The night passed without a word.
Wang Ming and Liu Yan each consolidated their realm, adapting to their new energy.
Li Hao and Yuan Shuo did not rest either. Master and disciple were both reading, though not manuals on martial arts, but rather works of basic general knowledge.
Of course, Li Hao had strong suspicions that beneath the book cover his teacher held lay hidden one of the volumes from the third row.
In the morning, Liu Yan took her leave first. Wang Ming stayed behind, continuing to consolidate his realm here.
***
In the study.
Li Hao and Yuan Shuo had read through the night, neither sleeping a wink.
The moment Wang Ming opened his supernatural lock had in fact affected them both.
Having spent the night reading, Yuan Shuo had likely been pondering something. When morning came, he suddenly looked at Li Hao and said, "The five supernatural locks Wang Ming saw were located in his four limbs and his lungs. From that, he unlocked metal supernatural power."
Li Hao set down his book and looked at his teacher.
Yuan Shuo continued, "Looking purely at a single element, opening the supernatural lock on the heart should correspond to fire supernatural power."
Li Hao nodded. He felt the same way about this.
Yuan Shuo tapped gently on the table and said again, "What if one opens all five elements?"
Doubt showed on Li Hao's face. All five elements?
"Take you right now. Aren't you strengthening your five viscera? If someone were to discover the five supernatural locks on the five viscera and unlock them all, what kind of state would that be?"
Li Hao thought for a moment and said, "The five elements neutralize and achieve balance? Turning into inner force?"
As he said this, Li Hao chuckled himself!
Yet Yuan Shuo remained exceptionally calm, saying indifferently, "Why would that be impossible?"
Li Hao paused, startled. What did he mean?
Yuan Shuo tapped his own head, sinking into thought. After a moment, he said, "Once the five elements neutralize, even if the result isn't inner force, it shouldn't be simple supernatural power either!
"After I stepped into Thousand-Battler, I actually felt inner force nourishing my body, strengthening my five viscera as well!"
He looked at Li Hao, caught in a kind of inner conflict and hesitation. "Above Thousand-Battler, there is no path left to walk! What does it truly mean to be a match for ten thousand?
"I've been thinking, when a martial master reaches this stage, the weakness lies in the internal organs... So what if my internal organs became strong to the utmost extreme... nourishing the internal organs until, just like supernaturals, the supernatural locks on the five viscera naturally open? Might an immense surge of power emerge, bringing about an internal and external transformation that allows me to step into a new realm?"
When Wang Ming opened the supernatural lock on his left arm, the scene of energy eruption had been felt all too clearly by Yuan Shuo.
The human body was a treasure trove in itself!
He did not want to forcibly pry open supernatural locks, causing his inner force to be swallowed up and external power to take dominance.
But if nourished to the limit, until the internal organs themselves became so strong that they unlocked the supernatural locks, what kind of scene would that be?
He looked at Li Hao. "You've been constantly nourishing your five viscera. In your view, having nourished them up to now, have the supernatural locks on your five viscera grown weaker or stronger?"
"Stronger!"
Li Hao answered truthfully. After considering a moment, he added, "Before, I could still sense the presence of supernatural locks, but now they're hard to detect at all... It feels as if the wooden bucket has deepened! It can hold more energy, so it's even harder for the supernatural locks on my five viscera to appear now."
"Do the supernatural locks still exist then?"
"They exist!"
Li Hao nodded again. "They must exist. If they were gone, I would be able to sense it."
"Then if your five viscera grew strong enough to open those supernatural locks—naturally opening them—do you think you would experience an eruption?"
Li Hao fell into deep thought. This was uncharted territory; he could hardly say for sure.
Judging from his own sensations... Li Hao gave a measured reply: "It's possible! My five viscera have absorbed so much essence of the five elements, yet they've only grown somewhat stronger. Could all that mysterious energy I absorbed have simply dissipated? Impossible! Therefore, there must be a place within the five viscera that stores energy, holding all that energy contained within!"
"That's my conjecture as well!"
Yuan Shuo smiled, then said slowly after a moment, "As the saying goes, 'The five viscera store essence and qi without leaking; hence they are full, yet not stuffed.'"
Li Hao understood the meaning of these words.
Ancient texts recorded that the five viscera were places that stored essence and qi, retaining it without letting it leak outward.
