Breaking the Supernatural Lock

Night. The Yuan residence. Hearing Li Hao's thoughts and arrangements, Yuan Shuo said little, merely cautioning, "Don't treat Wang Ming like a fool. He isn't stupid. You extracted metal mysterious energy... if I were to distinguish it from ordinary metal mysterious energy, it should be called metal elemental energy. "The elemental energy you extract is pure and singular. Any supernatural who has absorbed mysterious energy normally cannot fail to understand how extraordinary it is... Setting aside whether he realizes it's elemental energy, even if he doesn't, if that mouth of his leaks the secret, you'll be in immense trouble." Quite a few people already knew about the sword energy. If the matter of extracting elemental energy leaked out as well, that would cause even greater trouble. Li Hao sat cross-legged on the floor. Hearing this, he nodded slightly. He had already considered the matter, and said, "I understand, but as the saying goes, too much debt brings no worry! Red Moon already knows so much, Yama might know something, and the Night Watchers have likely guessed a few things... If so, what does it matter if someone learns a bit more?" Li Hao smiled. "In truth, there are only two possibilities. First, Wang Ming feels grateful, keeps my secret, and helps me out in the future. Second, his mind turns, he spills the secret, and I gain another enemy." Did he care about having one more enemy? Not anymore. Weighing the pros and cons, this was all it amounted to. As for Wang Ming's character, judging from their recent interactions, aside from his big mouth, he was decent enough. If told to keep a secret, he could probably keep it properly. For instance, when Li Hao mentioned the matter of the tenth person, Wang Ming had never breathed a word about it to outsiders. He just needed to be warned in advance. Yuan Shuo nodded. His student had his own ideas, and Yuan Shuo generally didn't stop him; he would only lay out the pros and cons clearly. "Then suit yourself. But be prepared to bear the consequences!" Having said this, Yuan Shuo spoke no further. One had to walk their own path. Even if one suffered some stumbles, if it truly taught one how formidable human nature could be, that too was a good thing. *** After a short wait, Wang Ming arrived first. Seeing Yuan Shuo, Wang Ming beamed with a fawning smile. "Teacher!" A nominal disciple was still a disciple. With Yuan Shuo so powerful, Wang Ming also wished to curry favor. Unfortunately, Yuan Shuo projected an aura of stern majesty; except for Li Hao, anyone else felt a bit timid interacting with him. Yuan Shuo sized him up from head to toe, speaking in an even tone. "Originally, I didn't want to get too involved. You are merely a nominal disciple, and you know well why I accepted you. Your young senior brother insisted that I use a secret art unique to me to help you advance... Helping you is just a small matter, but once you advance too quickly and word gets out... you must understand what an effortless breakthrough means to supernaturals, don't you?" Wang Ming's heart tightened. "Teacher, I understand. That's why I'm very grateful to Li Hao..." "That's your senior brother!" Wang Ming gave an embarrassed chuckle, finding it hard to say, unable to bring himself to call him that aloud. Yuan Shuo dropped the subject and said in a heavy voice, "I have only one requirement: keep your lips sealed! If you really succeed in advancing and the outside world asks..." He considered for a moment. If outsiders asked why he broke through so quickly, how should he answer? That he casually ate a Blood God Seed and then advanced? Impossible! It wasn't as if nobody had ever eaten one. After pondering a while, he exhaled. "Just say it's because you learned the Five Animals Breathing Art! At a bottleneck, the Five Animals Breathing Art paired with a Blood God Seed produces a special effect, making it easier to break through the barrier!" The Five Animals Breathing Art! Just as Li Hao was about to speak, Yuan Shuo shot him a sharp glare. It had to be the Five Animals Breathing Art! Outsiders already knew Yuan Shuo possessed a unique breathing method useful to supernaturals; even the Energy Channeling Method used by the Night Watchers had involved Yuan Shuo's input. However, the Five Animals Breathing Art was almost never passed to outsiders. Last time, even Duan Tian had been drawn to the Five Animals Breathing Art, driven by greed. If word spread that the Five Animals Breathing Art helped break bottlenecks, it would likely draw the attention of even more people, causing more powerhouses to set their sights on this art. "The Five Animals Breathing Art has never been passed on lightly!" Yuan Shuo continued. "If someone asks, say you only learned a simplified version, and you mainly relied on me to help you circulate the breathing art to absorb and digest the Blood God Seed!" Thoughts surfaced in Wang Ming's mind, and