Silver City.
All was peaceful under heaven.
The rainy season had passed; the days of steady rain had long since ceased, and the sweltering heat had returned to the air.
Tianle Residences.
This was where Li Hao now lived. The community was not large—an affluent neighborhood with only a limited number of households—and the landscaping was truly exceptional.
In the early morning, the air was especially crisp and fresh.
Rising early, Li Hao went through his fist forms in his private courtyard. It felt wonderful; having ample space made all the difference.
The nearest neighbor was several hundred meters away. Unless he made a massive racket, no one would hear a thing.
The Five Animals Art!
Li Hao was currently cultivating the Five Animals Art externally and the Nine Refinements Force internally.
The Five Animals Art provided the combat forms, while the Nine Refinements Force served as the internal method for stacking inner force.
The Five Animals Breathing Art was the foundation—the wellspring from which inner force was born.
What Li Hao was currently attempting was nothing other than switching between breathing methods.
In this regard, martial masters seemed even less adaptable than supernaturals.
Because supernatural abilities had developed relatively recently, their method of absorbing energy was fundamentally singular: the Energy Channeling Method. Granted, that method took various forms, but it never required switching breathing techniques. One method was all they ever needed.
Inner force, however, entailed a separate method for every single art. It was far more complex.
At this moment, Li Hao was trying to switch back and forth between the Five Animals Breathing Art and the Nine Refinements Breathing Method. Otherwise, in a critical moment, he might only be able to employ one or the other. If he used the Nine Refinements Force internally yet could not execute the Five Animals Art externally, it would significantly diminish his combat strength.
*Is there really no fundamental method that covers everything?* Li Hao pondered as he threw punches.
His strikes surged like ocean waves, rising layer upon layer.
Pushing off the ground with his feet, he attempted to leap into the air, but he stumbled slightly. The flow of his Bird Art ran into an obstruction—an issue caused by the clash of different breathing methods.
Li Hao swiftly switched back to the Five Animals Breathing Art. In the next breath, he executed the Black Tiger Steals the Heart.
Yet the stacked inner force gradually scattered.
With the Nine Refinements Breathing Method gone, the Nine Refinements Force could not coalesce.
Li Hao was not discouraged. Such difficulties were inevitable. He had consulted his teacher before, and Yuan Shuo had told him that balancing both was exceedingly difficult, though an attempt at fusion was possible.
Take the Five Animals Breathing Art, for instance.
In theory, five distinct animal momentums ought to have required five separate breathing methods. Yet in the end, Yuan Shuo had synthesized them into the Five Animals Breathing Art—a single breathing technique encompassing five forms.
If Li Hao set his mind to it, he could try incorporating a sixth momentum into the Five Animals Art. Perhaps the Nine Refinements Force did not perfectly match the Five Animals Art, but all arts were created by humans.
If Li Hao could integrate a sixth momentum and consolidate it into the Five Animals Breathing Art, making both arts universally compatible, he would become a grandmaster of his generation—a true grandmaster of the martial path.
Yuan Shuo had accomplished precisely that.
Naturally, that required an immense accumulation of knowledge, not mere idle imagination.
Yuan Shuo's mind was packed with vast learning, which was why he had been able to synthesize the Five Animals Breathing Art, drawing inspiration from ancient classical texts. That was what had produced the Five Animals Breathing Art he took so much pride in today—a technique Yuan Shuo regarded as a closely guarded secret.
*Though I've studied many ancient texts and listened to Teacher's personal instruction, I only swallowed it all whole without digesting and transforming it into my own knowledge. As I am now, it's impossible for me to integrate a sixth momentum and create a Six Animals Art.*
Li Hao knew his own limits. He couldn't do it.
Perhaps his teacher could.
However, Liu Long was unwilling to teach Yuan Shuo the Nine Refinements Force, and Li Hao could not overstep his bounds to teach it rashly. In the martial path, such taboos were taken very seriously.
He finished running through his routine, mainly to digest some of the Red Shadow's power within his body.
Li Hao felt that he would soon be able to project inner force outward from all four limbs.
His progress was rapid, yet he still felt it was too slow.
Right now was his explosive growth phase. The Red Shadow's power, sword energy, and mysterious energy were all concentrated within him; he was merely digesting them. Once this window passed and he no longer had sword energy and the Red Shadow's power to draw upon, his subsequent improvement would likely slow down.
