A Glorious Age of Prosperity!

Stars ignited as figures materialized. The King of Dali infused his blood vitality, and in that instant, boundless energy converged from all corners of heaven and earth. Not far away, the Queen of the God Nation needed no prompting from Li Hao. She was even more discerning than the King of Dali. Shaken to the core by what had just occurred, she swiftly ignited the fire of faith, setting the heavens and earth ablaze! The fire of faith was forged from the hearts and Daos of countless mortals, a form of Great Dao power—and an aspect of the chaotic Great Dao. Coupled with the Silver Moon divine energy originating from the gods of Silver Moon, this served as their skeletal frame. In an instant, an incomparably formidable foundation was established for those silhouetted figures. Was it enough? Not by far! When these people had fallen in battle, the strongest among them had been Yuan Shuo, who could barely contend against a Saint. In truth, his strength had merely been at the Sun Moon Realm, while the others were also in the Sun Moon Realm; almost none had stepped into the Dao Integration Realm. If they were revived just like this, their foundation would remain shallow. They would lag far behind the others. Now, the strongest Silver Moon martial masters were in the mid-stage Dao Integration Realm, and the weakest were at least in the late-stage Sun Moon Realm. Even people like Wang Ming had stepped into the late-stage Sun Moon Realm, not far from Dao Integration. If his teacher and the others revived only at the early or middle stages of Sun Moon, having missed so many opportunities, catching up with everyone would be exceedingly difficult. The power of myriad mortals gathered. Countless torrents swept in from the Chaotic River—chaotic Dao power, originating from Hong Yitang. Nearby, Qian Wuliang proved extremely perceptive; without waiting for Li Hao to say a word, he immediately manifested vast amounts of illusory Dao power, merging it into the silhouettes. At this moment, he was more cooperative than anyone. Meanwhile, within the River of Time, surges of sword intent rose from Li Hao, transforming into a unique force that flowed into their bodies. The silhouettes grew clearer and clearer. Simultaneously, massive stars were forged out of thin air by Li Hao. Those stars merged into the Chaotic River in an instant, washed by its currents. Before long, the stars connected to the space above each figure, transforming into their natal stars. This sight left many people clicking their tongues in astonishment. To resurrect them, Li Hao had spared no effort. He wasn't merely bringing them back; he wanted to ensure they wouldn't lag behind. He had gathered the King of Dali’s blood vitality, the Queen’s Silver Moon power, the powers of the corporeal and illusory Daos, and the energy of the River of Time. And now, he was personally forging natal great stars for them... Anyone watching couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. And it didn't end there! Li Hao turned his gaze to the Queen once more. The Queen felt somewhat helpless. Surges of unique energy drifted out from within her—the shattered fragments of Heaven’s Will from before. In that instant, this power merged into the silhouettes. It was as if they had all become beloved children of heaven and earth. Even before they were revived, energy surged toward them from every direction, as though heaven and earth themselves favored them. This had also been agreed upon beforehand! Yet the Queen couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. Originally, she had possessed sole dominion over heaven and earth. When Li Hao had willingly relinquished it, she had been overjoyed. But now... she had surrendered more than half of her Silver Moon power and Heaven's Will just to get Li Hao to stop staring her down. Even before their consciousness had awakened, the auras within the silhouettes had almost instantly reached the Sun Moon Realm. Li Hao watched in silence for a moment. Suddenly, the Cangqiong Sword trembled slightly, letting out a mournful wail filled with reluctance and pain. Li Hao looked at the blade and said softly, "Spit out the Eight Divine Weapons. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. I will use the Eight Divine Weapons as vessels to help them attain their Dao! If you are unwilling... you may leave on your own!" The Cangqiong Sword felt utterly helpless! It had devoured the Eight Great Divine Weapons to forge itself into Silver Moon's strongest weapon, the Cangqiong Sword! Yet now, Li Hao wanted it to vomit them back out... This... Helpless as it was, who would dare—or even be able to—defy him? The Eight Great Divine Weapons, which had previously been swallowed, were spat out bit by bit. Li Hao gave a slight nod. As the Eight Great Divine Weapons gathered, they suddenly formed the Great Eight Trigrams Array! In an instant, a massive formation, a colossal seal, seemed to emerge across heaven and earth. The Eight Great Divine Weapons harmonized completely, blanketing the entire world. Even Tianji took a light breath! What an extravagant move, dammit! When the Blood Sovereign had made such grand gestures, it was because he was a supreme