Yuan Shuo pondered for a moment and added, "The five viscera are closely connected to the six bowels. The five viscera are full without being stuffed, whereas the six bowels are stuffed without being full..."
He sank into his own train of thought.
Only after quite a while did he speak again: "Never mind the six bowels for now—the six bowels are more abstract, while the five viscera are more concrete. The five viscera are also known as the Five Viscera Gods, the Five God Viscera. And Thousand-Battler nourishes the spirit! The spirit connects to the five viscera; the Five Viscera Gods emerge..."
He thought of many, many things. At that moment, he suddenly spoke up again: "I nourish the spirit through the Five Animals! The Five Animals spirits, the Five Viscera Gods... one spirit per viscera! Breaking supernatural locks, nourishing the five spirits—do you think I have hope of stepping into a higher level?"
At this moment, Li Hao's mind raced.
He understood what his teacher meant. His teacher meant using the five forces of the Five Animals Art to respectively break open the five supernatural locks on the five viscera, or absorb them, or nourish them—not merely breaking them open.
Then, by fusing the force of the Five Animals and the spirit of the Five Animals, step into a new realm.
Was it possible?
Li Hao didn't know, but he knew it was likely perilous in the extreme.
Uncharted paths were always like this. Every step forward was fraught with mortal danger, yet accompanied by immense rewards.
If his teacher succeeded, what realm would that be?
The Ten-Thousand-Queller his teacher spoke of?
No!
Definitely not!
Having the Five Animals spirits break the five visceral locks was equivalent to directly breaking five supernatural locks. And breaking five supernatural locks was already the fifth level in the supernatural realm—above Three Sols.
Therefore, his teacher could very well bypass the Three Sols level of supernaturals entirely, stepping directly above Three Sols in a single leap.
Of course, that was according to the divisions of the supernatural realm.
For a martial master, things were different after all.
Li Hao looked at his teacher. Yuan Shuo chuckled. "I think it's worth a shot! If I don't try, how will I know if it works? This time, word has it that Sun Yifei will be going. With my current strength, I might not be able to match him—or rather... it's virtually impossible!"
He chuckled, feeling no shame at all, and sighed with emotion: "He's late Three Sols. When I killed Qiao Feilong, who was only early Three Sols, I had to risk my life! Facing him... I might die. Losing to anyone else is fine. But in this life, the thing I can tolerate least is losing to someone who was once defeated by my own hands!
"I once said that anyone subdued by me will have me standing over their heads for the rest of their lives. Now that I'm old, I refuse to let someone I defeated back then walk all over me. Sun Yifei won't do, and as for Ying Hongyue, if I get the chance, I will take my revenge sooner or later!"
Li Hao asked in a solemn voice, "Teacher, you've made up your mind?"
"I have!"
Yuan Shuo said slowly, "In truth, I was already considering this back when you were nourishing your five viscera. Only last night, when Wang Ming opened his supernatural lock and showed me how powerful the inner-stored strength is, did I firmly make up my mind: I will nourish my five viscera! As it happens, my Five Animals Art is the best match, the most suitable for it!
"Five viscera nourishing five forces, nourishing five spirits... When the five spirits emerge from the viscera... I will either die, or advance above Thousand-Battler!"
He looked at Li Hao and continued, "Heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys; tiger, bear, deer, ape, bird—one animal per organ! Heart Fire Ape: the heart governs fire, and the ape belongs to fire! The heart nourishes the Mind Ape! The bear belongs to earth, earth nourishes the spleen and stomach, so the spleen nourishes the bear! The tiger goes to the kidneys, strengthening kidneys and physique... The bird corresponds to the lungs, the deer governs the liver..."
Yuan Shuo said a great deal, sharing his thoughts and his reasoning.
Placing the five spirits within the five viscera to nourish, and finally breaking out of the organs... no, breaking out of the locks.
Li Hao listened attentively.
He knew his teacher feared that if something happened to him, this knowledge would be lost forever.
Was nourishing the five spirits in the five viscera correct?
If the ancients had had a path, they certainly hadn't walked it this way.
For no other reason than that the ancients couldn't possibly all have cultivated the Five Animals Art, nor could they all have cultivated the forces of the five animals. Thus, his teacher's path was inevitably an original, unique creation.