For Li Hao, having merely entered the Hundred-Breaker realm was not enough to put his mind at ease in a perilous place like Silver City.
*Crack, crack!*
Running through one final sequence of forms, Li Hao cast aside the Nine Refinements Force and focused entirely on the Five Animals Art. Moving like an ape once more, he darted through the courtyard with incredible nimbleness.
Meanwhile, his gaze drifted toward the front gate.
Several hundred meters in front of his courtyard stood Qiao Peng's residence.
Qiao Feilong did not seem to live here.
At this moment, another orb of light had appeared inside Qiao Peng's villa, visible even from hundreds of meters away. Li Hao looked at it; it shone as brilliantly as a full moon. He understood immediately: that was the Moon Overflow supernatural!
Aside from Qiao Feilong, Qiao's Mining headquarters harbored another Lunar Nether existence.
It seemed that fellow had come over here.
Was he monitoring him?
Li Hao did not particularly care. Even if he made his sinews and bones chime in unison, it only represented the strength of the Ten-Slayer realm, which had no bearing on the bigger picture. No one would pay it much mind. In fact, if he had failed to reach the Ten-Slayer realm, that would have raised eyebrows, suggesting he was utter trash who failed to meet Yuan Shuo's standards for taking a disciple.
It was nearly time for work.
Li Hao tidied up quickly, took a shower, changed his clothes, and walked out of the courtyard.
...
Outside the courtyard.
Qiao Peng's car was already parked near the gate. Qiao Peng was not driving today; the Moon Overflow powerhouse was behind the wheel, keeping an extremely low profile, almost like an invisible man.
The car window rolled down.
"Inspector Li!"
Qiao Peng was all smiles and enthusiasm. "I was somewhat negligent yesterday, and my father gave me a good scolding for it. Regarding Captain Liu, I thought it over all night... There are plenty of fish in the sea; there's no need for me to offend Inspector Li over a woman!
"Inspector Li, if you'd do me the honor, I'll host a banquet at the Silver City Restaurant tonight. It's better to dissolve enmity than to nurture it. How about I apologize to both Captain Liu and Inspector Li?"
Li Hao shot him a glance and waved his hand with a touch of impatience. "Forget it. I have no interest in getting acquainted with you, Young Master Qiao. Besides... if I'm making acquaintances, it would be with Old Master Qiao!"
With that, he got on his bicycle and rode off.
His message was blunt: *You aren't worthy.*
*If your father comes, I might consider mingling a bit.*
Qiao Peng frowned slightly, though his composure returned almost instantly. He watched Li Hao's receding figure, only speaking after a moment. "Uncle Chen, he's in the Ten-Slayer realm now, right?"
"Mm."
The driver gave a slight nod and glanced at Li Hao's back before speaking a moment later. "He's probably been in the Ten-Slayer realm for a few days. Watching his fist forms this morning, his technique still seemed stiff, with frequent interruptions, indicating he isn't very proficient yet. It appears Yuan Shuo truly hadn't taught him authentic martial arts before."
Li Hao had switched breathing methods multiple times during his morning practice, frequently causing hesitations and pauses. As a Moon Overflow powerhouse, the driver had naturally sensed it.
These were clearly mistakes only a novice would make!
Of course, seeing them from Li Hao wasn't jarring in the slightest, as the young man was indeed a newcomer to the martial path. Anyone who looked into Li Hao would know that he had only touched upon the surface prior to this.
Qiao Peng chuckled, unsurprised.
He said softly, "Relying on Yuan Shuo's momentum, he managed to become a deputy director... The Night Watchers certainly adjust their attitude according to who they're dealing with. A guy who just barely entered the Ten-Slayer realm—and entirely by relying on accumulated mysterious energy at that—gets to lead several Lunar Nethers... I wonder what those people think deep down?"
The driver said nothing.
Qiao Peng continued, "Still, although this guy acts arrogant the moment he gets a taste of power, he's surprisingly disciplined. He clocks out on the dot and shows up to work on time... What an oddball!"
Even after becoming a deputy director of the Night Watchers, Li Hao still commuted punctually on his bicycle...
He truly was an odd one!
Of course, it was also possible that he had gained power too suddenly and hadn't yet learned how people of that status were supposed to live.
