Good News for the Squad

Stacking force twice allowed the inner force to be projected outward. This meant Li Hao had truly touched the threshold of the Hundred-Breaker realm. Naturally, he would only be considered a genuine Hundred-Breaker once he could project his inner force outward with a single strike. Yet Li Hao didn't care in the slightest! He was grinning like an idiot. How many days had it been? From the moment he stepped into the Ten-Slayer realm until now, barely three or four days had passed. As for absorbing a considerable amount of mysterious energy, to be fair, it wasn't an absurd sum. People like Liu Yan hadn't necessarily absorbed any less than him. The crucial difference was that during the process of absorbing mysterious energy, he had also drawn in a tremendous amount of jade sword energy. Jade sword energy was the true miracle! It neutralized the energy of the Red Shadow and tempered the mysterious energy, softening their ferocious impact while refining their internal structure. This made the power far better suited to nourishing the physical body, completely unlike the supernatural path, which always carried the subtle feeling of overdrawing one's potential. Overjoyed, Li Hao threw punch after punch! Five Animals Art! Not only that, he also attempted to switch to the Nine Refinements Force. The path of a martial master had one drawback. Every time one changed techniques, the corresponding breathing technique had to change as well. The Nine Refinements Force had its own breathing technique, just as the Five Animals Art possessed the Five Animals Breathing Art. Whenever Li Hao wished to unleash the Nine Refinements Force, he had to interrupt the Five Animals Breathing Art and switch over to the breathing technique of the Nine Refinements Force. That transition required a brief adjustment period. In truth, the interval was extremely short, and greater familiarity made it even simpler. Yet in a clash between top powerhouses, such a delay could prove fatal. Li Hao pondered this as he alternated between techniques, wondering if his teacher had a solution. For now, the Nine Refinements Force didn't seem particularly impactful. Yet Li Hao could sense the sheer power latent within this secret art. With a single burst of inner force, he was not in the Hundred-Breaker realm; his strength was probably comparable to Liu Yan's. But with a double stack, he stepped into the Hundred-Breaker realm. His inner force surged outward, granting him an instantaneous surge in power that surpassed Liu Yan. And that was only the second stack! What about three stacks, four, or even more? If he could stack it all the way to nine layers, perhaps he could leap from the early Hundred-Breaker realm straight into the middle or even late stage... "Ha!" Li Hao cast the thought aside. He could deliberate over that problem once his Hundred-Breaker foundation had stabilized. Right now, he wanted to attempt a triple stack. His inner force was far more abundant than before, and his physical body was significantly stronger. His reserves were sufficient, and his body could withstand the recoil. However, when the third wave of inner force surged forth, it slipped slightly out of his control, failing to stack in rapid succession. Without an instantaneous stack, it was no different from ordinary inner force; he couldn't even achieve outward projection. *Teacher said my combat ability is lacking and my reaction speed isn't fast enough... But sheer force breaks all arts!* At this moment, Li Hao's perspective differed somewhat from Yuan Shuo's. He reasoned that having just entered the Hundred-Breaker realm, he naturally was no match for Wang Ming. Yet if he reached peak Hundred-Breaker perfection, would Wang Ming still be able to beat him? Therefore, he should push his cultivation realm up first and boost his raw power. Once he encountered the bottleneck of spirit intent, he could take his time polishing his strength and accumulating combat experience. By then, he would have all the time in the world to grind it out! Indeed, Li Hao's plan was to crush opponents with overwhelming realm and power! Take his teacher, for example. As a Thousand-Battler, Yuan Shuo was extraordinarily strong. Even if Li Hao reached the Thousand-Battler realm, he might not be a match for his teacher. But what if he stood an entire realm above his teacher? *Defeating a superior from a lower realm makes for a legend!* *Yet it also means the difficulty spikes exponentially. Suppressing an opponent with sheer power is the natural way, and ninety-nine times out of a hundred, there is no chance for a comeback...* Li Hao's thoughts shifted continuously as he practiced. In that moment, he thought differently from others. Some people dreamed of being invincible within the same realm, but Li Hao was contemplating whether he could simply remain forever one realm higher than his foes... *You can be invincible in your realm, but I'll be one tier above you... How will you fight me then?