*
Yuan Shuo spat blood, his complexion growing increasingly ashen. He looked up at the sky, where the rain was pouring harder and harder.
Stop raining!
If it keeps falling, my hair is going to turn black again. As for the ashen color on my face, whether it's an act or the dye washing off... Yuan Shuo could not even be bothered to tell anymore.
This rain was truly heavy!
"Is there anyone else or not? If not, turning back to finish off that lightning supernatural would make this trip worth it..."
He was assessing whether an even stronger foe remained.
Judging by the current situation, the enemy held the upper hand, but not by an overwhelming margin. If this was all they had, they might not easily secure Li Hao, let alone perform some ritual right now to unseal the Li family sword.
"That lightning supernatural is taking his sweet time, entangling Huang Yun without any urgency... Which means there is almost certainly someone else!"
Relying on decades of experience and the keen perception of a Thousand-Battler martial master, he deduced that another powerhouse remained concealed in the shadows.
Whether that person was at Solar Radiance or beyond Solar Radiance was hard to say.
Tonight, the enemy's objective was Li Hao; that core goal could not be mistaken. Therefore, if there was another expert, they were surely biding their time to capture Li Hao directly. The Night Watchers were not their primary target.
A moment later, Yuan Shuo spotted the warehouse.
In the next instant, his expression shifted slightly.
*Damn, they really think highly of Li Hao. The secret of Silver City's Eight Great Families might be even bigger than I imagined... What level has come this time?*
*Peak Solar Radiance?*
*Or... even stronger?*
*Surely not!*
Even Yuan Shuo felt a little unconfident. After advancing to Thousand-Battler, he had thought Solar Radiance was nothing special and hardly took it to heart. He had practiced martial arts for over sixty years; his combat experience and instincts were beyond what those supernaturals could match—how long had the oldest of them even been around?
That was why he claimed that in all of Silver Moon Province, only three to five people could defeat him.
Those three to five individuals were all existences beyond this level.
Among them, the chief of the Night Watchers in Silver Moon Province was definitely at that tier. Whether the Night Watchers had a second such expert remained unknown.
Would an existence of that caliber really come to Silver City just to kill Li Hao?
If so... this was going to be truly troublesome! Yuan Shuo felt the surging inner force within his body, as well as that razor-sharp saber energy... Feeling slightly apprehensive, he gritted his teeth and hardened his resolve. *So what if they've come?*
*This will be my first time going all out—I'll bet you weren't prepared to run into an old monster like me here!*
***
Outside the warehouse.
Li Hao was also feeling uneasy.
When he caught a raindrop in his hand and it soaked into his skin... his blood began to simmer faintly. Li Hao knew his trouble was likely at hand.
There was something wrong with this rain.
He had not felt it earlier, nor had he noticed anything the night Zhang Yuan died. Yet he vaguely remembered that on the night Zhang Yuan perished, the rain outside had also carried a faint bluish hue.
Of course, in the dark of night, hardly anyone would have paid attention.
Water naturally took on different tints under different environments.
Bluish rainwater seemed unexceptional.
Yet this time, Li Hao felt the difference. As the water seeped into his body, it subtly stirred his blood into a boil. Was it his bloodline?
Li Hao pondered.
Was this the timing and opportunity the enemy had been waiting for?
To bring his bloodline to a boil, then burn him to death, harvest all of his bloodline power, and unseal the Starry Sky Sword passed down by his ancestors?
As he pondered, doubts arose.
Why did this rain produce such an effect?
Furthermore, was this rain restricted to Silver City?
Otherwise, why had they refused to let him leave the borders of Silver City?
"Did they arrange some method that caused this blue rain to appear, or is Silver City inherently unique, naturally producing rain like this?"
Pondering these thoughts, Li Hao surveyed his surroundings.
In the darkness, he saw it!
At that moment, Li Hao's heart pounded furiously!
More than ten li away, two energy signatures blazed like miniature suns; he could see them clearly.
Now, even farther in the distance, he saw an energy signature that was vastly stronger, more dazzling, and more piercingly radiant!
"Like a scorching sun!"
Li Hao's face turned pale.
It was stronger than both of those Solar Radiance experts, and that sphere of light was closing in at unimaginable speed.
It was coming straight for him!
To kill him, this supernatural organization had actually dispatched someone beyond Solar Radiance... or at peak Solar Radiance?
He had no way of gauging the exact strength; he only knew this person was far more terrifying than the two Solar Radiance combatants clashing earlier.
Before the person even arrived, Li Hao sensed another anomaly.
In the darkness, a gigantic crimson silhouette was flying swiftly through the air toward him, immense beyond belief!
A Red Shadow!