Qiao Peng glanced once more at Li Hao's disappearing figure and lightly raised a hand. The car started and drove toward Qiao's Mining.
Reaching out to Li Hao was merely to facilitate observation.
With countless eyes currently on Li Hao, there was no need to get too close anyway. Since Li Hao was unwilling to dine together, Qiao Peng was actually relieved to avoid the trouble. After being repeatedly slighted by that fellow, even with his decent self-restraint, a smoldering frustration had begun to build inside him.
...
The Law Enforcement Building.
Li Hao arrived punctually for his shift.
Instead of heading to his own office, he went straight to Liu Yan's.
He hadn't seen Liu Yan the previous evening; she had actually left work early, which was a rare sight indeed.
"Well, well, did the sun rise in the west today?"
Liu Yan couldn't help but chuckle when she saw Li Hao.
This fellow had actually taken the initiative to visit her office.
A true rarity!
Aside from coming by a few times when he first reported for duty, he had never stepped foot in here on his own accord. What had gotten into him today?
Li Hao grinned. "Just checking in on you, Sister. Haven't seen you for a night, and you've gotten prettier!"
"Bah!"
Liu Yan spat playfully. Li Hao was thoroughly bewildered. What was that for? He was paying her a compliment, just exchanging pleasantries—why get annoyed?
Seeing his baffled expression, Liu Yan couldn't help but scold him with a laugh. "Quit your nonsense. Saying someone got prettier after a single night—that's not a compliment, it's practically an insult! Your sister here is a widow; I'm supposed to be growing haggard and frail by the day. Looking all refreshed and radiant after just one night apart... wouldn't you say there's something suspicious about that?"
Li Hao was a bit dazed. *Suspicious?*
*Whatever. If you say so, then so be it.*
Liu Yan smiled warmly, letting the matter drop. "What brought you to my office, anyway?"
"To deliver a gift!"
Li Hao lifted the case in his hand. "I went to Qiao's Mining yesterday, and Qiao Feilong gave me ten cubic meters of mysterious energy, saying it was an apology gift for you, Sister."
Liu Yan's expression instantly turned cold.
She looked at Li Hao, who kept his easy smile. "Sister, it'd be a waste not to take it! If you don't want it, I'll keep it for myself."
Liu Yan frowned slightly. After a pause, she said coldly, "You keep it!"
She was displeased, though she didn't voice it aloud.
Some things could be accepted.
Other things absolutely could not!
What did it mean for the Qiao family to send her ten cubic meters of mysterious energy?
It was hush money to buy her silence—blood money!
Li Hao had actually accepted it. He knew full well what it meant; she had told him herself before. At this moment, a flare of anger rose in Liu Yan's heart, though she forcefully suppressed it. Ten cubic meters of mysterious energy... if Li Hao wanted it, then so be it.
Li Hao leaned in close with a conspiratorial grin and whispered, "If we don't take it now, I'm afraid we won't have another chance!"
Liu Yan raised an eyebrow. What did that mean?
"Sister, we're the Night Watchers, an official supernatural organization and a legitimate authority. Can we really let people walk all over us? Can we leave a grudge unavenged?"
With Liu Long, he discussed the operational details.
With Liu Yan, there was no need for all that. A single line sufficed: *an eye for an eye, and that's that.*
Liu Yan's expression shifted slightly. "Don't do anything reckless!"
"Alarms will be raised with Yama, and we've already offended Red Moon..."
Before she could finish, Li Hao chuckled. "Sister, your information is way too outdated! What's so terrifying about Yama? You probably don't know this, but in the Central Region, several Heaven-Blessed Divine Masters from the Night Watchers slaughtered Yama's own grandson! They even snatched one of their prized treasures. Both sides have been tearing each other apart for ages; in fact, the conflict in the Central Region originated from that very dispute!"
Liu Yan and the others were completely unaware of these developments, cut off from outside news.
It was hardly their fault. Silver Moon Province lay on the border, and Silver City was the frontier of that border. Liu Yan and her companions had only just been promoted from the Inspectorate; they hadn't even grasped the situation among the Night Watchers in White Moon City, let alone the Central Region.
They only knew the outside world was in turmoil, completely blind to the specifics.
Liu Yan's face changed, and she looked at Li Hao with a faint trace of excitement. "You mean... the Night Watchers and Yama are already at war?"