* *So... there's no need to stop. I must keep absorbing energy until I can take in no more!* Mysterious energy, blood shadow energy, jade sword energy. He had to absorb and digest all of it as quickly as possible. Even if the jade sword energy was nearly depleted, Li Hao felt no regret. Only power converted into his own strength truly belonged to him; power not yet in his grasp would never truly be his. *** That night, the sound of Li Hao's punches echoed without pause. Yuan Shuo did not disturb him. Li Hao, having experienced the outward projection of inner force for the first time, was burning with martial fervor. Yuan Shuo believed that as long as Li Hao maintained such passion, he would enjoy a far broader future. *** Meanwhile, Li Hao had not yet collected the Red Shadow inside the city. Hao Lianchuan was still around. Of course, Li Hao intended to collect it, and very soon at that. He worried that Red Moon might send someone to retrieve it, so the moment Hao Lianchuan left, he would retrieve it immediately. That way, even if Red Moon sent people, they would only dare approach after confirming both Hao Lianchuan and Yuan Shuo were gone. Li Hao had calculated every detail with precision. *** Early the next morning. Li Hao arrived once more at the Demon Hunting Squad's base. Two days had passed since the battle, and the squad was in decent shape. Wu Chao, who had suffered the most severe injuries, was now able to get out of bed and walk around. Smiles graced everyone's faces! Though this had been the fiercest battle they had ever fought, it was also the only battle in which not a single squad member had died. This put everyone, including Liu Long, in exceptionally good spirits. Moreover, when Li Hao walked through the door, Liu Yan was already there. Spotting Li Hao, a bewitching smile instantly spread across her face. "Xiao Hao-hao, elder sister loves you to death!" With those words, she leaned her entire body against him. Li Hao felt a bit awkward and muttered under his breath, "Do up your buttons! Tighter!" "Xiao Hao-hao actually knows how to blush?" Liu Yan chuckled merrily. "You certainly didn't look shy when you were stabbing people!" Not far away, Wu Chao, whose wounds had not yet fully healed, let out a sly grin. "Captain Liu, you saw him stabbing people?" With that, his smile turned rather crude. "The way he stabs people... I'm afraid us men won't ever get the chance to experience it." Liu Yan shot him a glare and sneered coldly, "Shut up, useless! You were hurt the worst this time, and you still have the nerve to crack dirty jokes with me!" "..." Wu Chao clamped his mouth shut at once, feeling utterly helpless. *Fine, I was hurt the worst, but... it wasn't like I had a choice!* To the side, Yun Yao was changing Chen Jian's dressings. Her voice was serene, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Without looking back, she said, "Vice Captain Liu, you're in your thirties now. Show some restraint. Li Hao is still young." "Who are you calling in their thirties?!" Liu Yan flared up in anger. Normally, she didn't dare provoke Yun Yao, but those words were an outright declaration of war! She was furious! Who was in their thirties?! She had only just turned thirty! Having delivered a fatal blow, Yun Yao didn't bother arguing further. After finishing Chen Jian's dressing, she glanced at Li Hao with a faint smile. "Any wounds on you? If you have any, come find me." "Tch!" Liu Yan clicked her tongue in disdain under her breath, keeping it quiet since she was somewhat wary of Yun Yao. Li Hao smiled and shook his head. "I'm fine, just a few superficial scratches." He had sustained a few injuries, but his healing rate was rapid, and by now, he was virtually unharmed. Meanwhile, riled up by Yun Yao, Liu Yan had nearly forgotten her main point. Now, her excitement surged back. "Xiao Hao-hao, do you know? Elder sister broke through last night!" Beaming with thrilling excitement, her inner force suddenly churned. An instant later, a faint white glow emerged from the tips of her fingers. Liu Yan said ecstatically, "I absorbed a bit of mysterious energy last night, and I stepped into the Hundred-Breaker realm!" At those words, the room went dead silent for a moment before smiles broke out across everyone's faces. A breakthrough! Liu Yan had lingered in the Ten-Slayer realm for years and had absorbed plenty of mysterious energy, yet she had never broken through, nor had she become a supernatural. Now, out of nowhere, she had quietly advanced. Yet after the initial surge of joy, Wu Chao's expression suddenly darkened, and he murmured, "Advanced to Hundred-Breaker?" "Yeah!" "This..." Wu Chao remained dejected, and Chen Jian, who was having his bandages changed, fell silent as well. As Yun Yao dressed the wound, she sighed softly, "Hundred-Breaker... that's a good thing!" Li Hao observed them closely. Their initial joy had quickly given way to something far more subdued. He understood their thoughts