This was the first time Li Hao had ever seen a Red Shadow so enormous. It was at least ten times larger than the one he had killed before—standing roughly twenty meters tall. Li Hao's mouth fell open.
*Are you kidding me?!*
He had been present when Zhang Yuan died. If he remembered correctly, the Red Shadow that killed Zhang Yuan had been roughly the same size as the one he had slain earlier.
Yet this one... was too damn huge!
He could see it clearly even from this distance.
Twenty meters tall—that was the height of a six- or seven-story building.
The critical part was that no one else could see it; Li Hao alone possessed the sight. At this moment, his heart nearly stopped beating. *Teacher... can you handle this?*
For the first time, doubt crept in regarding his teacher!
He felt that his teacher... might genuinely not be able to pull this off!
At his feet, Black Panther was trembling violently. The black dog, which had previously felt itself growing stronger, now tucked its tail between its legs, paralyzed with terror.
A giant Red Shadow!
Absurdly, overwhelmingly massive!
Earlier, Li Hao had absorbed its power with immense satisfaction, and the dog had licked up its share with equal delight.
Yet facing this one... good heavens, the hound's mind held only a single thought: *I wouldn't be able to finish licking this even until the year of the monkey!*
"Sister!"
At this moment, Li Hao was certain that no amount of preparation from Liu Long would be of any use.
The approaching powerhouse was not someone Liu Long and the others could handle.
Liu Yan looked at Li Hao. Though his face was somewhat pale, he managed a smile. "Fall back! The dangers are mostly dealt with, and the strong foes are tied down. Go help the boss—standing guard here serves no purpose..."
Liu Yan frowned at him.
Li Hao added, "Seriously. Wasting manpower here is pointless; you'd be better off helping the boss. I won't go—I'll wait here!"
"Li Hao!"
Liu Yan stared at him, her tone stripped of its usual flirtatious lilt, turning icy cold. "Speak plainly!"
Li Hao smiled, a somewhat strained grimace. He joked in an ostensibly nonchalant manner, "I saw a falling sun! Sister, we're nothing more than fireflies. Tell me, if a sun falls upon us, can we withstand it?"
Liu Yan's face paled.
She looked toward the distant thunder and howling winds, muttering irritably, "You mean over there?"
"No, far more intense than that!"
Liu Yan's breath hitched.
She spaced out for a second, looking utterly bereft.
Stronger than Solar Radiance?
Just what kind of powerhouse had Li Hao provoked?!
Beyond Solar Radiance?
Liu Yan could hardly comprehend it. She was merely at the Ten-Slayer realm, on par with the weakest Starlight Masters. Above her lay Lunar Nether, followed by Solar Radiance, with numerous sub-tiers within each.
Joining forces to kill a backlashed Lunar Nether had pushed them to their limits, let alone facing an existence beyond Solar Radiance.
"Go!"
Li Hao smiled. "Hurry. Their target is me, not you! Believe that justice will prevail. Sister, thank the boss for me!"
"Li Hao!"
Liu Yan wanted to say more, but the words caught in her throat.
Beside them, Yun Yao also looked pale and murmured softly, "Can you run away?"
Could he run?
Li Hao gave a bitter smile. How could he?
The enemy was drawing closer by the second!
Right at that moment, Yuan Shuo's figure appeared first.
Currently, Yuan Shuo was covered in grime, having run so hard he had lost his shoes. His face was smudged with a mottled greyish-black, looking thoroughly battered and disheveled.
He rushed over and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Li Hao, flashing a grin of bright white teeth that looked particularly striking in the rain. "Little Hao, good to see you're still alive!"
Li Hao looked at him.
"Teacher... you..."
*Aren't you overdoing the pathetic look a bit?*
*This... act is a little too much.*
You're supposed to be a Thousand-Battler powerhouse, yet you've reduced yourself to looking like this?
With that thought, Li Hao glanced into the distance again. The colossal sphere of light was now less than ten kilometers away, feeling closer with every passing heartbeat.
At this pace, the enemy would arrive shortly.
Growing anxious, he stepped forward to support his seemingly tottering teacher, whispering, "They're far stronger than those two—dazzling as a midsummer sun! Teacher... if it's no good, let's just accept our fate! If we don't, you could take me and run—can we outrun them?"
"Who are you looking down on?"
Yuan Shuo also kept his voice low, though he felt distinctly uncertain.
He had never tested it!
Whether he could actually pull it off... he honestly did not know.
Li Hao added, "Also, that hidden thing... is unimaginably huge."
"There's another one?"
Yuan Shuo nearly gasped. *Holy shit!*
*Two of them?*
He could gamble against one, but two... did those things actually vary in strength?
"How big?"
"At least twenty meters tall!"