"Mm!"
Li Hao nodded. "Wang Ming told me; it shouldn't be false. He's considered a rising star among the Night Watchers, an important figure across all of Silver Moon Province. Ordinary confidential news wouldn't be kept from him."
Wang Ming wasn't top brass, but he possessed great potential and was highly regarded by higher-ups. Naturally, they wouldn't conceal such matters from him, lest his ignorance lead him to treat Yama as an ally—which would be utterly absurd.
The delight in Liu Yan's eyes grew steadily richer, a surge of excitement she could scarcely contain. "You mean... we're... going to move against Yama?"
*Targeting the Qiao family?*
Li Hao nodded slightly. "That's the plan, though it hasn't been finalized yet. Don't get too excited just yet, Sister!"
With a chuckle, he added, "So, do you still want this mysterious energy? If not, I'll take it."
"I want it!"
Liu Yan agreed without hesitation, her joy plain to see. "You're right. If that's true... we really might not get another chance to take it later. I want it!"
Li Hao grinned and handed the energy storage box to her.
"Sister, have you finished absorbing the mysterious energy you got last time?"
Liu Yan hadn't received much last time; the four of them had shared eighty cubic meters, leaving her with twenty.
Now that she had advanced to Hundred-Breaker, her absorption speed should be faster. He wasn't sure if she had used it all up yet.
"Almost finished, just a few cubic meters left... Why, did you run out of yours? That can't be, right?"
Liu Yan was somewhat surprised. *Could this guy have finished absorbing his already?*
Li Hao had been allotted thirty-two cubic meters. Even if a Ten-Slayer assimilated energy faster, it shouldn't be possible to absorb it every single day.
Then again, remembering that bizarre energy Li Hao had channeled last time, it might actually be possible.
If so, the guy was practically devouring mysterious energy.
One had to realize that after joining the Night Watchers, Li Hao's rank entitled him to a salary of merely one cubic meter per month, which was already considered extremely generous. Li Hao's official pay wouldn't come close to covering his consumption.
"No, I'm not short on mysterious energy,"
Li Hao smiled. "I was just asking. If you've used it all up, so be it, but if you haven't, don't hoard it! We might have other windfalls coming soon. Strength isn't built by scrimping!"
He was worried that Liu Yan and the others would be too frugal, hoarding their mysterious energy.
If this operation succeeded, according to the agreement between Liu Long and Li Hao, Yuan Shuo's side wouldn't take much mysterious energy—they might not take any at all, since their main focus was the ruins.
When that time came, given Liu Long's style, Liu Yan and the rest would certainly be allocated a generous share.
Pensive, Liu Yan asked, "When do we strike?"
"In a few days."
"Understood."
At that thought, Liu Yan added, "Chen Jian and Wu Chao have recovered from their injuries over the past few days and are absorbing energy as well. I'm not sure if they'll advance to supernatural status or become Hundred-Breakers, but the chances of a breakthrough are very high."
This time, they had received the largest amount of mysterious energy in their lives.
Even if they couldn't awaken as supernaturals, there was a good chance of reaching Hundred-Breaker. Both Chen Jian and Wu Chao had absorbed some sword energy, which had significantly strengthened their physiques.
As a result, everyone's strength would grow once more.
"That couldn't be better!"
Li Hao smiled. If everyone reached Lunar Nether or Hundred-Breaker and the entire team completed their advancements, they would all be able to pull their weight in what was to come.
...
Leaving the case behind and chatting a bit longer with Liu Yan, Li Hao went to find Liu Long.
Today, Liu Long was to pay a formal visit to Yuan Shuo, the foremost figure in Silver City.
And Liu Long was now the highest leader of the supernatural organization in Silver City.
Such a visit was entirely necessary.
...
At nine o'clock sharp, Li Hao drove Liu Long toward the Ancient Academy.
Along the way, the car swerved and drifted erratically, making the observers tailing them grit their teeth in frustration.
With driving skills like Li Hao's, shadowing him was an absolute nightmare.
You simply couldn't predict where he was going to swerve next!
Even so, certain parties were aware of their destination. Word had it that Liu Long was paying a formal visit to Yuan Shuo today. Both men were martial masters, yet they had rarely crossed paths in the past. Rumor had it there was some untold history between Liu Long and Yuan Shuo, leaving a lingering rift between them.