Sovereign. Li Hao wasn't even a Sovereign, yet he discarded the Eight Great Divine Weapons without batting an eye. At this moment, Li Hao's river manifested! Time washed over them! The Eight Great Divine Weapons trembled! Li Hao’s voice boomed like a bronze bell: "The mission of the Eight Divine Weapons is complete. Let heaven and earth, Qian and Kun, forge the celestial foundation!" Boom! Eroded by the power of time, the Eight Great Divine Weapons gradually began to decay, liquefying into streams of life essence that rained down from the sky. Like spring water, the liquid poured into the physical bodies. Those silhouettes grew increasingly formidable. Everyone around clicked their tongues in astonishment once more... Truly... generous! The Eight Great Divine Weapons were genuine, top-tier divine artifacts. Transformed into the eight main cities, they could enable a Saint to rival a Heavenly King. Yet Li Hao had washed them down directly into pure essence to replenish these fallen warriors. It was a form of compensation. The figures grew ever more powerful. Auras that had only just entered the Sun Moon Realm now began to push into the mid-stage Sun Moon Realm—and this was before they had fully revived and regained consciousness. Moreover, the sheer strength of these physical bodies would present zero obstacles to their future advancement. Forged from the Eight Great Divine Weapons, Heaven's Will, Silver Moon power, primal martial blood vitality, and the fire of faith, such fleshly bodies were naturally peerless. In all the world, perhaps only Li Hao would be so willing to part with such treasures, and only he possessed so many to give. With the stars retrieved and the heavenly lightning weathered, all that remained was the foundation-laying process. As for awakening their consciousness... that was no difficult feat for Li Hao. The hardest part was already behind him. For those who had fallen in battle, he wanted nothing more than to grant them the greatest, most ultimate boons. Even though melting down the eight weapons would slightly diminish his sword's power, the Cangqiong Sword had already devoured so much that it couldn't return everything anyway; it was merely giving back a portion. Seeing that the physical auras of these figures had reached the mid-to-late stages of the Sun Moon Realm, Li Hao let out a soft breath. Now, all that remained was to awaken them and revive their consciousness, allowing them to seize the opportunity to cultivate and see if anyone could leap directly into Dao Integration... It would be extraordinarily difficult, as Dao Integration had not even existed when they fell. Reaching Dao Integration was as hard as scaling the heavens, but reaching the ninth tier of Sun Moon would suffice; Dao Integration would not be far behind. The onlookers watched, filled with anticipation as they waited for everyone to revive. Awakening consciousness was actually straightforward: once the natal stars were restored, the consciousness merely slept, and guiding it with mental power was not particularly hard. Even the Queen knew that resurrection would not be an issue now. She was familiar with the process; it was just like restoring a god, where a simple awakening would do the trick. Yet Li Hao did not stop there. At that exact moment, the River of Time manifested once more. From the water, divine characters emerged one after another across the world. An instant later, a Great Dao Book appeared, with the divine characters branded within. Off to the side, Zhang An started slightly. And then, time seemed to flow backward once again! The sight left everyone dumbfounded! Soon, Boundless City emerged. The scene of battle replayed. Li Hao suddenly encircled them with the river, the Great Dao Book held in his hand. In that instant, not just Li Hao, but everyone present seemed to be dragged into the river! ... Boundless City. The battle erupted once more. Everyone's vision blurred, as though they had returned to that very day. Simultaneously, familiar faces appeared beside them. Southern Fist’s cursing voice rang out: "Didn't I die? Why am I still fighting here... Fuck! Was I just dreaming? Can I really zone out in the middle of a fight?" He felt utterly bewildered! A figure appeared in the city—Southern Fist himself. Southern Fist felt baffled and speechless. He remembered dying in battle, so why the hell was he still here fighting? Could it be... that everything before was just an illusion? He wasn't dead yet? All around, silhouettes materialized. Hou Xiaochen looked about in confusion. Thrusting his spear forward, he felt something was amiss, glanced over at Jade Rakshasa nearby, and charged straight toward her! He also remembered that Jade Rakshasa had died in battle. Why... why was she still here? Meanwhile, Jade Rakshasa’s murderous aura boiled, her mind equally perplexed. *Didn't I die?* *Chief Hou... Chief Hou is still alive!* *That's good!