all too well. Reaching the Hundred-Breaker realm and growing stronger was indeed a good thing. However, the stronger a martial master became, the harder it was to become a supernatural—a reality they all knew in their hearts. With greater martial strength, transitioning into a supernatural became vastly more difficult. Liu Long was a prime example. His martial strength grew with each passing day, yet... as long as he could not step into the supernatural path, his growth remained strictly capped. The progression of the supernatural system was far simpler. A Hundred-Breaker martial master was merely comparable to a Lunar Nether supernatural. Yet look at Wang Ming, Li Meng, and Hu Hao—so young, yet they had reached the Lunar Nether level with ease. Though Solar Radiance was still some distance away, their prospects were bright. On the other hand, among martial masters, how many could ever step into the Thousand-Battler realm? The disparity in their upper limits was simply too vast! If Liu Yan had advanced to the Hundred-Breaker realm twenty years ago, it would have been cause to fling open the gates and throw a grand celebratory banquet! Yet in this day and age... having failed to enter the supernatural system, she had instead ascended another tier along the martial path. Consequently, her chances of ever becoming a supernatural had dropped drastically! The previously joyous atmosphere turned heavy in an instant. Liu Yan sensed the shift, but she didn't seem to care as much as she once had. She laughed so hard her body swayed. "What's with you all? Isn't this worth celebrating? A Hundred-Breaker is very strong! Other than the Boss, I'm the second Hundred-Breaker powerhouse in our squad! Besides, with Elder Yuan's example before us, I'm not despairing at all! When a martial master reaches Thousand-Battler, they can even strike down Three Sols powerhouses!" Yuan Shuo's emergence had undoubtedly brought hope to everyone. To put it without exaggeration, every martial master across the entire Silver Moon Province would feel a surge of hope upon hearing the news! A Thousand-Battler slaying a Three Sols! Martial masters reigned supreme! Naturally, if circumstances allowed, martial masters would still prefer to cross over into the supernatural system. Today's supernatural system already boasted numerous Solar Radiance experts and quite a few Three Sols powerhouses. Reports from the central region even claimed that certain supernaturals had shattered the limits and ascended beyond Three Sols! Yet what about martial masters? In the vast Silver Moon Province with its population of over a hundred million, there hadn't been a single Thousand-Battler among the martial masters... until now, with only one. And only this solitary one! Compared to martial masters, the ceiling for supernaturals was clearly far higher. Above Solar Radiance lay Three Sols, and above Three Sols was another realm. As for what that realm was called, so few had achieved it that the details had yet to spread. Yet what about martial masters? Was there even a realm above Thousand-Battler? Even martial masters themselves didn't know! Decades ago, a Thousand-Battler was already spoken of in the same breath as an earthly immortal. Ten-Slayer, Hundred-Breaker, Thousand-Battler... Was the next step a Ten-Thousand-Feller who could stand against an entire army? Who could ever become such an army-toppling champion? The prospects for supernaturals were boundless, while martial masters were already relics of a bygone era. Even Liu Long, at the peak of the Hundred-Breaker realm, yearned desperately to cross over into the supernatural path, and Yuan Shuo had pursued it endlessly as well. Yet now, Liu Yan, who had hoped to advance into the supernatural system, had unexpectedly broken through to the Hundred-Breaker realm instead... It was a joyous occasion because the squad had grown stronger! Yet it was also a misfortune, for a Hundred-Breaker martial master faced an even steeper hurdle to cross over. Even Yuan Shuo, though envied by many today, was also a target of those waiting to see him fail. By advancing to Thousand-Battler, transitioning into a supernatural had become all the more difficult for him. While the boundaries of the supernatural domain were continually expanding, the ceiling for martial masters had already reached its end! Yuan Shuo was strong now, but in the central region, powerhouses beyond Three Sols had already appeared—two full tiers above Yuan Shuo. No matter how strong a martial master was, could they ever hope to defeat an entity beyond Three Sols? There was another critical factor: for a martial master to take a single step forward often took over a decade, or even twenty to thirty years. The supernatural path, on the other hand, had existed for barely twenty years, yet powerhouses beyond Three Sols had already emerged, growing stronger and advancing with every passing year. This was another reality the martial path could not rival! "What's