he asked softly, "Teacher... this... could it bring you trouble? How about I just say it was my great talent..." "Bullshit!" Yuan Shuo cursed. "If your talent were really that good, you'd be a Heaven-Blessed Divine Master! Of course, you can tell ordinary people that, but if Hou Xiaochen and his ilk ask, use the explanation I just gave you." "Understood!" Wang Ming nodded hastily. "Go inside!" Yuan Shuo pointed to the training room. "Once inside, empty your mind and think of nothing. When you feel energy surging in, begin cultivating. Pay no heed to anything else!" "Yes!" Wang Ming dared not speak further and scurried into the training room. Yuan Shuo waved his hand, closing the door. He looked at Li Hao. "Transmit it across the distance. Even if some is wasted and dissipates, it doesn't matter. Even if he does blab to outsiders, since he didn't see anything with his own eyes, it will avoid some trouble." Transmitting across space was viable, though some would inevitably dissipate and waste mysterious energy. Li Hao thought about it and nodded. Knowing his teacher was doing this to protect him to the utmost degree, he said nothing more. Walking to the door of the training room, Li Hao and Yuan Shuo both sat down cross-legged. A moment later, Yuan Shuo took out an energy storage box filled with metal-element mysterious energy. Last time, he had exchanged around one thousand cubics of five-element energy for Li Hao, and Li Hao had recently absorbed nearly half of it. Of the five-element energy, he had absorbed roughly five hundred cubics. Around five hundred cubics remained now, along with some non-elemental mysterious energy. Among that, around a hundred cubics of metal energy were left. That should be enough. Under normal circumstances, a Lunar Nether could never absorb one hundred cubics of mysterious energy. This was an absorption in one go—even a Solar Radiance would struggle to absorb it all at once, though a Three Sols would have no problem. Li Hao said nothing. He reached out and grabbed, drawing in the metal mysterious energy while a faint thread of sword energy emerged from the small sword. Last time, he had absorbed quite a bit at the entrance of the ruins, but recent consumption had been heavy, and it now felt less concentrated than before. The sword energy merged into the metal mysterious energy, swiftly stripping it apart. In the blink of an eye, a stream of golden energy was extracted—purely golden! This energy swiftly rushed toward the lungs. Metal strengthens the lungs. Li Hao did not absorb it. Instead, he quickly channeled his inner force to wrap around this energy, forced it out of his body, and projected it directly through the air into the training room. *** Inside the training room. Wang Ming was uneasy. Nobody had entered; just like this, energy would flow in and he could cultivate? He didn't understand the process. For now, he could only wait and see. As he was thinking, a splash of golden light suddenly appeared before his eyes... Yes, in this moment, even he could perceive the presence of this golden substance. In an instant, that golden energy swept toward him. Wang Ming was still wondering what this thing was and whether it was dangerous... Before he could finish the thought, his pupils dilated violently! What? Invisible to outsiders, the golden energy rapidly surged into his body. In the blink of an eye, it merged with the mysterious energy already inside him. With a boom, as if acting as a catalyst, the mysterious energy throughout his body fluctuated violently! It felt as if it were about to explode! At that moment, the mysterious energy inside him surged wildly in all directions, rushing toward the supernatural locks. Cultivating supernatural ability lay in breaking supernatural locks. The first supernatural lock each person broke was not necessarily the same. For instance, the first supernatural lock Wang Ming had unlocked was located in the lung region. He didn't understand it very well, but after that, he had awakened his metal supernatural power. The second time he broke a supernatural lock, he broke one on his right arm. According to the nine supernatural locks discovered to date, there seemed to be one for each of the five internal organs, and one for each of the four limbs. Rumor had it there was also one in the head, but no one had discovered it yet; people merely speculated that the tenth supernatural lock should be in the head. At this moment, the golden element surging into his body initially carried a large amount of mysterious energy and rushed straight for his lungs. Wang Ming was startled. Even for supernaturals, the five internal organs were fragile. He did not dare let this energy rush into his lungs. In the next instant, he forcefully circulated the Energy Channeling Method—which was also a technique for guiding supernatural energy—instantly redirecting the energy toward his left arm. He had discovered five supernatural locks: one was the lungs, followed by the arms and legs. As for the supernatural locks in the other internal organs, he had yet to sense them. This time, he intended to guide this potent energy to strike the supernatural lock on his left arm. Boom! A muffled sound echoed from inside his body. Outside the room, Li Hao and Yuan Shuo could even hear the rumbling noise, like someone storming a fortress gate! Outside the door, Yuan Shuo did not speak aloud; his lips merely twitched as he transmitted: "He's striking the supernatural lock! Supernatural cultivation is simpler than ours. Even up to Solar Radiance, they don't need to comprehend any momentum. As long as they can break open the supernatural lock, they advance!" Li Hao nodded, continuing to extract the golden element and send it flooding into the room. Stream after stream of golden energy poured continuously into the room. Inside, Wang Ming let out cries of agony. This time, the mysterious energy was not as painful, exceeding Wang Ming's expectations, but breaking a supernatural lock was still an agonizing process. Of course, for Wang Ming, this was already considered decent. In the past, breaking a supernatural lock involved not only the excruciating pain of the lock breaking, but also the agonizing assault of the mysterious energy itself. The pain was cut in half! His eyes shone with excitement. He didn't know how Li Hao and Yuan Shuo were pulling this off, but during the breakthrough process, it was commonplace for people to collapse from sheer inability to endure the pain. At this moment, he felt his chances of breaking through had skyrocketed! On his left arm, a faint, small chain emerged, nearly solidifying! In the supernatural realm, there was a saying: supernatural locks were chains binding human potential. When you break the chain and release the potential, that is why you grow stronger. Of course, Yuan Shuo had also said last time that supernatural locks might be a form of protection... But having reached this point, Wang Ming didn't care anymore. Advancing was all that mattered! Streams of golden energy battered the supernatural lock over and over! This time, the energy was gentler, yet the impact was even better, as if possessing greater staying power. Clatter! At that moment, the sound of chains rattling even drifted out. The chain visible on his left arm was being constantly washed by the golden torrent of energy, growing thinner and more fragile by the moment. Wang Ming's joy grew deeper and deeper! He felt that the chance of success this time was exceptionally high. Just as he was vigorously washing over it again and again, outside the door, Yuan Shuo remained silent for a long moment before his voice suddenly drifted in: "If you trust me, when the supernatural lock shatters, fuse the chain fragments into your other supernatural locks!" Wang Ming shuddered! Fuse them into other supernatural locks? If he did that, the difficulty of breaking through his other supernatural locks would increase! A supernatural lock was a shackle, but also a form of special energy. Under normal circumstances, once broken, it simply dissipated. Yet Yuan Shuo wanted him to fuse it into the unbroken supernatural locks! In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Wang Ming's mind, some of them not particularly kind. However, that hesitation lasted only a brief moment before vanishing entirely. He forced out with difficulty, "Alright... Thank you, Teacher!" He didn't know whether it was right or wrong. But Yuan Shuo had no reason to harm him. As for future advancements becoming harder, that was a matter for the future. After entering Solar Radiance, who knew how long it would take to reach Three Sols? There were quite a few Solar Radiance experts in Silver Moon, but up to now, the Night Watchers had only two Three Sols experts. He was still young. At worst, he could slowly grind away at it later. He resumed the assault. This time, however, it was slightly different from before. Earlier, he had intended to blast straight through without caring if the lock was pulverized. Now, he exerted a bit of control, focusing the breach at a single point on the supernatural lock. That way, once the supernatural lock broke, not much would dissipate, and the rest could all be fused into his other supernatural locks. This would make the other supernatural locks even harder to break. Yet since he had chosen to trust Yuan Shuo, he wouldn't half-ass it; otherwise, he could have just fused a tiny sliver. *** Outside the door. Having finished speaking, Yuan Shuo exhaled softly. He had said what needed to be said. He would not interfere with Wang Ming's choice. Wang Ming was not Li Hao; if it were Li Hao, he wouldn't have merely advised, but issued a mandatory command. At this moment, Li Hao was still continuously extracting energy. Thirty cubics, forty cubics... Before long, he had extracted fifty cubics of mysterious energy. This speed was