* One powerful expert after another appeared all around, fighting a fierce battle on all sides. At this moment, they all felt somewhat dazed, as if waking from a long dream, wondering why they had suddenly thought they were dead. Just then, Li Hao’s voice echoed from above: "Focus on the fight! The enemies are formidable and have created an illusion to confuse us. Shatter the illusion and do not let it distract you!" An illusion? Understood! The experts immediately felt reassured. Beside Southern Fist, a figure popped up. Northern Fist looked at Southern Fist with eyes full of joy, mixed with a hint of disbelief. Casual as could be, he killed an enemy with a single punch, a subtle excitement in his voice: "Little He?" Southern Fist sent an opponent flying with a punch, turned his head, and frowned. "What?" "Did... did you see an illusion?" Northern Fist sounded thrilled. Southern Fist frowned. "Yeah, so what?" "What... what did you see?" "What did I see? I saw that I'm about to beat all these bastards to death! Victory is ours, and I am invincible!" Southern Fist maintained his arrogant swagger. Wasn't that enough to see? "You... you didn't see yourself die...?" "Pfft! Even if you die, I won't!" Southern Fist cursed aloud. What bad luck! He *had* seen it, of course, but... why the hell would he tell him? It was just an illusion! Still... looking at Northern Fist now, something felt off. In such an intense battle, why did it feel like this old codger was slacking off? Fuck! This dog bastard was up to no good. But... had this guy been hiding his strength? Why did it feel like those Immortal-level enemies were no match for him at all? Strange! Could he... really have been hiding his strength? What a scoundrel! Was he secretly trying to bully him again? Cursing inwardly, Southern Fist threw a punch that suppressed heaven and earth, fighting with greater vigor the longer he went, feeling as though he had grown significantly stronger as well. Northern Fist was brimming with excitement. He sent a gold-armored warrior flying with a single blow, vanished, and reappeared before another person a moment later, grinning. "Minister Yao Si, did you see the illusion?" Yao Si nodded slightly, sweeping the battlefield with a punch of his own! He had seen it—the tragic, brutal battle. He had seen everyone die, seen Northern Fist on the verge of falling. Northern Fist's fist technique was grand and majestic, forcing even Yao Si to admit that this man's fist technique was number one under heaven. Yao Si, who also walked the path of the fist, had saved Northern Fist, only to be struck down on the spot by the enemy. However, it was merely an illusion; there was no point in dwelling on it. He simply cautioned Northern Fist: "Be careful, this battle is perilous!" "Understood, understood..." Northern Fist was overjoyed, practically beaming. The old fellow roved across the battlefield, felling foes with single punches. His technique was magnificent and vast, devoid of its former grim chill, bursting with sheer grandeur as he pulverized enemies in all directions! In that instant, everyone sensed something strange. Among the crowd, those who were part of the actual present looked on with extremely peculiar expressions. Northern Fist... was about to advance. He had already stepped into Dao Integration not long ago, yet now his aura was surging wildly, showing signs of breaking into the second or even third tier of Dao Integration. Naturally, he suppressed it. It wasn't just Northern Fist; many others were roaming the battlefield. Even Jade Light Sword, who had kept an extremely low profile ever since Yuan Shuo’s death, was darting around looking for Yuan Shuo’s whereabouts. Every expert felt deeply shaken. They knew where they were. Within time, within an illusion, within memories, in the past, within the scene of their past battle... In truth, creating an illusion was not difficult; when Li Hao had visited Yuanping Martial Arts University, Zhang An had pulled him into one before. Yet back then, one could clearly sense that it was an illusion. At this moment, even Dao Integration experts and Saints felt that... this was a genuine battlefield, the exact scene that had unfolded previously, with no difference whatsoever—except for them! A group of people who were essentially slacking off in the middle of a war. Li Hao’s voice sounded in their ears: "No one is permitted to leak a single word. Let me guide the natural flow of time, allowing them to experience every battle and every epiphany so that they can return naturally without any gap in their progression!" "Everyone, play your parts well in this play... Whoever dares to expose the truth will die early in battle and be kicked out of the river! Northern Fist, if you keep running around, you'll be the first one I kick out!" "..." On the battlefield, Northern Fist settled down instantly. The others were equally shaken. To ensure these fallen comrades didn't fall behind, to prevent them from feeling confused or missing out on key opportunities, Li Hao had actually... actually reversed time to reenact it all within the river. Not much time had actually passed since their deaths—only about half a year. Yet... that half year had been the period of greatest upheaval. Countless figures and experts had emerged in endless succession. Reenacting all of it would be quite a hassle. The experts quickly pondered how to act, dreading the trouble of reliving it all... Though it was certainly entertaining. Off to the side, Heaven Sword, who