A Fierce Battle

The silver sedan crept forward. Inside were two men and a dog. After driving for a while, Li Hao felt restless. Taking a deep breath, he kept his hands on the wheel and spoke up. "Teacher, if Qiao Peng is there, his driver might be too. What if I can't beat him?" In Li Hao's eyes, Qiao Peng's driver was a Moon Overflow existence—a peak Hundred-Breaker! Of course, the man had been invited to the Inspectorate's banquet tonight. But what if he arrived late, or decided not to go at all? Who knew? In any case, Li Hao hadn't checked whether he went. If luck wasn't on his side, he might run right into him. Yuan Shuo, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. "You've entered the Hundred-Breaker realm yourself, and you've cultivated both the Five Animals Art and the Nine Refinements Force. Even if you're outmatched, you won't be killed in an instant! If you catch him unprepared, and truly can't beat him, then grind him down slowly! Black Panther has some strength too. If you coordinate well, you won't die that quickly." It was a harsh thing to say. *Won't die that quickly.* Clearly, Yuan Shuo had considered the possibility of Li Hao encountering the driver, yet he had brought him along anyway. Li Hao remained silent. Yuan Shuo said calmly, "A fledgling eagle must eventually spread its wings and soar. With that sword energy in hand, I'm not afraid of you getting severely injured—you can recover regardless. What I fear is that you lack courage. As a martial master, that is unacceptable. "As my personal disciple, I don't demand that you slay someone above your rank. But at the very least, you should be able to hold out for a while and survive. Both of you are at the Hundred-Breaker level; the difference is merely physical conditioning. He hasn't developed momentum, whereas you already have the embryo of momentum. Why fear him?" He believed Li Hao had no reason to be afraid. None at all! "Remember, momentum is a martial master's trump card! A Thousand-Battler with momentum will never fear Solar Radiance. You need to understand that you're no ordinary early Hundred-Breaker. As long as your mind doesn't waver, nothing is a problem. I'm actually looking forward to you running into him!" There was only anticipation, no worry. Li Hao smiled. "Teacher, I'm a novice... Aren't you worried I might die?" "If you really die... then that's fate!" Yuan Shuo said somberly, "I can shelter you for a time, but never for a lifetime. Though your opponent is at Moon Overflow, in my eyes, he isn't much stronger than you. That is precisely the kind of opponent I hope you encounter." "Understood!" *Thump!* Just as Li Hao finished speaking, Yuan Shuo's body jerked slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched. Li Hao took a deep breath. "A bit nervous. It's fine, Teacher. Probably just clipped the curb. Nothing serious." With that, Li Hao restarted the car. Driving was something one mastered with practice; there was nothing hard about it. It was just his first time driving his teacher's car, so he was a little clumsy. He continued down the deserted street. Tonight was quiet. Silver City had an 8:00 PM curfew. Aside from people with special authorization, no one was allowed out. The citizens of Silver City were law-abiding to begin with, and in such a small town, there was little nightlife anyway. On top of that, incidents had occurred recently, so not a soul could be seen on the streets. Ahead, a tall building came into view. Qiao's Mining! Neon lights flashed, illuminating the surroundings. Yuan Shuo clenched his fists and exhaled softly. Was there pressure? A little. A Thousand-Battler fighting Three Sols... The first time he fought a Three Sols expert, it had been a total ambush where feigning weakness granted him the upper hand. This was the second time. Everyone knew he had killed a Three Sols. An ambush might still be possible, but feigning weakness was out of the question—no one would believe Yuan Shuo lacked strength. Once Qiao Feilong realized Yuan Shuo was attacking, he wouldn't be careless in the slightest, nor would he hold back. *Yet... am I afraid?* *No!* *Never!