the matter with all of you?" Liu Yan, however, laughed merrily. "I advanced! I'm a Hundred-Breaker martial master now! If I manage to step into the supernatural path from the Hundred-Breaker realm, I might leap straight into Solar Radiance overnight! With such tremendous good news, why are you wearing those long faces?" Li Hao was the first to react, breaking into a smile. "Congratulations! Sister, from now on, you're a Hundred-Breaker powerhouse! There's no need for everyone to worry so much. My teacher said that on the path of a martial master, Thousand-Battler might not necessarily be the limit! As for supernaturals, though they advance quickly, it doesn't mean they don't have drawbacks." Seeing everyone turn their eyes to him, Li Hao continued, "Martial masters progress slowly; you all know this better than I do. But a martial master's inner force works from the inside out. It's an energy generated by the body itself, free of obvious weaknesses. But what about supernaturals? "Their energy is mostly absorbed from the outside in. The moment they enter an area devoid of mysterious energy, supernatural powerhouses find themselves in grave peril! Furthermore, supernaturals have many weaknesses. A fire-type supernatural, for instance, has their power noticeably suppressed on rainy days. Martial masters, on the other hand, can adapt to any environment..." Yun Yao gently cut in, "Everyone knows that. But you have to understand... in the vast Silver Moon Province over the past twenty years, only a single Thousand-Battler has emerged—your teacher, Yuan Shuo. Setting aside who is stronger or who holds the advantage, look at supernaturals. In just twenty years, Silver Moon Province has produced at least fifty or so Solar Radiance experts, and that's only what's on the surface. How many lurk in the shadows? Do the supernatural organizations not have hidden assets? The Night Watchers are no exception!" She sighed helplessly. "Supernaturals have their drawbacks, and everyone understands that... but the supernatural path is advancing and evolving rapidly, and they are already working to overcome those flaws! Martial arts, meanwhile, are fading by the day. Professor Yuan is now the undisputed foremost martial master in Silver Moon Province!" Yet could this foremost figure truly match those Three Sols powerhouses? He had killed one Three Sols expert, but could he kill a second? Many speculated that Yuan Shuo had only managed to kill Duan Tian because the man had never expected him to break through, allowing Yuan Shuo to deliver a devastating surprise strike that led to his death. In an outright, head-on clash, Yuan Shuo might not necessarily be a match for a Three Sols powerhouse. Li Hao smiled. "Sister Yun, even if the upper limit of martial arts is lower, if one crosses over from the Hundred-Breaker realm, they might leap straight into Solar Radiance. That would be a good thing too, wouldn't it? Our squad now has another Hundred-Breaker martial master, making us much stronger! That's something worth celebrating!" Seeing everyone so downcast, he offered a few more reassuring words. Liu Yan might not truly be as carefree and open-minded about stepping into the Hundred-Breaker realm as she appeared, but Li Hao genuinely felt it made little difference. "That's true!" Chen Jian gave an honest chuckle. "A Hundred-Breaker martial master is formidable too! The Boss is a Hundred-Breaker, and look at him—he's far stronger than those Night Watchers! With this, out of the six people in our squad, two are Hundred-Breakers. Silver City isn't that large. As long as we don't face another supernatural assault on the scale of this recent one, we can easily handle a few ordinary Lunar Nether supernaturals." "Right, exactly!" Wu Chao buried his gloom deep inside and forced an awkward grin. "Captain Liu, congratulations! The second Hundred-Breaker martial master of our squad—impressive!" Just then, Liu Long walked in. He glanced at the group, then looked at Liu Yan, asking calmly, "Has everyone heard the news about Liu Yan reaching Hundred-Breaker?" "Yeah!" The others nodded. Evidently, Liu Long had learned of it before them. Liu Long said placidly, "It's a good thing! At a juncture like this, an increase in strength is a blessing. As for the difficulty of making progress... don't we have the foremost martial master of Silver Moon Province right here in Silver City? Perhaps seeking his guidance will yield some insights! Besides, crossing over into the supernatural path from the Hundred-Breaker realm could allow one to soar straight into Solar Radiance. Solar Radiance experts are rare even across the entire Silver Moon Province. When that day comes, you'll all be envying her!" With that, he dropped the subject. Had Liu Yan advanced into the supernatural realm, he might have said more, but in the eyes of many, growing stronger along the martial path only distanced one further from the supernatural realm, which wasn't necessarily a good