had remained quiet all this time, suddenly spoke up: "Hou Xiaochen... I saw an illusion just now. You seemed to be shouting about marrying Jade Rakshasa. Was that real or fake?" Hou Xiaochen froze! Fuck! You saw it too? Could it be that everyone had seen the exact same illusion? Southern Fist's expression shifted as well, cursing inwardly. They couldn't all have seen the same thing, right? If so... that grandson Northern Fist had deliberately been trying to provoke him. What a bastard. At that moment, Yuan Shuo’s figure manifested in the void. Yuan Shuo seemed momentarily dazed as he looked toward Li Hao... Li Hao looked back at him, forcing back the Saint Han Jiang with a sword strike, and called out, "Teacher, victory is ours! The illusion merely seeks to crush our resolve; it is nothing. I have gained an epiphany—in this battle, I will surely break through to a deeper realm!" Yuan Shuo was somewhat dazed. He glanced at Li Hao, then looked at the others. Just like before, everyone was locked in bitter combat. Yet something felt different. Northern Fist, Heaven Sword, Earth-Overturning Sword... Everyone was here, but... it didn't seem quite so dire. Their opponents seemed rather weak, easily repelled by them. Even the disciple before him seemed somewhat different. As he fought a formidable foe, Yuan Shuo suddenly stopped mid-strike. Li Hao stared blankly as Yuan Shuo let the opposing Zheng Gong pierce straight through him. Frowning, Yuan Shuo looked at Li Hao: "What the devil is this?" "..." Li Hao was speechless. Yuan Shuo shook his head. "Something's bizarre... This... this feels like something I experienced in a dream once. You... you once traveled back to the past to find me. How strange, it feels just like today!" Li Hao froze. It was really... really in your memory? Rubbing his head, Yuan Shuo looked at Li Hao, then at the sky and their surroundings. Everything seemed genuine. A thought struck him, and he looked at Li Hao: "It feels as though some memories suddenly popped into my head... You useless brat, did you tamper with me? Did I... die in battle?" "..." Li Hao remained silent. "Are you resurrecting me?" "..." "Then what are you doing with all this nonsense?" After a long pause, Li Hao finally said, "Letting you experience it once more!" Understanding dawned on Yuan Shuo, an odd expression on his face as he nodded. "Not bad. But... are you even human? Does this mean the few of us are being kept in the dark while those bastards know everything?" "Yes." "I knew those fellows seemed off!" Li Hao felt helpless. "How did you tell, Teacher?" "The moment you stick your tail up, I know what you're about to do..." Li Hao was speechless. Those words sounded so familiar; he had heard them before. Smiling faintly, Li Hao asked curiously, "Teacher, do you mean some memories suddenly appeared, showing that I once visited you?" "It wasn't clear before, but it seems clearer now... You seemed to have looked for me... Though not at this time, but a long time ago, before you even practiced martial arts." Li Hao was puzzled. Were these memories only newly born, or had they truly existed all along? Forget it, he couldn't wrap his head around it! It was too complicated! He simply hadn't expected his teacher to see through it so easily. Truly... words failed him. "Then Teacher... do you want to continue?" "Of course!" Yuan Shuo nodded. Suddenly, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and flew backward, crashing directly toward Jade Light Sword below, letting out a wretched, furious roar: "Don't you dare harm Jade Light, you court death!" "..." Li Hao was stunned. Jade Light Sword was equally stunned, her expression instantly melting into deep moved emotion. Yuan Shuo... even at a moment like this, he hadn't forgotten her. Truly... she couldn't find words to say, and could only let Yuan Shuo wrap his arms around her, savoring that unfamiliar warmth. This man... was so domineering! Meanwhile, with a face full of grim determination, Yuan Shuo let out a low roar: "Victory is ours! Silver Moon martial masters are invincible under heaven! Slay them with me!" "..." Above, Li Hao stared blankly, then suddenly laughed—a laugh caught between helplessness and utter disbelief! How did it turn into this? A domineering hero rescuing the maiden? What on earth was his teacher doing? Since you already figured it out, wouldn't you ask what happened, what changed, or what the current situation is... You didn't care about any of that, yet the very first thing you did was run off to flirt! I really... feel like punching you right back where you came from! Li Hao felt exhausted! With so much going on, wasn't there a single thing you cared about? His teacher was like this, and Southern Fist was no different. Spurred by the illusion where he had died, he threw punches with unmatched ferocity, roaring at the top of his lungs: "Come kill your Grandpa He! Who says Neo-Martial is invincible? Silver Moon Southern Fist, He Yong is peerless!" His voice was shrill and booming, an endless stream of curses pouring from his mouth! Nearby, Hou Xiaochen held Jade Rakshasa, the two of them exchanging a knowing smile, as though a paper-thin barrier between them had finally