Some people were eager to watch the drama unfold, hoping the two would come to blows.
Of course, that was mere wishful thinking.
Both men were currently serving the Night Watchers. Even if Yuan Shuo had successfully advanced, he was unlikely to stir up conflict with Liu Long. It was said this visit was merely preparation for the founding ceremony scheduled two evenings from now.
...
Silver City Ancient Academy.
Liu Long had not made a grand announcement of his arrival; he had come solely to see Yuan Shuo.
Although there was an ulterior motive behind the visit, Liu Long remained solemn in the car, his expression grave. He paid no heed to Li Hao's erratic driving, maintaining total silence throughout the journey.
Steering the wheel, Li Hao tried to ease the tension. "Boss, no need to be so nervous. My teacher is actually very easy to talk to..."
Liu Long glanced at him without a word.
This was far from the first time he had seen Yuan Shuo; he had met him many times.
Yet as far as formal visits went, this was perhaps only the second.
The first time, his father had brought him to pay respects to Yuan Shuo, hoping the old master would take him on as a disciple. Their family's Nine Refinements Force carried far too many drawbacks, whereas Yuan Shuo's Five Animals Art was renowned as a method for nourishing and preserving the body.
His father had hoped he could enter Yuan Shuo's tutelage. Back then, his father was already on the verge of laying down his spear for good, both arms suffering from massive damage that prevented him from wielding the weapon with full force.
Liu Long still remembered that scene vividly. The moment Yuan Shuo rejected him, his father had looked utterly heartbroken and helpless.
He hadn't wanted Liu Long to continue practicing the Nine Refinements Force!
He hadn't even wanted him to practice martial arts at all.
Yet Liu Long knew he was the son of Liu Hao, the Silver Spear. The Silver Spear carried a formidable reputation throughout Silver Moon Province; if he did not practice martial arts, his family would likely face total ruin the moment his father died. And so, after failing to place his son under Yuan Shuo's wing, Liu Hao had reluctantly and contradictorily passed the Nine Refinements Force down to Liu Long. He knew full well that this path was fraught with hardship, but once a person set foot upon it, there was no turning back.
The car came to a stop.
Liu Long snapped out of his memories. Looking at the courtyard ahead, he took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and stepped out.
The courtyard gate was already standing open.
Inside, Yuan Shuo had not stepped outside, but he stood at the doorway with a smile on his face, looking toward Liu Long.
Liu Long approached step by step.
Before he could even get close to the courtyard, a towering momentum bore down upon him like a tidal wave.
Liu Long's steps faltered, his leather boots sinking into the ground.
He raised his head to look at Yuan Shuo.
Yuan Shuo maintained his smile. Seeing him look over, he did not speak, yet his eyes conveyed everything:
*Liu Long, if you don't even have the strength to step into this courtyard against my momentum today... I won't believe you can ever cross into the Thousand-Battler realm!*
*This is the test of a Thousand-Battler martial master!*
*If you can't even accomplish this, do you truly think you deserve to become a Thousand-Battler?*
*If you cannot reach it, there is no need to waste any time.*
Liu Long's eyes turned cold. Channeling strength into his feet, he lifted a boot and took another step forward.
*Boom!*
The paving stones beneath him shattered, spiderweb fractures spreading in all directions.
Beside him, Li Hao walked forward with ease, just as he always did. He felt it—he felt his teacher's momentum—but his teacher wasn't directing it at him. Moreover, having experienced it once before, the pressure was not overwhelming, leaving him largely unaffected.
At this moment, Li Hao was also observing Liu Long.
Every single step was grueling.
The gap between Thousand-Battler and Hundred-Breaker was vast!
Even as a peak Hundred-Breaker, Liu Long found every step an ordeal under the crushing pressure of his teacher's momentum.
In the next instant, Li Hao seemed to hear the sound of ocean waves.
Yes, the roar of surging waves seemed to echo in his ears.
He turned his head toward Liu Long. At that moment, inner force was erupting inside Liu Long layer upon layer, like the rushing waters of a mighty river. Powerful inner force surged forth, enabling him to withstand the pressure and step toward the courtyard, one stride at a time.
A silent contest!
In this moment, Li Hao felt a touch of envy.