astounding. Under normal circumstances, Wang Ming could never absorb so much mysterious energy. Yet right now, Wang Ming inside was consuming it rapidly as well. The sounds of impact persisted, along with the rattling of chains. Li Hao could only continue. "Clatter, clatter..." The rattling of chains echoed relentlessly. Wang Ming let out another agonized howl. At this moment, Li Hao also fell into deep thought: was a normal breakthrough supposed to be this painful? In his mind, breaking through should be a natural progression. For his teacher, and for Liu Long, stepping into Thousand-Battler had not been painful at all; rather, it was an immensely comfortable experience. Theoretically, Solar Radiance and Thousand-Battler were of the same rank. If breaking a supernatural lock was so excruciating every time, it truly felt somewhat like defying the heavens. Just as he was pondering this, Wang Ming suddenly roared from inside: "Give me more at once! I'm going to make the final push with all my might!" Li Hao didn't speak, but he sped up the extraction. He poured all the metal elemental energy into the room at once. The more he poured in, the more dissipated, but he didn't care about that now. "Clatter!" The rattling of the chain grew clearer and crisper. Inside, Wang Ming's pained howls grew louder. Just as Li Hao's continuous output had almost completely exhausted the one hundred cubics of metal energy, Wang Ming suddenly let out a deafening roar. Crack! A crisp snapping sound rang out. In the next moment, Wang Ming's agonized wail rang out, followed by a sudden eruption of metal power inside the room! Yuan Shuo waved his hand, opening the door directly. At this moment, Li Hao saw clearly. He saw a chain snap. The instant it snapped, a formidable surge of power burst from the left arm, merging with the energy inside Wang Ming's body and instantly swelling! The metal mysterious energy within him seemed to have absorbed a massive amount of power, growing stronger in the blink of an eye! In that moment, in Li Hao's eyes, Wang Ming transformed from a bright moon into a miniature sun. The broken chain was also visible to Li Hao. He watched the chain begin to dissipate. Right then, Wang Ming gritted his teeth and stirred his mysterious energy, instantly gathering the fragments of the broken chain into his legs! Within his legs, two faint chains also manifested, binding him. And after absorbing the broken chain from his left arm, those two chains seemed to become slightly clearer. Wang Ming paid it no heed. The mysterious energy within him erupted violently, expanding rapidly. Within his left arm, a great deal of energy seemed to have been sealed originally; at this moment, it all poured forth, becoming one with him. Wang Ming shone with increasing brilliance! Amidst the pain, he felt exhilaration—so thrilled he wanted to roar at the top of his lungs. He had actually succeeded! It had merely been an attempt, yet that golden energy from an unknown source had been overbearing beyond imagination. No excruciating pain, only pure dominance, blasting straight through the supernatural lock. This breakthrough process had seemed even simpler than when he entered Lunar Nether! Wang Ming continuously absorbed that energy, as well as the energy that had dissipated into the surroundings and was on the verge of fading away. The golden mysterious energy in his body continued to grow stronger. The process was swift. Before long, the ambient energy dissipated completely, and even his left arm returned to normal, no longer giving off that explosive feeling. Wang Ming's eyes took on a golden tint. He exhaled a long breath and opened his eyes, the excitement in them impossible to describe: "Teacher, Li Hao... I... I advanced!" Solar Radiance! Just like that, it had been broken through so easily. Yuan Shuo did not congratulate him, only sighing softly. "An advancement is an advancement." Just now, when Wang Ming broke the supernatural lock, Yuan Shuo had observed certain things, and felt more and more that supernatural locks should not be rashly shattered. After breaking the supernatural lock, a large amount of energy had spilled from Wang Ming's left arm. Wang Ming had absorbed it all, swiftly growing to the Solar Radiance level. He had grown stronger... yet Yuan Shuo sensed that Wang Ming's potential had been further depleted. That chain seemed more like a nurturing mechanism. Nurturing the human body! Although the left arm couldn't display much power previously, it harbored special internal strength. If this chain wasn't forcefully shattered, but released naturally instead, could it unleash even greater power? And when martial masters took another step forward, would they also come into contact with supernatural locks? Naturally, not by violently shattering them, but by releasing them naturally—would that unleash even greater potential and strength? Yuan Shuo fell into deep thought, feeling no joy over Wang