shattered. His Fire Phoenix Spear swept through the air, slaying enemies with overwhelming might! Jade Rakshasa fought in perfect harmony, striking down one powerful foe after another with palm after palm! Further off, Liu Hong swung his axe, cleaving a formidable enemy in two, then glanced upward in confusion. Was everything he had seen truly an illusion? Then could they win this time? He had no idea! Just as he was pondering this, a figure appeared—Zhang An. Everyone was overjoyed; he had arrived! There was hope for this battle! Zhang An arrived with a touch of curiosity, bewilderment, and an indescribable feeling... Appearing on the scene, he barked softly: "Traitors to Neo-Martial shall be executed by Neo-Martial!" Last time, there hadn't been such an opportunity, but now... it was like a second chance. How interesting! Li Hao roared, "Director Zhang is here! Victory is assured—kill!" The earth-shaking battle erupted once more. Yet... some people still knew this was all an act. Northern Fist and his group loitered around Southern Fist and the others, slacking off, constantly wanting to ask questions and chat. Had it not been for the boundless killing intent radiating from above... they would have loved nothing more than to strike up a long conversation. Li Hao was locked onto them. Whoever blew their cover would be kicked out of the river. With that threat hanging over them, no one dared give the game away. It was too much fun! Only these few were kept in the dark. In the days to come... they could mess with them so much! How amusing it would be! They had spent all these days living in fear and anxiety; it was only fair that these guys got a taste of it too! ... Meanwhile. Li Hao stepped out of the river, leaving an avatar behind inside. The waters of the river continued to flow. It seemed as though they were all caught within it. Tianji had not entered. Possessing immense power, entering might disrupt the entire temporal flow. At this moment, Tianji clicked his tongue in wonder: "Brilliant! Truly impressive! This resurrection method of yours, this awakening method... I have to say, top-tier!" Yet... He glanced at Li Hao, his brow furrowing slightly. "Was it worth it? You could have just awakened them directly and told them everything, or at worst created an illusion. Did you really have to drag them into time? Your lifespan... is almost gone, isn't it?" Every use of time came at a cost. Li Hao was practically going bald! His long hair had nearly all fallen out. Those were the marks left by the passage of time. Yet Li Hao wasn't in the least bit anxious, offering a faint smile. "What's the rush? Soon, I will leave the lands of Silver Moon. Once outside, I'll be struck by lightning... If I die, that's the end of it; if I survive, Sovereignhood is within reach! A half-step Sovereign has at least three hundred thousand years of lifespan, and a Sovereign has at least a million! What I'm spending now is merely the lifespan of a half-step Sovereign. Once struck, if I don't die... I'll most likely become a Sovereign, with seven hundred thousand years left. Why would I fear this?" Tianji sensed a change in him; the young man had lost much of his hostility. A good thing! Before, Li Hao’s malice had been too heavy, making Tianji hesitant to approach. It was only because Li Hao’s methods were so unprecedented that curiosity had compelled him to come take a closer look. He said no more, watching the waters of the river flow slowly, the people within seemingly reliving everything. Unable to resist, he chuckled, "Do you need me to jump in and play around in the later battles?" "No need!" Li Hao smiled. "Senior, you'd better go rest. If a half-step Sovereign enters, I'm afraid I'll be drained dry before the river even flows to my current point!" Seeing how casually he spoke, Tianji laughed as well. "Your teacher is quite amusing..." He looked toward the flowing water, where Li Hao's teacher appeared to be taking liberties. Li Hao felt helpless. Waving a hand, he concealed the river. "Teacher has an easygoing temperament... He's merely helping Martial Aunt Jade Light Sword heal her injuries!" "..." Tianji chuckled slyly. Who would believe that? What kind of healing involved fondling around like that? He didn't know Li Hao’s teacher well, but he had paid some attention to him. He hadn't expected him to be such an old rogue. Of course, in his eyes, they were all just children. "How long will it take?" he asked again. Li Hao took a look and replied, "The waters of the river are flowing quickly. While we chat, their battle is already over. In about three or four days, they'll return to reality!" "This method... is truly extraordinary!" Tianji couldn't help but marvel once more. "This way, not only will those few avoid any gap in their cultivation, but the others who entered will also experience and comprehend everything a second time. Some missed opportunities from before... might even be reclaimed! If you threw in someone who didn't know the situation, they'd probably think they were reborn!" Reborn! Perhaps that was exactly what it was. If he threw in someone who knew all the past major events but wasn't part of Li Hao's inner circle, very interesting things might