* There was vigilance and gravity, but fear was impossible. Having been a martial master for decades, Yuan Shuo had fought at least a hundred battles, and that was a modest estimate. What right did Qiao Feilong have to compare with him? His fists slowly unclenched. In front, Li Hao was still suggesting, "Teacher, when we get there, how about I pretend to crash into their building? Maybe Qiao Feilong will come down. Once he's down, we can ambush him..." Yuan Shuo ignored him. Did Li Hao's suggestion make sense? A little. However... too many coincidences looked deliberate. Against someone under thirty, Yuan Shuo might be willing to try it. But Qiao Feilong was an old fox who wasn't any younger than him, someone who had weathered decades in the business world. What a coincidence that Li Hao's car just happened to crash into his building tonight? What a coincidence that yesterday, when Li Hao went to the mine, Liu Long tagged along too? With Qiao Feilong, one coincidence might pass, two might be tolerated, but a third... would no longer be seen as coincidence! "Teacher, what do you think?" Li Hao kept babbling, genuinely thinking it was a fine plan. Accidentally ramming into the building, with the owner happening to be inside, and the drivers being Li Hao and Yuan Shuo—wouldn't Qiao Feilong come down to see? Exchange a few pleasantries? Then, with smiling faces, they could quickly stab him and take the advantage, right? Li Hao was daydreaming nicely. Yuan Shuo said calmly, "Drive your car. Constant trickery is not the proper path! Besides... don't underestimate your teacher. With the stone saber in hand for days, and decades of accumulation at the peak of Hundred-Breaker, do you think I haven't made any progress compared to ten days ago?" Li Hao turned serious and said no more. In the passenger seat, Black Panther lay motionless, seemingly sensing the lethal chill in the air. ... Top floor of Qiao's Mining. Qiao Feilong stood by the window, looking down. Vaguely, he could make out a silver sedan cruising slowly along the street below, though the view was somewhat hazy. At this moment, Qiao Feilong felt an unease in his chest. *Did I forget something?* *Or is something about to happen?* The car below... looked somewhat familiar. With tonight's curfew, anyone driving so brazenly down the street had to be an extraordinary attending the gathering. At this hour... the banquet was about to start. Who was it? Yuan Shuo! He remembered—it should be Yuan Shuo. "Martial master..." he muttered. Martial masters had plenty of shortcomings, yet they also possessed unique advantages. For instance, right now, he could only rely on guesswork and deduction, unable to sense the other party's presence. Because the man possessed no mysterious energy, only inner force. Inner force was contained within the body, making it exceedingly difficult to detect. In the past, he hadn't paid much mind to Yuan Shuo. A peak Hundred-Breaker martial master was formidable, but... only to that extent. Yet when Yuan Shuo broke through to Thousand-Battler and slew a Three Sols superhuman, Qiao Feilong etched the name into his mind. Perhaps he would have further dealings with him, or even clash. He had also pondered how he would handle Yuan Shuo as an imaginary adversary. If he wanted to target Li Hao, or kill him, Yuan Shuo was an insurmountable obstacle. As he mused, his mind wandering slightly, he suddenly caught sight of something, and an instinctive sense of wrongness gripped him. ... At the same time. Below. Li Hao checked his watch. "It's 8:45..." 8:45 was when they struck first. One minute later, the action outside the city would begin. A fight here would make less noise; even if two top-tier powerhouses clashed, the commotion wouldn't spread that quickly. Outside the city was different, where Liu Long and the others carried heavy firepower. If the outside struck first, it would easily create an uproar and alert Qiao Feilong. The moment Li Hao's voice fell, Yuan Shuo shot out through the car window like an ape, his speed astonishing. Through such a small window, Yuan Shuo slipped out without making the slightest sound. Li Hao didn't stop the car, only glancing back. In the darkness under the neon glow, a silhouette vaulted into the sky. Like a massive bird, Yuan Shuo took a single leap into the air, ascending nearly a hundred meters in one bound. The entire building was only about that tall—a thirty-story tower standing barely a hundred meters high. Li Hao was astonished. Last time, his teacher had stepped through the air to leap merely a dozen meters—perhaps holding back. But this time, a single step launched him a hundred meters up, proving his strength had indeed grown vastly greater. Soaring skyward, Yuan Shuo reached the heights in an instant. At that moment, he seemed to lock eyes with someone. And the owner of those eyes saw him too. Across the window glass, Qiao Feilong's gaze was cold, slightly shaken, yet carrying an indescribable sense of release. *He's coming for me!* *Yuan Shuo is here!