The Shadowless Sword

Only upon truly completing the integration of his inner force did Li Hao feel the true might of the Hundred-Breaker level. This was true Hundred-Breaker culmination. Back at the mine, although he could have been considered a Hundred-Breaker culmination, compared to today, the gap was obvious. The most obvious difference was that his force could now be directed into a single focus. Consolidating the power of his entire body's force, striking wherever he aimed. That was likely the greatest defining trait of Hundred-Breaker culmination. *** After reaching culmination, Li Hao stopped sparring with Liu Long. He took Liu Long to see his teacher to treat the injuries the captain had accumulated over the past several days. Liu Long thanked Yuan Shuo as customary, but his eyes never stopped glaring at Li Hao. *This kid is quite the actor!* Li Hao didn't care. He would keep up the act day by day; when the day came that he couldn't keep it up anymore, he'd stop. As long as he wasn't embarrassed, it was everyone else who felt awkward, and none of them would have the nerve to call him out. *** Time marched on, stopping for no one. In the blink of an eye, it was mid-August. The strength of the entire Silver City Night Watcher team improved day by day, as the spoils from slaying multiple powerhouses last time were gradually digested by everyone. A single windfall rivaled what the Demon Hunt Squad had gathered over the past several years combined. Everyone was progressing rapidly. Liu Yan finally stepped into mid Hundred-Breaker. Although Wu Chao and Chen Jian hadn't advanced further to the middle stage, they weren't far from it either. The supernaturals' progress was, in fact, even faster. At the Lunar Nether stage, as long as one had enough mysterious energy, a supernatural could advance rapidly. If you located the third supernatural lock and broke it, with enough mysterious energy you could even step into Solar Radiance. Thus, Li Meng and the others had all made progress. The fastest to improve were not Li Meng and Hu Hao. Both possessed unique abilities and lacked matching elemental mysterious energy, so they could only absorb unaligned mysterious energy to strengthen themselves. Hu Hao had it slightly better, being able to absorb some wind energy to bolster his strength. As for Li Meng... she had recently taken an interest in the martial path again and channeled her focus into martial arts, which resulted in her only rising from early Crescent Moon to peak Crescent Moon. She hadn't even stepped into the Half Moon level. The fastest progress actually belonged to Yun Yao. She was a water supernatural and had originally been at the peak Ten-Slayer realm, crossing over as a martial master. Her body was robust and her inner force was converting, so over this period, she unexpectedly beat Li Meng to stepping into Half Moon. Hu Hao had originally been at peak Crescent Moon, and now rode the momentum straight into Half Moon. Then there was Wang Ming. His conversion rate was swift. Although he had entered Full Moon not long ago, under the conditions of frantically absorbing mysterious energy, by August 15, Wang Ming had also stepped into Moon Overflow. Having reached this stage, he would next need to prepare for Solar Radiance. This was something he hadn't anticipated before coming to Silver City. He had thought that advancing once in six months in Silver City would be pretty good, but he never expected that in less than a month after arriving, he would step into Moon Overflow. Both times he came to Silver City, he had made progress. At this moment, Wang Ming even felt that Silver City was truly his blessed land. *** Everyone made progress, whether large or small. Resolving the Qiao family last time had enriched the entire Silver City Night Watcher team. As for Li Hao, ever since reaching Hundred-Breaker culmination, he had spent the past few days studying his small sword. Not only that, he also asked his teacher for guidance on swordsmanship. That strike of his severed both enemy and self. Unless it was the absolute final moment, it was best not to use that sword strike. That being the case, Li Hao hoped to dabble in other sword techniques, hoping to learn at least some foundational swordsmanship. The Five Animals Art focused primarily on fists, claws, and kicks, and did not involve weapons. Yuan Shuo was not skilled in swordsmanship. However, he knew it. His knowledge was vast; there was almost nothing he didn't know. At the Yuan Family Compound. Hearing Li Hao's request, Yuan Shuo pondered for a moment before saying, "Back in the day, Silver Moon had the Seven Swordsmen, renowned