happen. That person might genuinely believe they had been reborn into an era before Li Hao had fully risen. Li Hao merely chuckled. "It's not that simple; the general trend cannot be reversed! Besides, I'm watching over it, and I haven't reached that level yet. If they truly reversed the overall trend, I wouldn't be able to sustain it either! I can only make corrections. If even Northern Fist and the others dared to disrupt the original trajectory, I'd have to strike them down, drag them out, and give them a beating!" Tianji was slightly taken aback. "If you were strong enough to support a change in the general trend... would that mean one could truly reverse past and future?" Li Hao pondered for a long time before nodding. "There's hope... but... if I truly reached a level where I could bear the reversal of the general trend, what would I even need to change?" The general trend could not be altered! If it changed now, branches would appear in the River of Time, and Li Hao would have to correct them. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to control how things developed. Moreover, right now, only a few people were real, while most were illusions. To truly reverse the grand trend, one would have to resurrect everyone, erase their memories, and leave only a select few in the know—that would be true rebirth. Including the ten billion mortals of Silver Moon! To reach that level, Li Hao would be far beyond a mere half-step Sovereign; even an ordinary Sovereign wouldn't suffice. Tianji didn't care about that, merely marvelling, "That means... if you become strong enough, it's possible?" "It's very far off! But according to Senior's words, if I can bear the burden, it is possible." "Incredible!" Tianji sighed in admiration. "Truly incredible. This power of time is extraordinary!" Li Hao nodded in agreement. Turning back to the river, time continued to flow. Laughter and chatter filled the river once more; the Silver Moon martial masters were no longer silent. Someone was teasing Southern Fist again, and Southern Fist was cursing up a storm! A thought struck Li Hao, and he smiled. An instant later, a pair of gauntlets materialized out of thin air and dropped into the river. Inside the river, something suddenly struck Southern Fist on the head. The next moment, he was in sheer disbelief, wild with joy! "The Iron Sovereign's gauntlets? How can this be! And the Iron Fist inheritance... Heavens! Fuck! I've struck it rich! How can this thing be here?" "..." Watching from above, Tianji was speechless, glancing at Li Hao. Was this fellow just bored out of his mind? Li Hao laughed with genuine delight. "Now this is fun! Martial Uncle Southern Fist has always wanted to thrash Northern Fist, but his strength fell a bit short. Now Northern Fist is on the verge of the second or third tier of Dao Integration... while Southern Fist is only at Sun Moon... We have to give him a pleasant surprise. I want to see the look on his face when he thinks he's surpassed Northern Fist, challenges him, and gets beaten up all over again!" "..." You truly are a piece of work! Tianji laughed, genuinely amused. How entertaining! This Li Hao was practically a lunatic—no, a split personality. The Li Hao from before had been terrifying, while the Li Hao now was childish to an absurd degree. Which side of him was the real one? Li Hao beamed brightly, watching in silence. It was so amusing! Within the river, scenes flashed past like a movie reel, one fragment after another. He watched them unfold, laughing in his heart. Southern Fist... got beaten up again! Hou Xiaochen and Jade Rakshasa had broken through the thin veil between them, growing even closer... Old Hou even... bah, shameless scoundrel! As for his teacher... he was shameless to the extreme. Pretending he had no idea what was going on, he coaxed Jade Light Sword to the point where she was practically contemplating giving Li Hao a little martial brother... Truly a bizarre sight. *I brought you all here to gain epiphanies, not to play lovers!* *Why is this river suddenly reeking of sickeningly sweet romance?* *Burning through lifespan comes at a price, alright?* Yet... Li Hao smiled again. It was good! Only such ease and carefree spirit truly belonged to the Silver Moon Martial Master Corps. Otherwise, if they remained as before, draped in gloom and death every single day, wouldn't they have reverted to their darkest hours? His smile grew ever more radiant! Presently, heaven and earth remained enveloped by the Great Dao. Aside from Li Hao and Tianji, the true bodies of several experts had not entered. Figures like Earth-Overturning Sword, Qian Wuliang, the Queen, and the King of Dali remained outside in person. Naturally, that included Lin Hongyu, whose strength was not weak either. Bearing the weight of powerful experts exacted too high a price. At some point, the group had relaxed considerably. Without realizing it, they gathered above Li Hao’s river, looking down upon the unfolding scenes, smiles gracing their faces. Within the river, the group had already reached the stage of slaughtering wild beasts and slaying Zheng Yu’s father. The resurrected individuals had all made considerable progress in their strength. Lin