thing. "Enough about that. Let's talk about another piece of good news!" A smile appeared on Liu Long's face as well. "Deputy Minister Hao spoke with me this morning! He has agreed in principle to establish a Night Watchers branch in Silver City. Once a branch is founded, it won't just be an empty title." He looked toward Li Hao. Assuming Li Hao was the only one who might not fully understand, he explained, "Once the branch is established, the higher-ups will dispatch supernaturals to us and provide the supplies supernaturals need, including mysterious energy! Without a branch, the Inspectorate would at best give us a pay raise. But as far as we're concerned... aside from eating, sleeping, and buying clothes, what use does money have?" What they needed was not money! A little extra coin served little purpose; having money didn't guarantee one could buy mysterious energy. Those trading mysterious energy on the black market only needed money for practical expenses, like buying supplies, clothing, food, and shelter for their organizations. For Liu Long and his team, all of that was provided by the public purse. As such, they placed little value on wealth. Once the branch was established, their remuneration might no longer be plain money, but mysterious energy. Not only would they have a steady income of resources, but the higher-ups would also assign supernaturals here to bolster Silver City's defenses. Furthermore, establishing a branch meant the upper management had temporarily abandoned any plans to evacuate Silver City. The benefits were numerous! Liu Long smiled as he continued, "Deputy Minister Hao sought me out specifically to mention this, which means he approves of the proposal. This is a very good sign. At least we have Deputy Minister Hao's support, and his status within the Night Watchers is second only to Minister Xie! This drastically improves the chances of the branch being approved!" Liu Yan, however, was indifferent to such details and asked calmly, "Will you be the City Inspecting Commissioner of the branch?" The head of a branch, by rank, ought to be a City Inspecting Commissioner, on par with Mu Sen. Establishing a branch was undeniably a good thing, but the concern was that the higher-ups, seeing that Liu Long was merely a martial master rather than a supernatural, might choose to transfer someone else in to serve as director. If so, it might not be such a blessing after all. Liu Long said indifferently, "There's no need to fixate on that! Our goal isn't to hold power over a Night Watchers branch. The moment a branch is established, it signifies that this place must be defended! Furthermore, if the higher-ups set up a branch and appoint someone else as the branch's City Inspecting Commissioner, that person would have to be at least at the Full Moon level of the Lunar Nether realm! That is a good thing, not a bad one!" The others fell into thought, though they were not quite as thrilled as might be expected. Unless Liu Long was explicitly confirmed as the branch director, it hardly warranted true celebration. Considering this, Liu Yan's eyes suddenly lit up. "Why don't we invite Professor Yuan to join us? With him around, the position of City Inspecting Commissioner for this branch will definitely not be handed to anyone else..." Liu Long stared at her for a long time before muttering dryly, "Do you really think that's possible?" *What is she thinking?!* Besides, with Yuan Shuo's temperament, even if he did join, he wouldn't bother managing anything and might even stir up unnecessary trouble. Liu Long would rather have the higher-ups assign a peak Lunar Nether powerhouse instead. Leaving that matter behind, Liu Long turned his gaze back to Li Hao and smiled faintly. "Did you absorb your mysterious energy last night?" Li Hao nodded. "How did it feel? Did you sense your supernatural lock loosening?" Li Hao shook his head. "No, it's still the same!" At this, Liu Long frowned slightly. Although Yuan Shuo's display had caused his own conviction to waver, that was only because he himself had been unable to advance into the supernatural realm for so long, prompting him to continue along the martial path. Li Hao, however, was still young. Right now was his golden window of opportunity. If Li Hao still couldn't cross over into the supernatural realm now... and simply kept strengthening his physical body, the difficulty of crossing over later would only multiply. "Forget it, no rush!" Liu Long dropped the topic. This wasn't something that could be forced. Some people simply failed to encounter matching mysterious energy and remained unable to break through; there was nothing to be done about it. One could only wait! Perhaps when the right moment arrived, Li Hao would cross over into the supernatural realm with ease. The six-person squad had reaped substantial rewards this time. Once everyone's wounds healed, even if they couldn't become supernaturals, their strength would increase noticeably. With the Demon