Yes, envy toward Liu Long. At least Liu Long was qualified to receive such treatment. As for himself, his teacher had never tested him like this, because Li Hao was still some distance away from the stage of comprehending momentum.
Li Hao paused briefly, then fell into step behind Liu Long.
Immediately, a faint aura of majesty welled up in his heart, and a heavy pressure descended from above.
Li Hao had deliberately walked behind Liu Long precisely to experience his teacher's momentum.
Not the gentle, accommodating kind, but the targeted pressure.
...
"Hm?"
Ahead of them, Yuan Shuo raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing at Li Hao.
This student of his was truly interesting.
*He actually wants to try it too!*
Although Liu Long was bearing almost the entirety of the momentum, Li Hao had not yet reached the stage of perceiving spirit intent. Even the scattered remnants of pressure should have been enough to give the boy a rough time.
Yuan Shuo paid him no further heed. If he wanted to try, let him try.
Experiencing true hostile momentum would do him good, if only to let Li Hao understand what a true Thousand-Battler was.
For now, Yuan Shuo kept his attention primarily on Liu Long.
He, too, heard the roar of ocean waves!
Liu Long seemed to have caught a faint glimpse of comprehension, yet... his momentum was still too weak.
Yuan Shuo raised an eyebrow slightly.
At that very moment, Liu Long let out a low roar and stamped his foot down, shattering the ground. Waves of inner force erupted from both arms, rippling outward to encompass his entire body.
The sleeves of his trench coat burst apart on both arms.
Revealing arms covered in bloody scars!
Yes, completely drenched in blood.
They were normally hidden beneath his coat, so no one had ever noticed.
Now, Liu Long's arms undulated like ocean waves, yet with every pulse, large amounts of blood seeped outward.
His arms simply could not bear the burden!
The stacked power of the Nine Refinements Force was too formidable, while Liu Long's physical constitution was still too weak compared to the demands of the technique.
Three stacks, four stacks, five stacks...
All the way to the seventh stack... his muscles convulsed seven times, and with a muffled pop, blood splattered outward.
A look of disappointment crossed Liu Long's face.
He couldn't endure it!
He could not withstand the eighth stack, let alone the ninth. He was capable of stacking it nine times... yet his body would not permit him to unleash the true power of the Nine Refinements Force.
Yet... seeing that he was still several meters away from Yuan Shuo, an intense unwillingness gripped him.
*Back then, I failed to become your disciple, and you thought me foolish.*
*Today, my Nine Refinements Force has reached this level, yet I still can barely approach you... Is my family's secret art truly so inferior to your Five Animals Art?!*
"Haah!"
With a low roar, eight layers of force stacked together!
*Creak!*
This time, it was no longer just blood vessels; even his bones seemed on the verge of giving out.
Veins bulged—no, those were blood-red meridians, with blood practically oozing out across his skin.
Liu Long forcibly executed an eightfold stack!
Throwing a punch, he cleaved through the barrier of momentum and continued forward.
Behind him, Li Hao's face had also turned flush. He had taken a step forward as well, only to find the crushing momentum growing increasingly oppressive. In that instant, Li Hao truly grasped the vast gulf between Thousand-Battler and Hundred-Breaker.
The two could not be mentioned in the same breath!
He was only bearing the scattered remnants of momentum that Liu Long had failed to block, yet the pressure already made him feel as though he were about to crack open.
However, Li Hao's physical constitution was truly formidable.
No blood seeped from his skin.
Li Hao realized that most of the pressure he felt was psychological; physically, the burden wasn't nearly as unbearable.
*Hmph!*
With a muffled grunt, Li Hao abandoned the Five Animals Breathing Art and channeled the Nine Refinements Force. Inner force stacked once, twice, three times!
Three stacks!
With three stacks of inner force, Li Hao did not concentrate it in his hands, but rather in his legs. Stamping a foot down, he cracked the paving stones beneath him and took a stride forward, a rush of exhilaration washing over him.
Just then, Yuan Shuo's voice drifted over: "Do you still wish to push it? After nine stacks... you might not be able to keep those hands of yours!"
Liu Long halted, his eyes brimming with reluctance.
He looked toward Yuan Shuo, clenching his blood-soaked fists.
Nine stacks—did he dare?
He did not!