Ming's ascension to Solar Radiance. Li Hao, however, broke into a smile. "Congratulations, Old Wang!" Wang Ming bared his teeth in a hearty grin. "I... at twenty, I might just be the youngest Solar Radiance in Silver Moon Province!" He might have broken a record! Li Hao also laughed. "Then congratulations are doubly in order, youngest Solar Radiance Wang!" "Not bad, not bad at all!" Wang Ming was beside himself with joy. Glancing at Yuan Shuo, he seemed to notice that Yuan Shuo wasn't as delighted, so he grinned. "Teacher, I know you might feel that the supernatural path isn't the right one. But I was thinking... the right path, the future in your eyes, might be very far away! It might exceed Three Sols, or even far surpass Three Sols! But could I ever reach that stage? "Nowadays, supernaturals beyond Three Sols have already emerged. My dream is simply to catch up with them! I don't ask what the future holds, only that the present be brilliant and dazzling! When that day truly comes, if there is a way to make amends, having formidable strength might make it easier to compensate. If there's no way to compensate... then I won't regret this life. At least I once shone brightly!" These didn't sound like words Wang Ming would say. Li Hao was slightly dazed. Only seeking brilliance in the present... the future... how distant that was! Could the carefree, blundering Wang Ming possess such insight? It was somewhat beyond Li Hao's imagination. Even Yuan Shuo was taken aback, glancing at this nominal disciple he hadn't paid much attention to. Only seeking brilliance in the present, not asking for future prospects. "You..." Yuan Shuo suddenly chuckled, a different sort of smile, and nodded. "Well said! It seems I fell into a circular trap myself. Indeed, shining brightly in the present and sweeping through the world isn't bad either! Just like martial masters—normal martial masters, upon reaching Hundred-Breaker, accumulate hidden injuries. The stronger they get, the heavier their injuries. At the peak of Hundred-Breaker, my accumulated injuries kept me from entering Thousand-Battler for the longest time... Before reaching Hundred-Breaker, had I never considered this? Did I not know that the more battles I fought, the more injuries I'd accumulate?" Of course he knew! Yet even knowing that, hadn't Yuan Shuo still gone around challenging people to battle? In this moment, he thought of himself, and then of how he had advised Wang Ming and the others... and suddenly found it somewhat laughable. They were still young! As someone who had walked that path, he felt they shouldn't do this, but thinking carefully, who hadn't been young once? As for the regrets left behind, one could make up for them later. And if they couldn't be remedied, it still wasn't a loss. "Xiao Ming, well said!" This time, Yuan Shuo actually smiled and nodded in approval. Wang Ming chuckled along. Li Hao, however, whispered, "Those words... did you say them?" "..." Wang Ming's face darkened. After a while, he grumbled, "No, Director Hou said it. I just borrowed it. Someone once said that because he was injured in his early years, his future was derailed, and that he shouldn't have forced himself to fight back then. Director Hou said that he曾 shone brilliantly, and even Ying Hongyue had to bow his head before him... That was enough. He has no regrets!" One of the leaders of the Three Great Organizations had once bowed his head before Hou Xiaochen in Silver Moon Province, failing to kill or capture his enemy. That was one of Red Moon's rare defeats. And because of that, Hou Xiaochen had sustained hidden injuries. Some felt it wasn't worth it, but Hou Xiaochen felt it was. He had suppressed Red Moon—not a local branch, but their headquarters! Hearing this, Yuan Shuo fell into deep thought and said nothing. Li Hao chuckled. "That sounds more like it. I was wondering how you, Old Wang, could utter such heroic words!" Wang Ming was exasperated. "Why couldn't I? Li Hao, I'm a Solar Radiance powerhouse now!" Li Hao looked at him and smiled. What about Solar Radiance? A newly advanced Solar Radiance without a martial master's momentum—Li Hao actually wanted to test how strong he really was. He wasn't afraid in the slightest! At the level of Thousand-Battler and Solar Radiance, in Li Hao's eyes, Thousand-Battler was still scarier. Solar Radiance merely possessed more powerful energy. Seeing the two bickering, Yuan Shuo laughed. "Alright, Xiao Ming. You've just advanced; your main priority is to control your supernatural power and not let it leak out!" Pausing in thought, he added, "The breathing method I taught you last time—have you mastered it?" "Yes!" Wang Ming nodded hastily. It was merely a simplified version of the Five Animals Breathing Art, easy to practice, and he had learned it long ago. "For the next few days, circulate this breathing method twenty-four hours a day. While it isn't as good as my Five Animals Breathing