Hongyu asked curiously, "Can the improvements in their strength... be brought back out?" Right now, those resurrected individuals were advancing quite rapidly. Their foundations were simply too magnificent! Li Hao nodded. "Yes. Otherwise, I could have just created an illusion. Why bother reversing time into a river?" "But... energy cannot be generated from nothing. Where is it coming from?" At this, she paused, glancing at Li Hao. While his appearance had not changed drastically, there was a faint... scent of decay about him. Her brow furrowed instantly. "Are... are you alright?" "I'm fine." In an instant, Lin Hongyu understood. The source of power fueling their advancement was Li Hao himself. The power of a top-tier half-step Sovereign! Though these people were not extraordinarily strong and the bit of strength they gained was relatively minor to Li Hao, it was still equivalent to stripping away Li Hao’s own power to fulfill them. Lin Hongyu opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately said nothing. As long as Li Hao was happy, that was all that mattered. At least right now, Li Hao was genuinely happy. This was the first time since the battle of Boundless City that she had seen him smile with true delight. Yet... she also knew that regrets remained—such as Zhang Yuan, and Li Hao’s parents. However, since even Li Hao could not reverse those tragedies, there was even less she could do, so she refrained from bringing it up. "Can I control the version of me inside?" she suddenly asked. Li Hao nodded: "You can!" No sooner had he spoken than the scene below shifted. Lin Hongyu took control of herself within the river and went straight up to Li Hao. Li Hao glanced sideways at Lin Hongyu, but she kept a straight face, not even looking back at him. Li Hao watched for a moment, then waved a hand to obscure the river. What a pointless woman! Both of them were merely projected inside; did she really think she could pull something off? Feeling quite pleased, Li Hao looked around and finally settled on the King of Dali: "Go in and take a bath; a good wash will do you some good!" The King of Dali had already harbored such thoughts. Hearing this, he didn't hesitate, though he asked with some doubt: "It won't consume too much lifespan, will it?" "It won't! Go on!" The King of Dali wasted no more time, charging straight into the river. In an instant, the power of time washed over him. He felt no pain—it was actually quite comfortable—and the blood vitality within him began to burgeon. It felt exhilarating! Far purer than before! Previously, his strength had been absorbed from external sources; now, it was generated through his own active cultivation. And the power born from this cultivation was no longer sustained by Li Hao’s energy, but converted from his own lifespan! Before Li Hao's teacher and the others had even reached this point, the King of Dali had almost completely restored himself to his peak. Not only that, he felt he had gone a step further; with his blood vitality purified, he felt he even had a chance of breaking into the true pinnacle of the Heavenly King Realm! After an unknown amount of time, just as the King of Dali wanted to continue lounging in the river, Tianji couldn't take it anymore: "Get out!" The King of Dali was startled and quickly stepped out of the river. The next moment, he staggered slightly, shaking his head with a touch of dissatisfaction: "Senior, I'm only at the late Heavenly King stage. I feel like if I stayed a bit longer, I'd reach the true peak!" This progress felt too amazing! Why call him out? Tianji wanted to roll his eyes. He didn't want to meddle, but he simply couldn't stand how foolish this fellow was, snapping irritably, "Peak Heavenly King? Stay a moment longer and you'd have died of old age!" The King of Dali froze. He checked his condition but didn't notice anything amiss. Tianji was exasperated, while Li Hao merely chuckled, unbothered in the least. "It's fine. Even if you reached peak Heavenly King, you'd still live for a year or two... Right now, you still have at least several decades left. Personally, I think that's more than enough..." The King of Dali was stunned. "A Heavenly King... should live for at least a hundred thousand years, shouldn't he?" Even Saints could live that long! Even Immortals could, though an Immortal surviving a hundred thousand years spent nearly all of it slumbering. Surely a Heavenly King living a hundred thousand years wasn't asking for much? Li Hao looked at him. "What you consumed was your own lifespan, which is why your improvement was so swift. If you had merely restored yourself to the early Heavenly King stage, you wouldn't have burned through so much." Only then did the King of Dali realize the truth, instantly wanting to unleash a torrent of curses! Li Hao smiled. "Alright, you'll still outlive me! Before you die, I'll give you a chance. As long as you and I break through, none of this will be an issue! Trading lifespan for strength is a bargain; I wouldn't even give anyone else the opportunity!" The King of Dali was utterly speechless, feeling as though he had been duped once again! This brat was rotten to the core! Of course, the increase in strength was real. Having already comprehended the power of a half-step Sovereign beforehand, advancing to the late Heavenly King stage carried no major drawbacks, except that... he suddenly felt so old! What a nightmare! ... Amidst their banter and laughter, the river continued to flow. Suddenly, the river's ripples came to a halt. The next instant, the entire river surged. Li Hao smiled, sighing with a touch of emotion: "They're back!" In a flash, the world spun! The river snapped! Suddenly, a group of people was blasted out. The moment he emerged, Southern Fist’s boisterous voice echoed across the heavens and earth, laden with excitement: "I've stepped into Dao Integration! I am peerless under heaven—" *Thud!