Not out of fear, not out of dread of death, nor dread of becoming a cripple, but because he had only just pulled the Night Watchers branch together. If he lost his combat capability now... he would fail far too many people.
"Hmph!"
A grunt filled with frustration, anger, and grievance tore from his throat!
Liu Long gritted his teeth, standing rooted to the spot. At this moment, he didn't even know what frame of mind to adopt before the man standing in front of him.
Yuan Shuo!
Yuan Shuo's voice rang out once more. "Ocean waves sweeping across heaven and earth... the Nine Refinements Force... Liu Long, ocean waves carry fury as well!"
Yuan Shuo spoke in a calm, measured tone: "Some say a tsunami is the wrath of the sea! What kind of heavenly might is there in mere waves? Only a tsunami can be called true heavenly might! You have likely never witnessed a true tsunami! Mountains crumbling, the earth splitting, sweeping across heaven and earth!
"The sea of Silver Moon is merely an inland sea—too small, too weak!
"You ought to step outside and see for yourself. Beyond Silver Moon Province lie true oceans, true tsunamis... I once witnessed a tsunami engulf the world, turning a great metropolis into an ocean in an instant! No matter how tall the buildings, they collapsed! No matter how strong the martial master, they were swept away and crushed!
"Match a thousand men?
"Earthbound immortals?"
Yuan Shuo sighed with emotion. "In that moment, the tsunami will teach you what it means for a single wave to crush a million! No matter how powerful your weapons, no matter how tough your body, when the colossal wave crashes down, you will be ground into dust!"
An earthbound immortal could only match a thousand men.
A tsunami, however, could wipe out a metropolis of a million in the blink of an eye.
Liu Long frowned slightly, lost in thought.
He had advised Li Hao to go out and see the world, only for Yuan Shuo to tell him that Liu Long himself hadn't seen enough—that his vision was too narrow, his understanding too shallow. A true tsunami was not like this!
"Elder Yuan, even if I were to witness a tsunami, this body of mine... would likely still be unable to bear the burden..."
Yuan Shuo smiled. "Have you ever seen the ocean destroyed by a tsunami?"
The moment those words were spoken, Liu Long froze in a daze.
*Could the ocean... ever be destroyed by a tsunami?*
*What does that mean?*
...
Behind him, Li Hao was also deep in thought.
He had never seen the sea, but he had seen lakes.
Could the waves in a lake ever destroy the lake itself?
Impossible!
Everywhere they surged, it was all still the lake.
Li Hao fell into deep contemplation. His teacher possessed boundless learning; he would never make such statements without good reason.
*Waves... tsunamis... inner force... momentum...*
In the next instant, Li Hao's eyes flickered.
A faint wisp of inner force was gently released.
Inner force originated from within the body.
A Hundred-Breaker projected inner force outward.
The Nine Refinements Force destroyed the physical body because the inner force erupted while contained internally. If ocean waves danced upon the surface, could inner force be stacked externally?
Pondering this, Li Hao instinctively projected a burst of inner force outward.
In the next breath, a second wave of inner force surged forth. He channeled the Nine Refinements Force to stack them, only for it to instantly collapse and scatter.
Once projected outward, inner force couldn't even achieve a second stack.
*Why?*
Li Hao questioned himself. Whether it was ocean waves or lake waters, they flowed continuously and could pile atop one another externally. Why couldn't inner force do the same?
They were all part of a single whole!
Whether inner force or the physical body, they were fundamentally one, both originating from the human form.
*The body as a bridge?*
Looking at his arms, Li Hao sank back into thought, recalling passages he had memorized from an ancient text.
*The physical body serves as a bridge, erecting the gate between heaven and earth.*
*Connecting internal and external, the physical body is the foundation...*
He didn't fully understand it, yet in this moment, a faint glimmer of insight dawned on him.
In the next breath, he withdrew his inner force, no longer projecting it outward.
He couldn't control it!
A moment later, Li Hao extended his index finger. A faint wisp of inner force erupted from the fingertip. After a brief pause, a second layer of inner force stacked onto it, also projected outward, layering on the exterior.
Two layers of force precariously stacked together.
Li Hao's heart stirred!
The reason projected inner force couldn't stack before was that the surface area had been too broad, the contact plane too wide, making it prone to scattering.
What if he shrunk the surface area down?