across the entire province. How many are left now, I don't know, but most are dead. "Among them was a fellow known as the Shadow Swordsman! His Shadowless Sword was famous throughout the martial world! His strikes were soundless, following like a shadow, centered around deceit, shadowiness, and malice—and one more thing: speed!" Yuan Shuo reminisced for a moment and added, "Back then, he was also at Hundred-Breaker culmination and had comprehended the force of shadow. When he drew his sword, it was like night descending. The darkness concealed everything about his blade, allowing him to often seize the upper hand in combat." The Shadowless Sword! Li Hao's interest was piqued, and he said, "Teacher, that sword strike of mine—I call it the Sever Self Sword! The Sever Self Sword focuses primarily on speed, ferocity, and sharpness, but it's meant more for killing enemies head-on! If I can wield the Shadowless Sword, everyone will assume I specialize in agile, tricky swordsmanship. Then, catching them by surprise, I can hit them with the Sever Self Sword—I doubt many people would be able to react in time." Put simply, he wanted to learn it. Yuan Shuo smiled and nodded. "If you want to learn, I can teach you! I have both the sword forms and the breathing art of the Shadowless Sword." Why did he have them? Li Hao looked at his teacher and, after a pause, asked, "Teacher, of the Seven Swordsmen, how many did you kill?" "..." Yuan Shuo glared at him. *Making me sound like some devil.* "What do you mean, 'how many did I kill'? I didn't even kill half of them! Out of the Seven Swordsmen, I only beat three to death. If the rest are dead, it has nothing to do with me!" *I knew it!* Li Hao was curious and truly couldn't hold back this time: "Teacher, you beat so many people to death—didn't anyone band together to seek revenge on you?" *It really hasn't been easy for him to survive to this day!* "You sure stick your nose into a lot!" Yuan Shuo glared at him again. The kid was getting awfully interested in his past now—could he really tell him? Some of those past affairs weren't exactly glorious. Brushing the topic aside, he pondered briefly before saying, "If you learn the Shadowless Sword, you will know three secret arts. In the path of a martial master, it is best to stick to a single secret art from beginning to end!" Why was that? Li Hao understood in his heart: the key lay in the breathing art. This was the one downside of being a martial master. One secret art required one breathing art. Every time you switched to another secret art, you had to switch breathing arts. With the slightest carelessness, an error could easily occur during the transition, giving the enemy an opening. Therefore, even as strong as Yuan Shuo was, he wasn't omnipotent. He was not skilled with weapons; even now with the stone saber in hand, he only used it as an extension of his claws or fists, rather than employing true saber techniques. A martial master's secret art never became obsolete. The stronger you became, the more powerful the secret art grew. Thus, a single secret art was usually enough. Back then in the Silver Moon martial world, the powerhouses who made names for themselves were all specialists. Whether specializing in swordsmanship, staff methods, fist arts, or spear techniques, each had its distinct characteristics. Although Yuan Shuo wished for his student to become stronger, he still cautioned, "An all-around martial master—everyone wishes they could be one. However, knowing many things without mastering them is often a huge problem! "Especially switching between breathing arts. Many times, strong practitioners actually die at that exact moment. Transitioning breathing arts is when a martial master is most likely to meet their end!" A martial master skilled at seizing combat opportunities could easily detect that split-second hesitation. Li Hao nodded. "I understand this. Teacher, when you first learned the Five Animals Art, it was divided into separate parts too, wasn't it? But later, didn't you fuse the five animals and unify them under a single breathing art?" This was also Yuan Shuo's greatest triumph in life! Yuan Shuo frowned slightly, however, and only spoke after a pause: "First, the five animals share common ground! Second, I didn't create the Five Animals Art out of thin air; it was recorded in ancient texts. I didn't build a high tower from flat ground, but rather erected one on existing foundations atop ancient ruins." He looked at Li Hao. "If you asked me to invent the Five Animals Breathing Art out of nothing, even though your teacher considers himself second to none, I wouldn't have that