* A burst of flames erupted around Qiao Feilong, laden with gravity and solemnity. He didn't know how he had been exposed, but the moment Yuan Shuo stepped through the sky toward him, he knew this battle was inevitable. It would be a fight to the death. He didn't know how much Yuan Shuo knew, nor why the old man was so certain he had concealed his strength. Yet decades in the business world allowed Qiao Feilong to remain composed despite the surprise. A great blade of fire materialized in an instant. One slashed outward with a flaming saber, fiery light illuminating the sky. The other hurled a fist inward from outside the window. No pleasantries... those were a joke. Both harbored a single objective: to kill the other. The window didn't even shatter with a sound; the flame melted it instantly as the blazing saber lit up the dark night. On Yuan Shuo's fist, the stone saber flared with faint radiance. The punch he threw didn't resemble a fist so much as a blade. A clash of twin sabers! Silently, all the glass on the top floor disintegrated into powder. The floor beneath Qiao Feilong's feet cracked, shattered, and caught fire. Fist against blade! Only when Qiao Feilong stepped back slightly and Yuan Shuo spun in midair did the sound finally erupt. *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* A succession of deafening blasts rang out as countless panes of glass shattered. The entire top floor looked as if bombarded by artillery shells, pitted and cratered. Every office desk and chair was smashed to splinters. Qiao Feilong took a step back, not bothering to look down, only coughing softly. A dripping sound followed—blood covered his hand. His eyes held only astonishment, confusion, and a trace of horror. Could a Thousand-Battler truly breach a Three Sols defense? He felt as though his defensive capacity hadn't manifested at all. His fire-energy defense had been shattered with a single punch, and the inner force vibrating through his body had fractured the bones in his hand. *This is Thousand-Battler?* *No, this is just Yuan Shuo. A normal Thousand-Battler... shouldn't be this strong.* The thought lasted only an instant. Outside the window, Yuan Shuo wheeled back like a giant bird. The next moment, a tiger's roar shook the heavens and earth. *"Roar!"* This was a true ferocious tiger. At this moment, anyone who saw or heard him felt as though they were watching a striped predator descending the mountain. This was the true Tiger Combat Art! The tiger roared, the soundwave shaking the sky. With a thunderous boom, the floor caved in. Yuan Shuo punched again with a deafening crash, driving Qiao Feilong through the floorboards to plunge from the top level. Yuan Shuo stepped into the building. At this moment, he looked like a reincarnated fiendgod. "Old Qiao, is this all Three Sols amounts to?" Yuan Shuo stamped his foot down, shattering the floorboards into countless jagged stones that shot outward like lethal shrapnel with whistling roars. The next instant, a blazing flame blade slashed silently upward from below! *Pfft!* With a light sound, the entire floor slab was severed in two, steel rebar and concrete melting under the blistering heat. Yuan Shuo was remarkably agile, vanishing in a flash. When he reappeared, he descended like a crushing black bear, stomping through the floor with a massive boom to drop to the level below. Amid the smoke, the crimson flame blade slashed again. Qiao Feilong didn't answer, nor did he ask anything. No need! Once Yuan Shuo was dead, everything would end naturally. What worried him more was: where was Hao Lianchuan? Was Hao Lianchuan part of Yuan Shuo's ambush? Or had Hao Lianchuan gone outside the city? He was concerned, but regardless, Yuan Shuo had to be dealt with. The flames ceased condensing into a blade and instead expanded into an ocean of fire. A mountain of blades and a sea of flames! The entire floor lit up with roaring blaze. Fire energy! "Flashy and useless!" Yuan Shuo's face was chillingly stern. Only at this moment was he Old Demon Yuan. *I have only these fists!* The fists that had beaten countless martial masters to death back in the day, the fists that had slain countless supernaturals during the early rise of superpowers—until his fists were no longer hard enough, forcing him to keep a low profile and hide in Silver City to retire. Now, these fists were hard once more! "Kill!" Like a demon, like a beast. A single punch blasted out, churning the sea of fire. His spirit intent erupted, his momentum rising—he was an invincible Land Deity. With this punch alone, he forcefully extinguished the sea of fire. With a tremendous blast, he sent Qiao Feilong flying from the center of the inferno. Qiao Feilong was utterly shaken! His mind trembled! *This is Yuan Shuo?