*Holy shit!*
Just imagining it made Yuan Shuo realize how terrifying it must be... An instant later, he seemed to sense it. Being a Thousand-Battler powerhouse, he caught that peculiar fluctuation of energy.
An existence akin to the spiritual plane!
Now things were truly troublesome.
Yuan Shuo almost felt like turning on his heel and walking away. This student of his—even if he was his final disciple—damn it all, the trouble you've stirred up is way too big!
This time, even if the chief of the Night Watchers in Silver Moon Province showed up in person, he might very well have to back down.
And you expect an old man like me to block this?
Of course, without trying, who knew what could happen?
If he truly resolved such a nightmare, the other side would suffer a crippling blow. Slaying this one, plus that Solar Radiance expert—even among the three major organizations, existences like these were scarce. When that time came...
Though his mind raced, Yuan Shuo whispered, "You can see it?"
"Yes!"
At this point, what was the use of hiding it?
He could see it even more clearly than Yuan Shuo!
It was precisely because of this that he was even more terrified.
Against a Lunar Nether, he could still attempt an ambush, but against an existence like this, even if Miraculous Hands Bring Spring caught them up close, he probably could not crush anything!
And that Red Shadow was so gargantuan—standing at its feet, was he supposed to claw at its toenails?
Yuan Shuo drew a deep breath as if making a decision. Glancing at the squad members behind them, he suddenly barked, "Get the hell out of here, all of you! I'm living and dying with Li Hao! I don't have long to live anyway. Scram, the lot of you—I'll die alongside my student!"
Better to send these burdens away as soon as possible!
As for Li Hao, if he left, there would be no game to play.
"Elder Yuan..."
"Scram!"
Yuan Shuo's tone was hostile. If you don't scram now, are you staying here to wait for death?
Turning back to Li Hao, Yuan Shuo glanced around, spotted the shipping container blocking the entrance, and seemed to notice the ice crystals. He whispered, "Stay inside that thing in a moment. It can provide some defense against supernatural energy... otherwise, a single careless shockwave will do you in! Of course, I'm going in too; we'll enter together. If that fellow wants to devour your bloodline or something, he won't kill you easily. In his eyes, you're less than an ant, far too easy to crush... As long as he restrains his mysterious energy, we'll still have a chance!"
Understood!
Li Hao nodded. Putting on an act—he could do that.
As for his teacher... there was no need to worry; his teacher was an even better actor than he was.
This time, everything depended on whether the two of them could make it look convincing!
If luck was on their side, perhaps his teacher could finish off the opponent.
Still, facing two foes at once—if that massive Red Shadow also attacked his teacher... that would be disastrous.
"Teacher, do you think if I stab that thing into my heart, it will really unseal?"
Li Hao thought of the jade sword. It had never been unsealed; yet even sealed, it had been able to slash the Red Shadow into tangible form. What if it was truly unsealed?
Could it strike the Red Shadow dead?
If he could slay the Red Shadow, his teacher's odds against that supernatural powerhouse would be far greater.
Yuan Shuo considered it for a moment, then said, "There's hope, but it's not a hundred percent guaranteed..."
At this point, his gaze flickered, glancing at Li Hao.
His look seemed to ask: *Has it arrived?*
He could not see the Red Shadow, but he could faintly perceive it.
Li Hao, his face deathly pale, gave a stiff nod. At this very moment, a little over a hundred meters in front of him, a Red Shadow towering like a building had descended to the ground.
Immense beyond measure!
Yuan Shuo offered a stiff smile as well. It was truly... speechlessly absurd.
Could it be that the first time he went all out, he was going to fall flat on his face?
"Scram!"
Yuan Shuo roared once more. This time, Liu Yan and the others said nothing further. They had seen the drastic change in Li Hao's complexion.
Even when facing that Lunar Nether expert, Li Hao had never looked so ghostly pale.
Gritting her teeth, Liu Yan dragged Wu Chao away.
Black Panther had wanted to slip away unnoticed as well, but seeing that Li Hao was not leaving, it abruptly stopped. Terror filled the dog's eyes, yet alongside that terror flickered a sliver of anticipation.
What if?
What if they managed to stab that towering Red Shadow to death? How much benefit could this dog lick up then?
Not leaving!
Liu Yan and the others rapidly withdrew.
They rushed to intercept Liu Long, lest he charge straight in and make the situation even more disastrous.
Meanwhile, Li Hao and Yuan Shuo both stepped into the shipping container.
Yuan Shuo still held a broadsaber in hand. He acted as though he had neither seen nor sensed a thing, sighing wistfully, "Li Hao, this old man is done for. Once this passes, I'll probably be completely finished! You still have hope... that Solar Radiance might not be a match for Huang Yun... The Night Watchers are formidable after all, and Liu Long is still alive. As long as those few foes are dealt with, you'll be safe!"