kind of confidence." He was warning Li Hao not to aim too high too soon! Even he, with his profound learning and mastery of both ancient and modern lore, wouldn't dare claim he could synthesize three secret arts—Nine Refinements Force, the Shadowless Sword, and the Five Animals Art—and then invent an entirely original breathing art to unify them. Li Hao said nothing. He would take it step by step and see. Still, he had to learn swordsmanship. Yuan Shuo was merely reminding him; he knew Li Hao wouldn't give up. Besides, it was only natural for Li Hao to study the sword. "Think it over carefully. Today, I shall pass the Shadowless Sword to you!" Yuan Shuo rose. With a wave of his hand, a longsword from the weapon rack in the courtyard flew into his grasp. As a grandmaster-level martial master, even if he didn't specialize in swordsmanship, the moment he took up the sword, his aura was far more commanding than Li Hao's. In the next instant, the longsword danced. Li Hao watched without blinking, knowing his teacher was demonstrating for him, observing with rapt attention. The longsword sliced through the air like a shadow. Even in broad daylight, only streaks of light and shadow were visible—soundless, completely silent. Fast and concealed. These were the hallmarks of the Shadowless Sword: exceptionally fast, while the sound of tearing through the air seemed to be muffled by the breathing art. With each inhalation and exhalation, Yuan Shuo seemed to drain the air before him, placing the sword's environment within a vacuum. In this way, the strikes became even more ethereal and utterly silent. A truly unique sword art! Feeling all this, Li Hao thought to himself that if this technique could be applied to other secret arts—striking without sound, punching without sound—it would be extraordinary as well. A vacuum... A vacuum didn't mean there was truly zero sound, but eliminating sound to the greatest extent possible made this an absolute godsend of an art for assassins and killers. And yet, this Shadow Swordsman had actually been killed by his teacher back then. Yuan Shuo thrust out dozens of strikes in succession. From the trajectory of the blows, Li Hao could tell this was a vicious sword art; every single strike targeted vitals. A moment later, Yuan Shuo sheathed his sword and exhaled! That single breath detonated like rolling thunder. A beam of white light shot forth, blowing apart the air in front of him. "The final strike of the Shadowless Sword is not in the blade, but in this exhaled strike!" Yuan Shuo said solemnly, "Normally, everyone focuses only on your sword. The moment you sheath your blade, others assume you're switching arts, or perhaps giving up and admitting defeat... unaware that this final strike is the most lethal! The Shadowless Breathing Art continuously swallows surrounding air, refining breath into force, and at the final moment, expels it all at once. The destructive power of this mouth-sword even exceeds the Shadowless Sword before it! This is the true core of the Shadowless Sword!" Li Hao nodded. Yuan Shuo added, "This strike nearly killed me back then..." He wasn't afraid of exposing his own past failings. "Back then, seeing him withdraw his sword to defend, I thought he had no strength left to fight. Just as I closed in to finish him off with one blow, he suddenly spit that sword-blast out, almost blasting my heart to pieces!" Reflecting on that past clash with the Shadow Swordsman, he still felt a lingering thrill. That time, he had nearly been turned on and killed. Yet during the battle, he had held the upper hand the entire time. This went to show that in combat, it wasn't simply the stronger person who survived. Had he been even slightly careless, he would have died then and there; fortunately, he had shifted slightly, avoiding the fatal heart strike. Li Hao smiled. "If even Teacher fell for it, that proves it's truly powerful. But... did the veterans of the Silver Moon martial world back then know about it?" "They didn't." Yuan Shuo shook his head. "If the final move of the Shadowless Sword were known, it wouldn't be a secret technique! Anyone who crossed blades with him either died to that final move or... he died! Anyone who was nearly killed by that final expelled strike, even if they hadn't intended to kill him initially, would make sure to end his life afterward! Unless he killed his opponent, he was doomed to die!" And so, he really had died. Died at the hands of Yuan Shuo. Li Hao was delighted. "Even better!" He loved this kind of secret art. Like Miraculous Hands Bring Spring, it was a fantastic trick for ambushes. Combined with that sword strike in