* He was actually no match for Yuan Shuo—genuinely outmatched. Skill, killing intent, spirit intent—he fell short in every aspect. The only edge he had was his profound reserve of supernatural energy, keeping him from immediate collapse. *"Cough, cough, cough..."* Fiery red blood leaked from the corners of his mouth. A fire dragon coalesced beneath Qiao Feilong's feet, lifting him into the air. Gritting his teeth, he unleashed countless torrents of flame, far more potent than before. With a roar, another floor burned through. The two battled in midair, their clash escalating instantly. Qiao Feilong found it unbelievable. As a dignified Three Sols, he had assumed Yuan Shuo only killed Duan Tian because Yuan Shuo hid his strength while Duan Tian grew careless and fell to an ambush. Yet now, facing Yuan Shuo himself, even though Yuan Shuo had the initial drop on him, Qiao Feilong had been prepared—yet he was still suppressed by the old man's relentless assault. Why? It defied comprehension! And was inner force at the Thousand-Battler level really this terrifying? It breached his Three Sols defenses outright. *Flee?* The thought flashed through his mind and vanished. He couldn't run! The battle had just begun. Fleeing now meant forfeiting any chance of a counterattack, giving Yuan Shuo an opening. *Rumble!* Fists! Countless punches! Yuan Shuo used no elaborate techniques, relying purely on a pair of iron fists, smashing downward blow after blow. Gradually, Qiao Feilong noticed. Exhaling, he glared coldly at Yuan Shuo. *I found it!* *The right fist!* The right fist was overwhelmingly ferocious, carrying a strange energy that wasn't inner force. It felt like some kind of treasure—that brass-knuckle-like weapon, absurdly oversized for its kind. Meanwhile, Yuan Shuo's left fist, though razor-sharp, only inflicted minor injuries with each hit. A treasure! "Your knuckle weapon... an extraordinary item?" *Cough, cough, cough.* Coughing again, Qiao Feilong avoided the brunt of the assault, retreating swiftly and melting through floor after floor, descending frantically while enduring the heavy pressure of Yuan Shuo's onslaught. A knuckle weapon, an extraordinary item. Yuan Shuo said nothing, maintaining his fierce offensive. Good eyesight, but he had no interest in responding. Just as he had taught Li Hao: against any enemy who could still stand, don't waste words unless you are utterly outmatched and trying to stall for time. Otherwise... attack! Relentless attack! With a thunderous crash, Yuan Shuo punched through the floorboards again. The next instant, swinging like an ape in midair, he whipped his legs out, spiraling around Qiao Feilong with dozens of kicks in rapid succession. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Qiao Feilong struck back, summoning swirling dragons of flame to trap and incinerate Yuan Shuo. Defending and coughing, Qiao Feilong kept his gaze remarkably clear. His combat experience might be lacking, but he wouldn't die easily. Having navigated the treacherous business world for years, he possessed the requisite composure, proving harder to deal with than Yuan Shuo had anticipated. Not only that, but he spoke again, trying to divert Yuan Shuo's attention. "Yuan Shuo, you came for the ruins, didn't you?" Qiao Feilong's voice was weathered. "That is not something you or I can covet alone... Don't force me to alert the whole city. Perhaps... you and I could explore it together. You have the strength and experience, while I have decades of research. Cooperation is the right path." Yuan Shuo remained silent. At that moment, along the wall, a shadowy black figure, like a specter of the night, slowly crept toward them. No sound, no scent, not even any supernatural energy. Even more bizarre than the Red Shadow. The moment Qiao Feilong pointed out that the threat stemmed from the right knuckle weapon, the shadow in the darkness found its mark. It didn't aim to kill Yuan Shuo—that was too difficult! A Thousand-Battler possessed momentum and spirit intent; they knew that well. Whether it was the Red Shadow or anything else, invading the body of a Hundred-Breaker was possible, but breaching a Thousand-Battler was nearly impossible. However, it was equally hard for the other side to detect them, especially right now. In a duel between masters, distraction was fatal. As long as the knuckle weapon was seized, Qiao Feilong would have his opening to counterattack. Once Yuan Shuo's momentum broke, defeat was certain. ... At the same time. Down on the ground floor. Li Hao crashed his car straight into the building