Art, it's still better than your Energy Channeling Method. Circulating it continuously will absorb the dissipating mysterious energy and suppress your supernatural fluctuations. Unless someone is exceptionally strong or paying special attention to you, it will be hard to tell you've advanced." Wang Ming was surprised. Circulate it constantly? Supernaturals didn't need to do that. Yuan Shuo said sternly, "Remember this: circulate it constantly! Make it muscle memory, an innate instinct of your body, such that even if you're unconscious or dead, your body still circulates the breathing method! This is something a martial master must achieve. You aren't a martial master, but... I hope you can do it!" Li Hao also nodded hurriedly. "Old Wang, this is beneficial! Circulating it continuously acts like concealing your breath, and making it an instinct will also strengthen your physical body, keeping your body in a state of readiness at all times." Wang Ming nodded. "Understood. I'll keep trying from now on." "Stay here for the next few days. Only leave once you've controlled your leaking mysterious energy back to what it was before, lest anyone detect it. It's always necessary to keep a card hidden!" After saying this, Yuan Shuo's ears twitched slightly, and he glanced at Li Hao. Li Hao also looked at his teacher; he had heard a slight noise as well. It was likely Liu Yan arriving. Tonight had started off with good fortune—Old Wang had succeeded in advancing. If Liu Yan also reached late Hundred-Breaker, then the small group heading to the ruins would have late Hundred-Breaker as its weakest member. Li Hao even wondered whether their small team had the strength to wrestle with some of the organizations. Two Thousand-Battlers, one Solar Radiance, himself at Hundred-Breaker culmination, plus another late Hundred-Breaker... That was quite formidable. "I'll step outside for a moment!" Li Hao gave word, and Yuan Shuo nodded. Just as Wang Ming was about to speak, Yuan Shuo said in a deep voice, "You stay right here! Furthermore, absorb a bit of elemental energy from the other four elements!" With that, he dropped an energy storage box. "There's a bit of energy from the other four elements in here. Absorb a small amount." Wang Ming was baffled. I'm metal-element; why absorb the others? That could cause a supernatural conflict. "Just absorb it!" Alright. Wang Ming said no more. When it came to Yuan Shuo, he didn't dare disobey. Even if they were nominally on the same level now, Yuan Shuo killed Three Sols as easily as drinking water, whereas Wang Ming couldn't do anything of the sort. *** Outside the house. Li Hao opened the door, and indeed it was Liu Yan. Entering the door, Liu Yan glanced inside and whispered, "Who's here? Even from far away, I felt a sharp supernatural energy radiating out. A Solar Radiance powerhouse?" "Guess!" Li Hao smiled. Liu Yan thought for a moment, somewhat in disbelief. "Did he really advance?" Everyone knew Li Hao intended to help Wang Ming absorb the Blood God Seed. But... he actually succeeded in advancing? This was simply unbelievable! "Yes!" Li Hao nodded, smiling. "This way, our trip to the ruins will be even safer!" Liu Yan also looked pleased. The stronger the team, the greater their confidence. However, she looked at Li Hao with a strange expression. "You're the same age as him, a few months older even. Li Hao... are you really not jealous at all?" Sometimes she found it strange. Was Li Hao truly this nonchalant? Li Hao was at Hundred-Breaker culmination, previously having the upper hand over Wang Ming. But now Wang Ming had advanced, and was younger than him. Li Hao had actively helped him advance—had he never thought about being surpassed? Li Hao chuckled. "Why be jealous? Sister, everyone walks a different path and pursues different things. More importantly, Wang Ming isn't a bad person; he just has a big mouth. Besides... nominally, that guy is my junior brother!" What was there to be jealous of? Li Hao truly had never been jealous of Wang Ming; there was no need. He thought back to that sword strike from that day... Forget Wang Ming entering Solar Radiance, even if he reached Three Sols, Li Hao wouldn't be jealous. What did Three Sols matter? What did beyond Three Sols matter? Faced with that sword strike, there was only one outcome: death! What he strove for was the day he could unleash that very strike! Liu Yan took a deep breath and said no more. Li Hao was very low-profile—so low-profile that hardly anyone knew he had reached Hundred-Breaker culmination. But compared to being low-profile, what made Li Hao truly terrifying was the towering pride hidden beneath that low profile. What did Solar Radiance matter? Since he said he wasn't jealous, it was definitely true; otherwise, he wouldn't have helped Wang Ming advance in the first place. Li Hao didn't elaborate further, leading Liu Yan into another room. Compared to separating supernatural