* Seeing that he was out, Northern Fist threw a punch that sent Southern Fist flying, leaving him sprawled motionless on the ground. Southern Fist wore a look of utter bewilderment. The next moment, Li Hao smiled, and a wave of power drifted out. Different memories surfaced in the minds of the resurrected individuals. Gradually, Southern Fist froze, muttering, "Fuck... that wasn't an illusion? We really all died? How... this time... was to revive us?" He rubbed his head. "Wait, that's not right. Weren't we reviving Earth-Overturning Sword?" Indeed, the outcome he had experienced... was that Earth-Overturning Sword had been killed. This time had also been a resurrection. Except it had been meant to revive Earth-Overturning Sword! Nearby, Hong Yitang let out a chuckle, glancing at him. "Even if you die, I won't! I am the Lord of the Corporeal Dao, how could I die?" Southern Fist froze again. "Holy crap, isn't the Lord of the Corporeal Dao that fellow Yuan Shuo?" He looked toward Yuan Shuo. Yuan Shuo smiled, then quickly assumed a look of utter innocence, shaking his head: "No idea. Turns out I was tricked too!" "..." Everyone looked at him. Why did it feel like you knew all along? At this moment, Li Hao’s laughter rang across the heavens and earth: "Alright! Having experienced everything and comprehended it all, the only difference is that a few of the resurrected individuals were swapped out during what you experienced. Everything has developed according to the original trajectory... saving me the trouble of explaining!" At this point, Li Hao looked out toward all corners of the world: "I have revived, and my teacher and the others have returned. My thanks to the people of the world for lending me their strength!" The next second, boundless energy surged from every corner of heaven and earth. Not only that, but at this moment, swords hung suspended high in the sky, reflecting across heaven and earth. Li Hao’s voice resonated in all directions: "These are the Bright Moon Swords—one sword for one Dao. All living beings of the world may look upon these swords to comprehend the Dao! Do not be greedy; a single Dao will suffice. Comprehend the force of the martial path and gather characters of divine ability! Both the corporeal Dao and the illusory Dao can be cultivated!" "Master a single Dao, and Dao Integration will be right before your eyes!" "This is the Dao that I, Li Hao, have comprehended, and all living beings may study it! Let the whole world celebrate and rejoice for my Silver Moon!" In an instant, billions of people across the land were struck with boundless shock! The Bright Moon Sword Dao! The Marquis of Silver Moon's Dao! This... could even be shared? Not just the common people, but the experts near Li Hao were equally dumbfounded. This was Li Hao’s sword path—or rather, not merely a sword path, but his own unique Dao. He... was truly willing to share it openly? With a warm and gentle smile, Li Hao looked at the crowd and said softly, "Welcome back, everyone! I... missed you all!" In an instant, even the rambunctious Southern Fist wore a complicated expression. He missed us! *Thump.* Southern Fist slammed a fist into Li Hao’s shoulder, knocking him slightly off balance, then wrapped Li Hao in a bear hug, grinning from ear to ear with boisterous laughter. Beside them, Hou Xiaochen offered a reserved smile, coughed a few times, and held Jade Rakshasa tightly in his arms. Jade Rakshasa murmured softly, "A real man!" "..." Hou Xiaochen was taken aback. He paused, glanced down at her, a spark of passion in his eyes. Further off, Yuan Shuo’s smile was as brilliant as the sun. Looking out across the world, he murmured, "My disciple is peerless!" Truly peerless! Among all the heroes of Silver Moon, his disciple stood supreme—no one could dispute it! Demon Sword Li Hao, the foremost hero of Silver Moon! Across the entire realm, a single thought surfaced in the minds of billions of mortals at this moment: Li Hao stood unmatched beneath the heavens! The Great Dao lay right before their eyes, a single step away from ascending to heaven! A Sovereign... someone who wasn't a Sovereign, yet surpassed a Sovereign, had placed the Great Dao right before them. Whether ordinary folk or common cultivators, it was within easy reach. Throughout history, how many had ever achieved such a feat? At this moment, countless cultivators looked up at the sky, beginning their comprehension of the Dao! A glorious age for Silver Moon, a flourishing era of martial prosperity!