lobby, abandoning the battered silver sedan, and looked upward. He saw an enormous mass of light! That was Qiao Feilong, without a doubt. Yet Li Hao frowned. The massive radiant cluster cast a dark shadow into relief. What was that? When he visited last time, he hadn't seen anything unusual near Qiao Feilong. But now... what was that black shadow? What he saw was not a wall or physical matter, but an energy source. Qiao Feilong's fire energy and Yuan Shuo's inner force were hard to see through, and this black shadow appearing before his eyes was clearly a distinct energy source as well. Only, he hadn't noticed it before. The dark shadow was drifting toward the radiant cluster. Li Hao wasn't stupid; he instantly guessed this might be Qiao Feilong's hidden trump card, aiming to ambush his teacher. But should he shout out right now? Leaving aside whether Yuan Shuo could hear him in the middle of battle, a shout might provoke the shadow into striking faster. *The shadow's intensity feels like Solar Radiance, not Three Sols...* What to do? Shout? Thoughts raced through his mind. "Night Watchers on official duty! Qiao Feilong, surrender!" Li Hao roared at the top of his lungs. He didn't know if the two could hear him, but he infused the cry with the tiger's roar, like a young cub howling across the mountain forest. The next instant, an enigmatic phrase rolled off his tongue: "Three spirits guard the banner, Mount Tianyue and the southern peak reside in my heart..." A cipher! Yuan Shuo and his students shared a secret cipher to discuss ancient texts and pass down confidential techniques like the Five Animals Breathing Art. Back when Li Hao and Yuan Shuo communicated over the communicator about the Five Animals Breathing Art, they had used this cipher. Above, Yuan Shuo kicked through another floor slab. He and his opponent were descending rapidly. Amid the destruction, Li Hao's voice—that youthful tiger's roar—still carried up to him. *"Teacher, watch out! There's a black shadow behind you..."* That was the message Li Hao conveyed. A black shadow? Yuan Shuo's hairs stood on end. He hadn't sensed it at all. As a Thousand-Battler martial master with spirit intent, his perception was extraordinarily sharp; even if a Red Shadow approached, he would notice. Yet right now, he felt nothing. Where was the shadow? Behind him? His iron willpower kept him from looking back. Instead, he roared, "Get away!" It served both as a warning to Li Hao and a distraction for Qiao Feilong. A warning for Li Hao to flee immediately. The shadow's emergence threw off their plans. Because he hadn't noticed it! The unknown meant danger. As for how Li Hao detected it, Yuan Shuo didn't know—it likely had to do with his eyes, the same eyes that could spot the Red Shadow, which was inherently extraordinary. Yuan Shuo had been secretly investigating, since Li Hao mentioned the Night Watchers might have captured people with similar traits. No word had come back yet. Below, Li Hao didn't linger. He quickly scanned the area and saw several people fleeing frantically down the stairs. The battle had erupted so suddenly that people were still in the building. Li Hao spotted Qiao Peng at a glance and was overjoyed. *He really is here!* "Qiao Feilong, surrender, or I'll slaughter your son!" Li Hao roared, leaping off the ground in a flash, lunging toward the panicking Qiao Peng who had just run down. Above, Qiao Feilong didn't even blink. Yet at that moment, the black shadow nearing Yuan Shuo suddenly paused. Qiao Peng was Qiao Feilong's only flesh and blood. His sole heir! The shadow was close to Yuan Shuo, but... the situation below was dire. Because Yuan Shuo and Li Hao had arrived so abruptly, the Moon Overflow expert protecting Qiao Peng had gone to the Inspectorate for the meeting. The Qiao family hadn't intended to openly clash with the Night Watchers yet, so they naturally sent him. Precisely because there was no protection tonight, Qiao Feilong had called his son to the building to keep him safe while the driver was away. Who would have guessed Yuan Shuo would strike tonight? Now, Qiao Peng's lack of supernatural abilities became glaringly apparent. There was no way he could match Li Hao; his rudimentary martial skills were only good against ordinary folk. The shadow hesitated... Deal with Yuan Shuo first, or go down and rescue him? The shadow might not be able to invade Yuan Shuo, but it had confidence in seizing his knuckle weapon. Yet taking the weapon would expose it to Yuan Shuo, and if Yuan Shuo didn't collapse immediately, the shadow might get entangled. All of this happened in a flash. Li Hao didn't