energy, combining a Blood God Seed with sword energy was actually much simpler: swallow the Blood God Seed, then infuse a bit of sword energy. No separation was needed, as they could merge naturally, and that was that. A Solar Radiance-grade Blood God Seed paired with sword energy would be enough for Liu Yan to absorb and digest for quite a while. Li Hao had Liu Yan swallow the Blood God Seed directly. Liu Yan stared at it for a long time, speechless. She had guessed that Li Hao calling her here might mean he had kept a bit of the Blood God Seed... She hadn't expected it wasn't just a bit, but an entire seed! Which meant Wang Ming hadn't used this to advance at all. Liu Yan lowered her head, silent. After a moment, she swallowed the Blood God Seed in one gulp, uttering not a single word. The Demon Hunting Squad... In this moment, Liu Yan thought of many things. She thought of Liu Long, and of the others. The Demon Hunting Squad had very few members, but they were all devoted to one another. Liu Long was a warm-hearted captain. Although he acted cold and aloof, Liu Yan knew that was only a facade. The moment he learned Hu Po was in the ruins, Liu Long had already resolved to kill him and avenge Liu Yan. Not just for Liu Yan alone; if anyone else in the squad faced such a situation, Liu Long would do the exact same thing—no empty words, only practical action. Liu Long would quietly look after everyone, and keep everyone's secrets. And today, in Li Hao, she suddenly felt that same quality she saw in Liu Long. Trustworthy! And in the hearts of everyone in the squad, Liu Long was irreplaceable, worthy of complete trust. Secrets that others might not know, Liu Long knew, yet he would never disclose them to outsiders, doing everything in his power to help everyone. Having swallowed the Blood God Seed, Liu Yan looked at Li Hao with complex eyes and suddenly said, "Don't be so good to me in the future. I'm afraid I might fall for you... My heart... has no room for you!" Li Hao froze. This didn't sound like teasing or banter. Her heart had no room for him... Li Hao didn't mind that, but... did those words mean there was already someone in her heart? Li Hao glanced at her and said nothing. Liu Yan smiled—a bright, joyous smile, yet tinged with a hint of melancholy. In her mind, a figure gradually took shape. Always so cold and aloof, so impersonal... Yet the better one understood him, the more one realized he was a true, upright pillar of a man! However, she had never spoken of it or shown it. She was affectionate toward many newcomers: toward Li Hao, toward Wu Chao and Chen Jian back then, toward teammates who had passed away... Only toward him was she rarely coquettish. The more one cared, the less one could act that way. Liu Yan closed her eyes, thinking no further. Li Hao, as if realizing something, asked cautiously, "Does Boss... have a wife?" He genuinely didn't know. Liu Yan snapped her eyes open, looked at Li Hao, and only said after a long silence: "Dead!" "..." Li Hao didn't ask further. Was Liu Long a bachelor as well? That was normal enough. Could the person in Liu Yan's heart be the boss? Li Hao wasn't entirely sure either. Outsiders had gossiped before that the two had an affair... But after actually joining the squad, Li Hao discovered there seemed to be no special relationship between them. Liu Long looked after everyone equally. He didn't show any extra care toward Liu Yan. He didn't dwell on it. If Liu Yan really liked the boss... Li Hao felt that was quite nice. The captain was a good man; aside from wearing a trench coat all day to act cool, he had no real flaws. He just wondered whether the boss disappearing for a day or half a day every week was to go do something... To satisfy a man's needs? Who knew! Well, as a bachelor in his thirties or forties, if he did, that was normal enough. Pushing those thoughts aside, Li Hao infused a stream of sword energy into Liu Yan's body. After that, there was nothing more for him to do. He watched silently, waiting. *** Over an hour passed before Liu Yan opened her eyes. "Just a little short. For late stage, the inner force must be projected from the skull. The external force is sufficient; next is a nurturing period, mainly for the eyes..." Hearing this, Li Hao explained the method of nourishing the tear glands that Yuan Shuo had taught him back then. Soon, there was another weeping woman in the room. Li Hao quickly slipped out. In the dead of night, a woman weeping and sobbing would be hard to explain if anyone saw it. Outside the door, Yuan Shuo shot him a meaningful glance. Li Hao felt helpless and whispered, "Toward the captain, she seems to..." Yuan Shuo nodded slightly and chuckled: "Normal. Liu Long... actually has his charms. His brain just isn't very sharp. Aside from that, it's hard to find much fault with him." Li Hao gave a dry laugh. In his teacher's eyes, almost everyone's brain wasn't very sharp—perhaps including his own.