his mind, Li Hao felt he now possessed quite a few trump cards. This was the benefit of having a formidable teacher: he knew everything, and any secret art he produced was something other martial masters could only dream of obtaining. Next, Yuan Shuo began teaching him the breathing art of the Shadowless Sword. This was the foundation. The art was the foundation. Only then came the moves—the techniques, the external manifestations. Techniques were not set in stone; depending on the battle, the circumstances, or even the opponent, techniques could be adapted. One must not be rigid. Just like the Five Animals Art: when a fierce tiger hunted, it adapted to the prey's species, numbers, and strength, rather than always pouncing to kill with a single claw swipe. Li Hao studied with great earnestness. He had an excellent memory. When his teacher explained something once, though he couldn't memorize everything, he could usually retain at least seventy percent. After his teacher repeated it twice more, he could commit the rest entirely to memory. Then, Li Hao began to slowly practice. The key lay in adjusting the breathing art; the breathing art had to match the forms, and using the wrong breathing art could easily cause internal injury. *** Li Hao embarked on another round of rigorous training. Meanwhile. In White Moon City. Hao Lianchuan was also preparing to set out. The exploration of the ruins was set for August 28, more than ten days away. However, he needed to arrive early to make preparatory arrangements. In addition, he had to make a trip to Silver City, mainly to pick up Yuan Shuo and, in passing, deliver the last Solar Radiance Blood God Seed from the vault to Wang Ming. Wang Ming had asked someone to submit the requisition, costing a whopping two hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy. And this mysterious energy was paid for by the Wang family. Wang Ming's promise to his clan was that as long as he obtained the Blood God Seed, reaching Moon Overflow was a hundred percent guaranteed, and he even had a thirty percent chance at Solar Radiance... Wang Ming had actually been clever for once, fearing his family might balk at the immense cost and refuse to part with the funds. He had already entered Moon Overflow himself, but hadn't revealed it. It was rare for him to hold back, largely because the distance made communication inconvenient, allowing him to keep it to himself. Thus, even if he failed to enter Solar Radiance, he wouldn't be in hot water. Since he had already reached Moon Overflow, even without advancing to Solar Radiance, he would still have an explanation for his family. Although scions of wealthy families like him didn't lack money, mysterious energy was precious and couldn't be squandered lightly, especially when it involved a massive figure like two hundred cubic meters. This time, Hao Lianchuan was not traveling alone. In the first-floor lobby of the Night Watcher Headquarters building. Hao Lianchuan was taking a full twenty people this time, all of them powerhouses. Lunar Nether was the bare minimum, and there were five or six Solar Radiances. Along with himself, a Three Sols expert, the Night Watchers could be said to be mobilizing in full force for this ruin exploration. Except for a few Solar Radiances who truly could not be spared from their posts, every Solar Radiance the Night Watchers could muster in Silver Moon had been mobilized. Counting Huang Yun stationed there, a total of seven Solar Radiances were deployed this time. Add to that Yuan Shuo, a powerhouse capable of slaying Three Sols, and if Liu Long also entered Thousand-Battler... it could be said to represent nearly half of the Night Watchers' total strength. Hao Lianchuan waited. The others waited as well. After a while, someone walked down from upstairs. Hou Xiaochen had a calm expression as he strode forward. His gait was not imperious or aggressive, just very relaxed, which eased the tense atmosphere among the crowd. "Minister!" Everyone greeted him one after another. The younger Night Watchers were relatively unaffected, feeling only majesty. Some of the older Night Watchers, however, showed hints of fervor. Normally, the older one grew, the calmer one became. Yet at this moment, it was quite the opposite. For Hou Xiaochen had not fought in years, but the older Night Watchers had truly witnessed his terrifying might in the past. Especially years ago, when Red Moon attacked, demanding Yuan Shuo show himself and warning Silver Moon not to meddle, claiming they only wanted Yuan Shuo dead, and threatening to wipe out the Night Watchers if they dared intervene. In the end, Hou Xiaochen