care about any of that. Strike first to gain the upper hand! In the distance, Qiao Peng roared, "Get him! Kill him!" He had people around him—not ordinary employees. Those staying late weren't standard staff. Apart from the security guards who had already fled, those escorting him were his personal bodyguards. The supernaturals had gone to the banquet; these were just ordinary bodyguards. However, they had guns. The Qiao family operated its own security company. Several bodyguards, including Qiao Peng himself, pulled their firearms and aimed at Li Hao, intending to riddle him with bullets. As for what would happen to the ruins if Li Hao died... Qiao Peng couldn't care less right now. The battle above continued. Li Hao landed heavily, stomping the floor. The ground shuddered, and several stone fragments shot outward. With wet thuds, the stones punched clean through the heads of the armed bodyguards. Li Hao showed no mercy. He was more worried about his teacher; capturing Qiao Peng might give them leverage. The moment he stomped, gunshots rang out. The surviving guards and Qiao Peng opened fire. Shooting as he retreated, Qiao Peng tried to flee. Guns might not kill Li Hao, who was a Ten-Slayer realm fighter after all, even if that seemed unremarkable... Just as the thought crossed his mind, a blur flashed before his eyes. Li Hao's fingers sliced across the throats of the remaining bodyguards like blades, and he appeared before Qiao Peng. One hand clamped onto Qiao Peng's throat while the other chopped down like a blade. *Crack!* The arm holding the gun was severed clean off. A hand blade was still a blade. At the same time, a deafening crash shook the room as the ceiling collapsed, revealing two figures. Qiao Feilong and Yuan Shuo had fought their way down! They had smashed through an entire building at breakneck speed—such was the power of Three Sols. Li Hao kicked out, snapping Qiao Peng's leg and forcing him to his knees. Grabbing Qiao Peng by the hair, Li Hao kept his other hand locked around his throat, squeezing until Qiao Peng turned purple, gasping for breath. "Heh..." Qiao Feilong panted, letting out a laugh as he looked at Yuan Shuo. "The disciple you raised seems rather foolish... Do you think I would surrender now?" A threat? Impossible! At this stage, surrendering meant death for everyone. Li Hao actually tried to threaten him with his son! Li Hao knew using Qiao Peng against Qiao Feilong was largely pointless. But when he saw the dark shadow drifting toward him under the illumination of the flames, he realized it might not be useless after all. The shadow was coming for him. Which meant it wanted to save Qiao Peng! It had even abandoned the chance to strike at his teacher just to save him, proving that this ordinary mortal held significant weight to the shadow. Li Hao didn't fear the shadow as much. He had already destroyed a massive Red Shadow last time, so why fear a black one? Though whether the two were of the same nature, he couldn't be sure. With Three Sols Qiao Feilong close by, Li Hao felt some trepidation. He feared a powerhouse like that, but not an unknown entity like the shadow—after all, he had devoured plenty of Red Shadows before. Meanwhile, Yuan Shuo didn't pause. He didn't hold back simply because his disciple was here or had captured Qiao Peng. As ferocious as ever, he pressed his advantage, unleashing the Five Animals Art to its utmost. Punch after punch rained down, suppressing Qiao Feilong so thoroughly that the man's fire energy couldn't spread far. As for the shockwaves... Yuan Shuo couldn't control them right now. Perhaps out of concern for their respective disciple and son, the two combatants tacitly shifted their fight away, shattering tiles as their brawl spilled onto the street outside. At the same time, Li Hao saw the black shadow lunging toward him. Others couldn't see it, but he could. The moment it pounced, Li Hao was already gripping the small sword. This was his life-saving trump card. Who cared about exposing it now? Only the small sword could deal with this kind of entity; he doubted physical attacks would even touch it. The small sword emitted a faint glow as Li Hao thrust it forward! *Squelch!* It felt like stabbing into solid matter, and a muffled grunt echoed from the empty air. "Hmm?" The shadow actually produced a voice—different from the Red Shadow. The shadow was astonished. What was this? "The Li family sword?" The shadow seemed to realize something, deeply shaken. Hadn't they said it was handed over to the Night Watchers? Why was it still in Li Hao's hands! Could the Li family sword... harm it? That made sense. Weapons of the Eight Great Families were extraordinary; Qiao Feilong had speculated they were on par with Origin God Armaments. Having been stabbed, the space rippled, and a humanoid silhouette manifested. With his leg broken, Qiao Peng gasped for air as Li Hao dragged him backward like a dead dog. He, too, saw the black silhouette appear. Straining, he choked out a single word from his throat: "Mom..." Li Hao's heart leaped! *Mom?