Hunting Squad significantly reinforced, if the higher-ups also dispatched a few Night Watchers, Silver City's defensive strength would be formidable. At that moment, however, Li Hao's attention was elsewhere. He said somewhat bashfully, "Boss, I'm still a Third-Class Inspector! The appointment for Second-Class Inspector still hasn't come down. Did I... earn some merit this time? If so, a First-Class Inspector rank should be within reach, right?" "..." Silence fell across the room! Even Liu Long was dumbfounded. At a time like this, this kid was actually worried about *that*?! Good grief! To be frank, Liu Long had completely forgotten about it. As an Inspecting Commissioner, his next promotion would make him a City Inspecting Commissioner. Yet without a Night Watchers branch established, he wasn't qualified to become one; currently, there was only a single City Inspecting Commissioner in all of Silver City—Mu Sen. "You..." Liu Long was momentarily choked for words before finally replying, "Fine! I'll submit a report for you later. You've earned merit this time. I can't guarantee Inspecting Commissioner, but First-Class Inspector is a hundred percent certain. That won't be an issue." Li Hao beamed. "Then my salary will top ten thousand, right?" Liu Long couldn't hold back anymore and snapped in exasperation, "You received thirty-two cubes of mysterious energy yesterday! If you valued that in money, it's tens of millions! Do you really care about that tiny pittance?" *Why can't this kid keep his priorities straight sometimes?!* Li Hao sighed softly. "Boss, mysterious energy can't be sold, and I wouldn't dare sell it anyway. Without cash... I can't take a single step! Last night, I shattered my teacher's courtyard tiles, and he told me to fix them. When I went out to ask about it this morning, replacing them entirely would cost over a hundred thousand!" "..." Liu Long was at a loss for words. Was Yuan Shuo even human? Making his own student pay to replace his courtyard tiles?! Speechless, Liu Long watched as Li Hao smiled again. "Boss, how about you lend me some money first?" "Huh?" Liu Long froze, looking rather embarrassed after a long pause. "I don't have any money either!" *How could that be?!* Li Hao stared at him, thoroughly exasperated. How stingy could a person get, refusing to lend even that much? He was an Inspecting Commissioner, after all; his salary was substantial. How could he possibly have no money? Liu Long didn't bother explaining, but he truly had none. He never even looked at his salary; it was all given away. His sole focus now was on mysterious energy, caring nothing for material wealth. The moment his paycheck arrived, every cent went straight to the families of fallen comrades. The other members of the squad were largely the same, holding little desire for money. Over twenty members of the Demon Hunting Squad had fallen, and not all of them had been bachelors. Since distributing mysterious energy to civilian families was out of the question, they could only compensate them with cash. Nearly all their food and drink were covered by the public purse, and their clothing consisted of Inspectorate uniforms. When it came to money, they were completely detached. Seeing this, Li Hao had no choice but to abandon the idea of borrowing money. A bunch of paupers! Although each of them had received a substantial share of mysterious energy, they didn't even have enough for their own use, so none would ever sell it. As long as they had food and shelter, who cared whether they had cash on hand? Li Hao dropped the matter and quickly shifted topics. "Boss, when I went back last night, I asked my teacher how a martial master can cross into the Thousand-Battler realm. My teacher didn't hide anything. He mainly spoke about your situation, saying you are a pseudo-peak Hundred-Breaker! Your raw strength has reached the level, but you've never touched spirit intent. Therefore, you aren't a true peak Hundred-Breaker." Liu Long's interest was instantly piqued, and the others pricked up their ears as well. Liu Yan, who had just entered the Hundred-Breaker realm, hastily grabbed Li Hao's sleeve. Since none of them could advance to the supernatural realm, learning any secrets of the Thousand-Battler realm would be an immense harvest. Li Hao continued, "My teacher meant that this is primarily because you don't understand the essence of the Nine Refinements Force. Back then, in order to comprehend spirit intent, he went into the deep primeval forests, living alongside tigers and leopards to grasp the spirit intent within the Five Animals Art—which is to say, its momentum! "As for specifics, my teacher said everyone is different, and secret arts vary, so the key lies in comprehending the core essence of one's own secret art! The core essence of the Five Animals Art lies in the momentum of the five animals as they hunt and pounce, residing within nature itself. As for the Nine Refinements Force... my teacher hasn't