had marched out with spear in hand and forcefully slain a top powerhouse. On that day, a Three Sols expert fell—many years before Yuan Shuo's recent slaying of a Three Sols. Not only that, in that battle Hou Xiaochen had not just killed a Three Sols, but also slain multiple Solar Radiances, eventually even drawing out Ying Hongyue. Facing Ying Hongyue, Hou Xiaochen hadn't taken a single step back. Fortunately, top powerhouses from the Central Region arrived that day; the Night Watcher Central Headquarters sent several experts to assist in the fight, which finally forced Ying Hongyue to withdraw. Even though Hou Xiaochen hadn't actually clashed with Ying Hongyue, in everyone's eyes, being able to withstand Red Moon's pressure without fearing Ying Hongyue made Hou Xiaochen nothing short of a legend. The more illustrious Ying Hongyue's feats in the Central Region grew, the more it proved Hou Xiaochen's sheer power. Hou Xiaochen paid no mind to their expressions and uttered no grand, imposing proclamations. His demeanor was merely calm and gentle, his voice neither loud nor soft, as he spoke: "This time, I wish everyone a smooth journey. It would be best if we succeed, but if success eludes us, prioritize preserving your lives. "When you go to the ruins, heed Yuan Shuo's words, but do not stand too close to him." Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "He has offended too many people. This time, powerhouses might very well come to assassinate him. His advice is professional, so you should listen. But staying near him? That's dangerous!" Though his words carried an undercurrent of peril, everyone couldn't help but chuckle. Listen to him, but stay far away from that old monster—everyone understood the message. "Minister Hao is composed. Although he is a fire supernatural, he lacks the turbulence typical of the fire element. This is precisely what I value in him. Those who can exercise self-restraint are usually those who achieve success!" Hao Lianchuan smiled, thoroughly pleased by the praise. "However, your Minister Hao sometimes overthinks things..." Hou Xiaochen smiled. "This time, a total of seven Solar Radiances are taking part, plus Yuan Shuo and Hao Lianchuan, making nine in all. If conflict erupts with the Three Great Organizations, your Minister Hao might hesitate... In that case, as long as five people agree to fight, there is no need to report to headquarters—go to war directly! If fewer than nine are present, as long as a majority agrees, go to war directly!" Hao Lianchuan opened his mouth, but hesitated. Hou Xiaochen glanced at him. "I am not undermining your authority. It's just that I know your weaknesses, and everyone understands them to some extent. When they ought to follow your orders, they will. Still, having a backup plan is always better in all things!" Hao Lianchuan nodded, though he said somewhat wryly, "Hearing the Minister put it that way makes it sound like I'm afraid of the Three Great Organizations!" Hou Xiaochen laughed. "It's not fear, it's overthinking. You constantly worry that going to war with them will incur too heavy a loss and leave the Night Watchers unable to maintain a foothold in Silver Moon... Put it this way: on the Night Watchers' side, as long as I am still breathing, the Silver Moon Night Watchers won't be wiped out anytime soon. You can rest easy." Hao Lianchuan nodded. He really did tend to overthink. As the second Three Sols powerhouse in Silver Moon, with Hou Xiaochen rarely stepping outside, Hao Lianchuan was the one handling most of the routine affairs. He had watched many of these people grow up, and he couldn't bear to stand by and watch them die. "That is all I have to say... If we succeed this time, Silver Moon will undoubtedly become an impregnable bastion!" Hou Xiaochen let out a soft breath and waved a hand. "Go! However many people leave today, I hope just as many return in the days to come." Hao Lianchuan straightened solemnly. "Minister, I will definitely bring everyone back!" With that, he barked, "Depart!" The party of more than twenty departed swiftly in disciplined formation. In the lobby, Hou Xiaochen watched in silence. *However many go, that many will return?