To an area no larger than a single fingertip!
In an instant, another layer of inner force stacked outward. As long as the inner force erupted quickly enough, why couldn't it overlap outside the body?
As long as the preceding layer of inner force hadn't dissipated before the next rushed up to meet it, why shouldn't it work?
The third stack!
*Crack!* The inner force shattered, whipping up a tiny vortex of air.
Still lost in thought, Liu Long whipped his head around at the sound.
In the next instant, Liu Long's expression changed drastically.
Li Hao was currently making a second attempt. A layer of inner force erupted from his index finger, followed by a second... and then a third!
Three stacks!
*Bang!*
A beam of finger sword qi shot forth!
Li Hao was slightly distracted, suddenly reminded of a secret technique recorded in an ancient text: killing with finger force!
Shooting sword qi from one's fingers!
Back when he had read it, Li Hao hadn't taken it seriously. Today, however, he had actually fired a burst of force from his own fingertip.
The finger force blasted out, striking the ground directly and boring a small crater into the stone.
Ahead of him, Liu Long's eyes went wide.
Projecting inner force outward!
Not only that, but under the condition of projecting inner force, he had actually achieved stacking outside his body...
He stared dumbfounded at Li Hao.
A Hundred-Breaker!
Being a Hundred-Breaker was shocking enough, but this kid had actually stacked the Nine Refinements Force outside his body!
How was that possible?
In that instant, he completely understood what Yuan Shuo meant. How could ocean waves ever destroy the ocean? He himself was the ocean, and the inner force was the waves. For the inner force to destroy his own body was precisely where the problem lay.
"Li Hao!"
Liu Long muttered softly, and in the next moment, a sudden wave of sorrow washed over his heart.
He whipped around to look at Yuan Shuo, abruptly bowing his head. "Back then, Elder Yuan refused to take me as a disciple, saying I was dull-witted. Unaware of my own shortcomings, I considered my talent decent enough. Only today, witnessing Li Hao's feat, do I finally realize... just how foolish I truly am!"
He lowered his head completely.
An indescribable sense of dejection and sorrow overwhelmed him!
*So I really am stupid.*
Yet Li Hao, prompted by merely a few words from Yuan Shuo, had comprehended so much that he could even stack inner force outside his body... Liu Long burned with shame.
Comparing oneself to others truly was maddening.
It turned out that innate talent truly made all the difference between people.
Behind him, Li Hao snapped out of his daze and opened his mouth to speak... but quickly chose to keep quiet.
He felt rather awkward. It wasn't actually his own genius at work; he had simply read ancient texts and memorized odd trivia, which was why finger swords had instantly crossed his mind.
Liu Long, on the other hand, had never encountered such things.
To put it simply, Liu Long's cultural literacy... was somewhat lacking. His reservoir of knowledge was insufficient!
This wasn't a difference in talent, but a deficit of acquired knowledge.
At this moment, Yuan Shuo also gave Li Hao a peculiar look. After a long pause, he chuckled. "Mediocre at best! Department Director Liu, come on in! Since you witnessed that just now, I imagine you must have gained something from it!"
Liu Long nodded, then turned back toward Li Hao and bowed slightly. "Thank you!"
Li Hao was left flabbergasted. He wanted to say something more, but Liu Long had already strode into the courtyard.
He had already found a clue.
Sometimes, many barriers required only a thin veil to be pierced.
Today, Li Hao had helped him pierce that veil.
Li Hao scratched his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
He was also a bit annoyed with himself. Why on earth had he gone and projected inner force out of nowhere? Now that the captain knew he was a Hundred-Breaker, how was he supposed to hide his strength?
What a shame!
Ahead of them, Yuan Shuo turned around with a smile, walking forward while a triumphant, wild laugh gleamed deep within his eyes.
*Act arrogant with me, will you, Liu Long?!*
*Look at that: today, a single one of my disciples crushed you so thoroughly that you bowed down in defeat! Back then, I said you were stupid, and you refused to accept it. Do you accept it now?!*
Behind him, Liu Long regained his inner peace.
This time, even before conversing with Yuan Shuo, he already felt he had benefited immensely.
Perhaps there truly was hope of stepping into the Thousand-Battler realm today.
The prerequisite was that he could achieve nine stacks outside his body and comprehend true momentum.
Chapter 57