* *How could that be!* Qiao Feilong's wife had been dead for years. How could she be this black shadow! The shadow lacked distinct features, but it seemed slightly shaken as well, speaking in a raspy voice: "You... can see me?" A single sentence revealed much. Qiao Peng hadn't been able to see her before, nor did he know of her existence. She likely couldn't manifest on her own—otherwise, as Qiao Peng's mother, there would be no reason to hide indefinitely. Unless she was neither human nor ghost and couldn't even control her own visibility. In that case, there was no point telling Qiao Peng, sparing him the trauma. Li Hao was stunned, but shock soon turned to delight. Qiao Peng's mother? Even better! Though she had passed away, Li Hao knew something about her. Records showed she had been Qiao Feilong's secretary, his most trusted confidante, who eventually became the lady of the Qiao household. In life, she was Qiao Feilong's right hand, playing a pivotal role in expanding Qiao's Mining. Later, she stepped back from the business to raise Qiao Peng after giving birth. This meant she must dote on Qiao Peng immensely. Who knew she was still alive? Yet what was this bizarre state she was in? In the distance, Qiao Feilong, who was being battered relentlessly, glanced back. Seeing the black silhouette, his eyes widened in shock! She had appeared! The shadow had actually manifested... Or rather, he couldn't see the shadow clearly and could only hear her voice, but his heart knew his beloved had appeared! How was this possible? He had tried countless methods over the years to no avail; he could only hear her voice. Being together for so long allowed him to feel her presence, but she lacked physical form. Why was she visible now? Though baffled, Qiao Feilong quickly connected the dots, looking at Li Hao and the small sword in his hand. He realized that was likely the Li family sword. And that sword... might be able to help his wife restore her physical body. Years ago, a blast of energy from the ruins had reduced her to this ghostly state. Now... there seemed to be a chance. The Li family sword, the ruins... the two had to be linked. "Kill him! Take the sword!" Qiao Feilong barked. "If our son is gone, we can have another! Once you come back to life, we'll have plenty of children!" He feared his wife would soften. *Boom!* Yuan Shuo landed a punch, sending Qiao Feilong flying into the street, crashing through several buildings. Spitting blood, Qiao Feilong roared again, "Kill him! Do you hear me?" Though Li Hao threatened him with Qiao Peng, and he hadn't wanted his son to die, his priorities had shifted. Qiao Peng could die, but Li Hao had to die, and the sword had to be seized. The black shadow shuddered, then lunged toward Li Hao. Li Hao stomped his foot, unleashing a faint wisp of momentum, making the ground tremble. Yet it was instantly suppressed. The shadow was terrifyingly strong. While far weaker than Qiao Feilong, it gave Li Hao the impression of Solar Radiance strength—a level he couldn't rival. He could fight a Hundred-Breaker, but Solar Radiance was out of the question. An ambush was impossible here. The moment his faint momentum was crushed, Li Hao hoisted Qiao Peng and swung him like a weapon at the shadow! *Qiao Feilong doesn't care, but do you?* In the distance, Yuan Shuo's face turned icy cold as his fists blurred! Like a colossal bear, he hammered away, cracking the earth beneath them. He needed to beat Qiao Feilong to death so he could save Li Hao. Against a Hundred-Breaker, Li Hao could hold out. Against Solar Radiance, absolutely not. Only when the shadow manifested a form could Yuan Shuo sense its existence and feel that peculiar power—a Solar Radiance presence beyond Li Hao's ability to resist. A flaw had appeared in their plan. Otherwise, he was confident he could suppress Qiao Feilong without putting Li Hao in danger. *Bang!