* Practically impossible! He knew it, Hao Lianchuan knew it, and everyone—whether going or staying—knew it. It was impossible. This expedition into the Hengduan Canyon ruins was not the first. In earlier expeditions, even without the major organizations involved, many lives had been lost. How much worse would it be this time, with the Three Great Organizations and several small-to-medium factions joining the fray? If seventy percent returned, it would already be considered good fortune. *** August 20. Clear skies. Twenty days of bitter cultivation and twenty days of frantic absorption had elevated the strength of the entire Silver City Night Watcher team. Li Hao also emerged from his training in the Shadowless Sword. Word came from above: Minister Hao had arrived once more today. The Silver City Night Watchers were well familiar with this Three Sols powerhouse; in a short span of time, he had visited several times. Inside the Law Enforcement Building. Hao Lianchuan's gaze was slightly peculiar. He could not easily discern the progress of martial masters. Yet he could distinctly sense the progress of the supernaturals. Wang Ming had actually entered Moon Overflow! Yun Yao and Hu Hao had also stepped into Half Moon, and even Li Meng, though she hadn't reached Half Moon, felt like she was merely half a step away. This was rather beyond his expectations. Their progress was simply too fast! By his estimates, achieving such results would take at least six months, yet they had pulled it off so quickly. Evidently, they had reaped immense gains from that last battle. The mysterious energy they obtained likely exceeded expectations as well. Liu Long claimed they killed a few Lunar Nethers... was it truly just Lunar Nethers? Such doubts flickered across his mind, but he quickly suppressed them. None of that was the crux of the matter; making progress was a good thing. Shortly after Li Hao entered the room, Liu Long arrived as well. The nine-member Night Watcher team was fully assembled. Hao Lianchuan had only squeezed in this trip amidst a tight schedule. With little time to spare, he didn't waste words: "Minister Liu, I told you before that the exploration of the Hengduan Canyon ruins is about to begin. You said you would consider it back then. Have you reached a decision?" "We're going!" Liu Long stated, then added, "However, I'm not going alone. I'm bringing people with me!" Hao Lianchuan frowned. "It is extremely dangerous; this is no joke! This time, the Night Watchers going in are mostly supernaturals at the Lunar Nether Full Moon or even Moon Overflow levels, though a small number of Starlights and Lunar Nethers will remain on the perimeter. But they are only tasked with support and preventing ordinary people from passing through..." This time, among those entering the ruins, there were hardly even a few Half Moons. Quality took precedence over quantity. Liu Long said calmly, "Minister Hao, our Silver City Night Watchers are all battle-tested veterans with richer experience! Besides, I'm not taking many—just Liu Yan and Li Hao. Li Hao is actually being brought by Professor Yuan, so I'm only bringing Liu Yan." Liu Yan? Hao Lianchuan glanced at Liu Yan and knitted his brows slightly. He was aware of the situation: Hupo had arrived. He feared trouble might erupt! "About this..." Liu Yan looked at Hao Lianchuan and cut in directly: "Minister Hao, I'm not a supernatural. Even if I die, it won't have much impact on the Night Watchers." "That's not how it works!" Hao Lianchuan said sternly, "You're all Night Watchers. There's no such thing as someone whose death doesn't matter; none of you should die! It's just that you only recently entered Hundred-Breaker..." "I have already stepped into mid Hundred-Breaker!" Liu Yan stated. Hao Lianchuan was slightly surprised, though he soon understood. Advancing to the middle stage wasn't overly difficult after all. Just as he was thinking this, Wang Ming hastily chimed in, "Minister Hao, I want to go too!" "Count me in!" "I want to go too!" "..." In an instant, everyone else on the Silver City side spoke up one after another. Hao Lianchuan's face turned green with irritation. "Are you all trying to rebel?" Everyone was saying they wanted to go! What would happen to Silver City then? Besides, were they going just to throw their lives away? Someone like Li Meng at peak Crescent Moon was basically fodder over there, suitable at best for standing guard outside the ruins. Wang Ming hurriedly said, "Minister Hao, I'm at Moon Overflow! If things go smoothly over the next few days, I might step into Solar Radiance... A Solar Radiance combatant is considered a powerhouse anywhere, isn't he? It would be such a waste if I didn't go!" Hao Lianchuan looked at him with some astonishment and only spoke after a pause: "You can enter Solar Radiance?" He didn't quite believe it! Even if Wang Ming claimed the Blood God Seed was useful to him, it wasn't as though supernaturals hadn't tried absorbing Blood God Seeds before. What bloody use was it? It might have a tiny effect, but it certainly wasn't better than the effect of two hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy. Wang Ming gave a sheepish grin. "Doesn't hurt to try... Minister Hao, let me go too!" Hao Lianchuan truly hadn't expected Wang Ming to reach Moon Overflow earlier. After considering it for a moment, he said, "If you want to go, it's not impossible... A young man getting some tempering is fine, but the rest of you forget it!" To put it bluntly, they were too weak. Going would truly be seeking death! Exploring ruins was no leisurely sightseeing tour, not to mention he didn't have the energy to look after so many people. Chen Jian and the others were reluctant. They had stepped into Hundred-Breaker as well, and especially this time, they had heard it was for revenge... Yes, to kill Li Dahu! They had learned about this too. The bonds between the members of the Demon Hunt Squad ran deep. If they couldn't kill Li Dahu this time, when would they ever get another chance? Chen Jian, who was usually a man of few words, stood up at this moment and said in a muffled rumble, "Minister Hao, I'm a Hundred-Breaker martial master too! Martial masters are more concealed than supernaturals! I'm also skilled in defense, and the Three Great Organizations certainly know the Night Watchers inside out, but they lack information on us... I think if we go, we might be of some use." "A Hundred-Breaker?" Hao Lianchuan was taken aback. He glanced at Wu Chao, who chuckled softly: "I've advanced to Hundred-Breaker as well!" Hao Lianchuan was genuinely astonished! In tiny Silver City, these people had actually all reached Hundred-Breaker. That was somewhat frightening. Hundred-Breaker was comparable to Lunar Nether. Lunar Nether wasn't exceptionally strong, but even within the Night Watchers, it wasn't as if every single person was a Lunar Nether. However, at this point Liu Long spoke up: "Only Liu Yan, Wang Ming, and Li Hao will go. The rest stay behind to hold the fort!" He understood the dangers involved, and he understood everyone's thoughts. Yet they couldn't risk being wiped out in one fell swoop! Out of nine people, sending four was already a lot. Wang Ming grinned. His desire to go stemmed partly from the thrill of adventure and the potential benefits. On the other hand, knowing how powerful Liu Long and Yuan Shuo were, he figured that sticking with them—if Li Hao wasn't afraid of dying, why should he be?—might yield unexpected gains. Furthermore, this might be Wang Ming's chance to make a name for himself! If a Night Watcher wanted to gain fame, it had to be fought for! This time, if he could advance to Solar Radiance and take down an enemy Solar Radiance, he would become famous throughout the supernatural realm! He was still young, only twenty years old. Slaying a Solar Radiance at twenty would make Wang Ming a recognized talent across Silver Moon! "Boss!" Wu Chao and the others were unwilling. They wanted to go too; the Demon Hunt Squad had always moved as one. Liu Long said sternly, "Cultivate diligently! While we are away, you'd better all make progress. I'll test you when I return. If you want to fight and kill enemies, there will be plenty of chances. Once this ruin exploration concludes, we might very well go to war with the Three Great Organizations. There will be no shortage of opportunities in the future!" At these words, Hao Lianchuan's expression shifted slightly. That... well, it truly was possible. Hao Lianchuan pondered for a moment. Four people: Liu Long and Wang Ming had sufficient strength, and Li Hao was being brought by Yuan Shuo, which was also fine. The key issue was Liu Yan... Considering she was desperate for revenge, if he forbade her from going, she might sneak off on her own, which would be even more troublesome and dangerous. Weighing the matter repeatedly, Hao Lianchuan nodded: "Then the four of you it is! Originally, Li Meng and Hu Hao were supposed to escort Professor Yuan over, but now he is capable of protecting himself, and the Three Great Organizations might bring even more powerhouses than previously anticipated, so the two of you don't need to go! "The ruins open officially on the twenty-eighth! So you must arrive before the twenty-eighth. I won't be coming to pick you up." He still had business over there and needed to find a way to figure out how many experts the major organizations were sending this time. Liu Long nodded. "Minister Hao, I will bring everyone and arrive in time!" "I won't say more then..." Having said that, he tossed a bottle to Wang Ming. "Wang Ming, think carefully before using it. It didn't come cheap and is mainly effective for martial masters. If you don't feel confident, you might as well