practiced it, so he couldn't say for sure. But he said that unless you comprehend this point, you can forget about ever stepping into the Thousand-Battler realm!" Liu Long sank into deep contemplation. Spirit intent! Momentum! He was familiar with these terms, but as for how to actually comprehend them, he had no idea. Even his father had never spoken of it, likely because he hadn't grasped it before his death either; otherwise, he wouldn't have fallen to Yuan Shuo. The essence of the Nine Refinements Force? He pondered for a moment, finding no immediate clarity, but at least he now had a general direction forward. Looking at Li Hao, a smile surfaced on his face. "Did your teacher tell you to share this?" "No." Li Hao gave an honest smile. "Teacher told me, and since it concerned you, Boss, I naturally had to let you know!" "Hahaha!" Liu Long burst into laughter, seemingly in high spirits. After laughing for a moment, he waved a hand. "Very well! I'll accept this favor from you, not Yuan Shuo." With that, he added, "Take advantage of these few days. Now that Yuan Shuo has purged a batch of supernaturals, we have some breathing room. Those who need to absorb mysterious energy should do so, and those who need to cultivate should cultivate. If you have free time, you can head over to the Law Enforcement Team to assist with missions." Turning back to Li Hao, he said, "As for your practice of the Nine Refinements Force, if there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me. However, your primary art is the *New Book of Five Animals*; don't confuse the primary with the secondary. The Nine Refinements Force takes a toll on the body and isn't as well-rounded as the *New Book of Five Animals*." He knew his family's art intimately—it harmed both opponent and practitioner alike. If Li Hao could practice it, fine; if not, he shouldn't force it. At this point, another thought crossed his mind, and he asked, "Where's Black Panther?" Not seeing Black Panther today, he felt a bit of longing. Li Hao smiled. "Over at my teacher's place." That creature had secretly learned the Five Animals Breathing Art and had absorbed some of the Red Shadow's energy yesterday. It seemed to be going through a transformative phase now. Yuan Shuo had kept Black Panther behind; as for whether he was training it or giving it a thrashing, Li Hao didn't meddle. Liu Long nodded slightly and asked no further. Since it was with Yuan Shuo, he couldn't pry. Seeing Liu Long turn to leave, Li Hao spoke up, "Boss, I'm going out for a walk." "Right now?" "Yeah, I want to visit Xiao Yuan's grave." "Ah!" Recalling the matter, Liu Long nodded. "Go ahead. Things are quiet lately, and with your teacher and Deputy Minister Hao still in the city, there shouldn't be any danger. Just don't leave the city; watch out for Red Moon operatives." After a few reminders, having other tasks to attend to, he said no more and left swiftly. Once he was gone, Liu Yan spoke up, "Xiao Hao-hao, want elder sister to come with you?" "No need, I'll go by myself." Since it was a grave-sweeping visit, Liu Yan didn't press the matter. After Li Hao left the basement, Liu Yan's gaze shifted subtly, a strange look flickering in her eyes. That kid... when she had leaned against him just now, she had sensed something far more clearly than anyone else. His blood was flowing at an astonishing speed! At first, she had assumed his blood was pumping faster out of excitement from her pressing up against him. Yet on closer observation, that wasn't the case at all. His blood flow was simply maintained at that tremendous velocity all the time! *Blood circulating that rapidly...* She looked toward the direction Li Hao had left and suddenly laughed softly. Could this kid have made another breakthrough? If so, he hadn't breathed a single word of it. It seemed he was determined to keep playing the harmless pig to devour tigers all the way through! Then she thought of herself, breaking through to Hundred-Breaker last night... In truth, she hadn't been nearly as happy as she appeared. Reaching Hundred-Breaker made crossing over into the supernatural realm vastly harder; she had nearly wept bitter tears last night. In the end, she had adjusted her mindset, choosing to announce it today as a joyous occasion. Now, thinking of Li Hao, she sighed inwardly. *Don't get obsessed with the martial path. Martial arts have no future.* Remembering those youngsters among the Night Watchers who had reached the Lunar Nether realm at such an early age, Liu Yan felt both envy and jealousy. She hoped Li Hao could quickly cross over into the supernatural realm rather than make further progress along the martial path. "Visiting a grave..." Li Hao was going to visit a grave, and perhaps she ought to visit that dead ghost of hers as well. She hadn't visited in a long time! Now that she had stepped into the Hundred-Breaker realm and her hopes of becoming a supernatural were shattered, perhaps it was time she paid him a visit.