* With a loud thud, Li Hao slammed Qiao Peng into the shadow. The shadow darted aside, constrained and hesitant to use lethal force lest Li Hao and Qiao Peng die together. Li Hao yanked Qiao Peng back by the leg. Seeing his teacher fight with increasing ferocity, accompanied by rare furious roars, Li Hao knew the old man was anxious. Neither of them had anticipated this shadow. The small sword wasn't miraculous either; it had forced the shadow into tangible form, but unlike with the Red Shadows, it couldn't instantly destroy it. What on earth was this thing? Li Hao didn't know, but he knew he was outmatched and in deep trouble. Stomping again, Li Hao unleashed his faint momentum once more, jolting the ground. It barely repelled the lunging shadow. Though anxious, Li Hao stayed composed. There was no point panicking. The shadow's reluctance to hurt Qiao Peng was his greatest asset. Of course, this stalemate wouldn't last long. Soon enough, the shadow would finish him. Fortunately, it was wary of the small sword, so brandishing it kept the entity at bay. ... Nearby. Seeing Li Hao struggling to hold out, Yuan Shuo grew frantic. He had talked tough about not caring whether his student lived or died, but words were just words. How could his disciple—the next seed for the Thousand-Battler realm—be allowed to die here? With that thought, Yuan Shuo, who hadn't planned on using the Blood Saber Art, could hold back no longer. There might not be enough sword energy left. Using it now might severely deplete his vitality, or even leave him gravely wounded... but he had no other choice. Decisive as ever, a flush of bloody qi surged onto his face. In an instant, his vitality converged, and his spirit intent erupted to its absolute zenith. The stone saber in his hand seemed to grow longer. Blasting Qiao Feilong back with a punch, Yuan Shuo roared, merging his essence, energy, and spirit as his draconic vitality fused with his spirit intent. *I don't know if I can recover from this...* He thought to himself, yet charged forward without hesitation. Just as Li Hao had seen the shadow and stayed behind despite the danger to take Qiao Peng hostage, master and disciple shared an unspoken bond. There was no need to overthink it. "Blood Saber Slash!" With a furious shout, the stone saber expanded to the size of a standard blade, glowing blood-red. Qiao Feilong felt a mortal threat in an instant! He had planned to stall until his wife finished Li Hao—it shouldn't take long, as she was only delayed by concern for their son. Given a little more time, she could fade into the shadows after killing Li Hao. Even if Yuan Shuo were on guard, it would leave him wary, giving Qiao Feilong his chance to strike back. Yet now, fatal peril stared him in the face. In a flash, overwhelming fire energy erupted! He staked everything. As a Three Sols expert, being suppressed by Yuan Shuo to the point of mortal danger infuriated him. Flames roared skyward, instantly illuminating all of Silver City. The immense aura leaked out completely. Above Silver City, fire and a blood blade mirrored each other in the sky. Two formidable forces rippled outward in all directions. *Boom!* A colossal roar shook half of Silver City. The blood blade slashed clean through the fiery radiance, extinguishing the sea of flames. In an instant, the blood blade swept across the sky. A head exploded into pieces. ... At that moment, in the distance. Inside the Inspectorate. Hao Lianchuan jerked his head up, only now clearly sensing the commotion. The distance between them was ten kilometers. He had faintly heard disturbances and felt ripples earlier, but with so many supernaturals present, he had merely sent Mu Sen to investigate. Now, his face changed completely. This was no ordinary supernatural clash! "Fuck!" Where did another Three Sols come from? And was that Yuan Shuo? Who was Yuan Shuo fighting this time? Looking out over the hall full of supernaturals, he roared, "Quiet down!" The crowd had heard the roar and erupted into chaos. An overwhelming aura burst from Hao Lianchuan as his face turned frosty. "Silence! Anyone who causes unrest will be executed on the spot!" Unease flickered in his eyes. What the hell was going on? Red Moon? Or some other organization? Damn it, what was that bastard Yuan Shuo doing? Ever since reaching Thousand-Battler, he couldn't stop picking fights with Three Sols powerhouses. He wanted to go and see, but glancing at the hall full of supernaturals... he hesitated. If he left, would they riot? And... that damn Liu Long—were they in on this together, deliberately keeping him here to suppress the local supernaturals so they couldn't intervene? Definitely! *Liu Long, you bastard, you actually used me as a doorkeeper.* Hao Lianchuan cursed inwardly, yet worry gnawed at him. *Yuan Shuo, you idiot, killing one Three Sols was pure luck. Trying it a second time... do you really think you're beyond Thousand-Battler?*