sell it to Liu Long!" With those parting words, he left swiftly without lingering. *** Once Hao Lianchuan left, Chen Jian asked sullenly, "Boss, why won't you take us along?" Liu Long frowned. "It's not my call! This time, White Moon City is taking the lead. Besides, do you think Silver City is safe right now? If we all leave, who will guard Silver City?" "But—" "No buts!" Liu Long cut him off and looked at the others. "During this time, keep a close watch on Silver City. Silver Moon might plunge into chaos before we even emerge from the ruins! Furthermore, with a massive influx of powerhouses entering the ruins and both Elder Yuan and I gone, we must be vigilant against anyone infiltrating Silver City. Silver City is far from safe." While they were talking, Wang Ming had lost all interest in listening. He quickly grabbed Li Hao and whispered, "Li Hao, I've got the stuff. Do you think... maybe... you know..." Seeing his eager expression, Li Hao chuckled. After considering it, he nodded. "Alright. Come to my teacher's house tonight, and I'll help you absorb the Blood God Seed..." Then he added, "Give me the Blood God Seed first. I need to head back and make some preparations." "Huh?" *Give it to you?* Wang Ming was somewhat worried. *You're not going to pocket it for yourself, are you?* Li Hao simply stared at him. After a long moment, Wang Ming handed over the Blood God Seed with some trepidation, muttering uneasily, "Er... don't go damaging it." Li Hao smiled, not bothering to reply. He had his own considerations. Now that he had reached Hundred-Breaker culmination, he didn't really need this Blood God Seed anymore. What he currently needed was to master force and step into Thousand-Battler. However, the Blood God Seed was far more effective for martial masters. In fact, Li Hao wanted to give this Blood God Seed to Liu Yan. She stood a very good chance of stepping into late Hundred-Breaker—or rather, reaching the late stage would pose almost no difficulty for her; it was only force that would be difficult for Liu Yan to grasp. Liu Yan going to the ruins would still be very dangerous. As for Wang Ming, Li Hao's plan was to use sword energy to extract some metal-aligned mysterious energy and pair it with sword energy to facilitate easy absorption and digestion. That might also help him step into Solar Radiance, and perhaps with even better results than the Blood God Seed. The Blood God Seed's enhancement of supernaturals was not nearly as remarkable as imagined. In doing so, Li Hao would have to expend a portion of metal-aligned mysterious energy and a considerable amount of sword energy—a completely losing deal on paper. Yet Li Hao didn't care. Back when he joined the Demon Hunt Squad, no one had ostracized him. Even if he had merely served as bait, at the critical juncture, everyone had protected him. Even while being pursued by a Hundred-Breaker, Liu Yan had dragged him along as she ran. Li Hao kept all of this in his heart. If he could lend a hand, he didn't mind helping everyone out. If Wang Ming could enter Solar Radiance and Liu Yan could reach late Hundred-Breaker, then this time, the Silver City team would be much stronger and possess far more capital to protect themselves. After exchanging a few words with Wang Ming, Li Hao moved closer to Liu Yan and whispered, "Sister, come to my teacher's place tonight..." Liu Yan swept her eyes over him and purred flirtatiously, "Not your house? Is it really appropriate to go to your teacher's house?" "..." Li Hao pretended not to hear and murmured, "There's a benefit!" Liu Yan looked thoughtful and remarked, "Don't you go pocketing Wang Ming's Blood God Seed! Annoying and big-mouthed as that guy is, it's a treasure traded for two hundred cubic meters. Even if you give it to me, I wouldn't dare use it!" She suspected that Li Hao was planning to embezzle Wang Ming's treasure. If so, she certainly couldn't accept it. Desperate as she was to advance, she wouldn't swallow a teammate's treasure. Li Hao was rather surprised. *Was it that obvious?* *Is my character really that suspect?* *Wang Ming doubted me, and now Liu Yan guessed it immediately too?* "It's not like that, don't worry. If you don't believe me, watch for yourself. Unless Wang Ming advances, I won't pocket it!" *So if he does advance, you really will pocket it?* Liu Yan thought about it, then chuckled. If he truly did advance, what would even be left of it? Thinking this, she ceased to care and nodded. "Alright then. Am I staying the night? Should I pack a change of underwear? What style do you like?" "..." Li Hao turned on his heel and left. *Married women are truly terrifying!*