"Once you're safe, live well... and don't stay in Silver City anymore!"
Yuan Shuo put on the air of a dying man, imparting his final instructions to his student.
Li Hao, wearing a grief-stricken expression, said, "Teacher... you'll be fine. I know supernaturals can heal injuries. Using mysterious energy to treat you, I believe you will definitely recover!"
"A child's mind... always imagining the best!"
*Cough, cough, cough...*
Yuan Shuo coughed violently again, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth. He sighed, "In this life of mine, my greatest regret is failing to step into Thousand-Battler, advance to supernatural, and sweep through the world... Otherwise, how could a mere Solar Radiance be my match?"
At this moment, he panted heavily as if in immense agony, gripping Li Hao's arm and gasping, "The Five Animals Breathing Art I taught you... you must remember it well! This is the foundation... compiled by me using countless ancient civilization texts..."
At that very second, outside the shipping container, atop the head of the Red Shadow, a figure landed silently.
The voices inside the container drifted into his ears.
The Five Animals Breathing Art!
At this moment, even this powerhouse beyond Solar Radiance paused slightly. He had originally intended to charge straight in, capture Li Hao, and burn the boy to death, but now he restrained his mysterious energy and held still.
Yuan Shuo's Five Animals Breathing Art!
Countless people had their eyes on it, yet the old coot had never divulged it. Tonight, Yuan Shuo was going to die, and his student was going to die as well. If it was lost... the Five Animals Breathing Art might truly disappear forever!
*Perhaps... I can kill Li Hao and capture Yuan Shuo alive?*
At this thought, the notion surfaced in the mind of the figure atop the Red Shadow.
Treasures tempted the heart. Ordinary treasures could no longer sway him, but... the Five Animals Breathing Art could!
What made Yuan Shuo most valuable in their eyes was not his martial prowess—martial masters had declined, after all. What mattered most was the vast reservoir of ancient civilization texts stored inside his brain. That old rascal had destroyed countless records as well!
To protect himself, Yuan Shuo had destroyed who knew how many ancient texts, keeping them solely inside his head!
The figure drifted silently and reappeared right outside the shipping container in an instant.
Yuan Shuo and Li Hao seemed completely oblivious!
Yuan Shuo continued imparting his dying words, while Li Hao appeared overwhelmed with grief, his head bowed, tears on the verge of spilling over.
"Teacher, I will treat the Five Animals Breathing Art with the utmost care!"
Yuan Shuo coughed blood. "Good, that's good. Not only that... I have many treasures left for you... as well as some ancient civilization ruins unknown to others. I will tell you where they are... Do not tell anyone! That will be the foundation of your rise. Once you obtain them, reaching beyond Solar Radiance will be effortless... The ancient civilization was unimaginably powerful!"
"Teacher, please don't say any more!"
Li Hao looked agonized. *Stop talking! If you say any more, he won't be able to resist charging in to grab you!*
"It's... it's fine... I'm at the peak of Hundred-Breaker; I can hold on a little longer before dying..."
Master and disciple exchanged tearful words. Suddenly, Yuan Shuo lowered his voice to a whisper: "Lean closer. I'm afraid someone might overhear..."
Li Hao brought his ear close.
Outside the container, the figure looked at Yuan Shuo, only able to see his lips moving without hearing a sound.
Mysterious energy was difficult to permeate through, as this chamber was reinforced with ice crystals.
After a split second of deliberation, the figure waved his hand, compressing the giant Red Shadow down to the size of a normal human. In the next instant, the Red Shadow passed straight through the ice crystal barrier and entered the container.
Since it was inconvenient for him to eavesdrop, sending the Red Shadow to listen served just as well.
He would kill them after hearing the secrets!
That would save him the trouble of interrogating Yuan Shuo, which might not even yield the truth anyway.
At this moment, Li Hao, his eyes red, nodded.
Yuan Shuo smiled with satisfaction. He understood—the Red Shadow had entered!
*Still, brat... can you hold out?*
*Never mind, it shouldn't kill you right away.*
*Everything is within this old man's grasp. Supernaturals are all fools—how could my secrets be so easily pried away by you lot?*
At this moment, both master and disciple put on looks of profound grief!
"Teacher... take care!"
"Little Hao, protect yourself..."
Master and disciple wailed in grief!
Outside the container, the figure grew somewhat impatient. *If you're going to die, die faster and spit out the secrets already!*
To avoid alerting Yuan Shuo, he had suppressed his mysterious energy to its absolute lowest point, terrified of being sensed. His original intention to launch a thunderous strike and sweep away all foes had completely evaporated.
*Hurry up and speak—I'm running out of patience!*
Chapter 42