Perhaps in broad direction it resembled the ancients somewhat, but in its specifics, his teacher would have to forge it entirely on his own.
Setting aside everything else, just the five forces alone—even if his teacher truly succeeded in carving out the path, Li Hao might not be able to learn or use it.
Yet at the very least, it was a path!
Near the end, Yuan Shuo showed an arrogant, unruly smile. "Little Hao, I want to begin nourishing the Five Viscera Gods right now! Strength-wise, there shouldn't be much change for the time being, but unless the Five Viscera Gods emerge, I fear I won't have any further improvement either! So I've given it thought... I will use the fire energy from killing Qiao Feilong for myself first, to see if I can foster the Heart Fire Ape."
Li Hao hurriedly said, "Teacher, that's only right! We still have four hundred cubic meters of Five Elements energy left, plus around two hundred cubic meters of non-elemental energy... You should use it all, Teacher!"
Yuan Shuo glanced at him and said softly, "I originally wanted to save it for you after you reach Thousand-Battler to quickly strengthen your five viscera. But now... forget it. If I succeed, naturally there won't be any lack of energy! However, I will also need a portion of sword energy..."
"Take as much as you need, Teacher!"
Li Hao took out the little sword and handed it directly to his teacher.
His teacher might encounter a formidable enemy this time. Late Three Sols was strong, but if his teacher truly risked everything, aided by the stone saber and the Blood Saber Art, he wouldn't necessarily face certain defeat.
Yet if someone above Three Sols came, his teacher would surely be defeated, surely die!
If he could nourish even one visceral god among the Five Viscera Gods, there might be a way to deal with the threat. Naturally, if all Five Viscera Gods emerged, it would be even better.
Right now, however, there might not be enough time.
Among the Five Viscera Gods, having the Heart Fire Ape emerge first wasn't necessarily unfeasible.
Yuan Shuo added, "I will first try nourishing one visceral god. If I fail, and you have the opportunity later, you should nourish all Five Viscera Gods together!
"Balance among the five viscera might be the best outcome; strengthening one first may carry drawbacks."
Li Hao said solemnly, "Rest assured, Teacher. I will take everything to heart! If you fail... once I bring forth all Five Viscera Gods and slaughter all your enemies, I will make offerings at your memorial!"
Yuan Shuo burst into loud laughter!
Did that sound disheartening?
Not in the slightest!
There was only gratification.
Well said!
That was how it should be. He would walk this path first. If he failed, he would at least leave some experience for Li Hao, and when Li Hao succeeded, slaughtering all their enemies and making offerings at his grave would be a fine tale in its own right.
"Then I will keep both the sword and saber for now. In addition, I will also keep all that mysterious energy."
Yuan Shuo said, "By my calculations, there should be preliminary results within five days. Go back for now, and come see me in five days. If I succeed, we will set off for Hengduan Canyon that day. If I fail and my heart is shattered... take everything, offer the genuine sword and saber to Hou Xiaochen, and have him protect your life!"
The genuine sword and saber!
Clearly, he believed Hou Xiaochen had likely guessed that what Li Hao handed over last time was fake.
If he failed, no one else could protect Li Hao. Liu Long wasn't enough. In the entirety of Silver Moon Province, the only one with the certainty to keep Li Hao safe was Hou Xiaochen.
"Teacher!"
Li Hao was about to speak, but Yuan Shuo smiled and said, "Go! On the path of martial arts, I too want to carve out a way. Today inspiration struck and I determined my direction, so I must test it. Whether failure or success, I will have no regrets in my heart!"
He patted Li Hao on the shoulder, smiling once more.
Li Hao bowed his head, remaining silent.
"Master... then I... am going back!"
*Master...*
In the martial world, imparting the Way made one both teacher and father.
It was only that in the past, Li Hao had grown accustomed to calling him "Teacher," because originally, Yuan Shuo had taught scholarly learning, not martial arts.
By the time he was taught martial arts, the habit had already stuck.
Today, however, Li Hao changed the form of address.
Because this time might well be the last.
Neither master nor disciple were indecisive men. His teacher's decision was made; Li Hao knew he could not stop him, nor did he have the right to do so.
Prostrating himself on the floor, he kowtowed. "Master, I will await your emergence from seclusion! If you fail, I will go to White Moon City, keep a low profile for a few years, and when my arts are complete, kill every enemy in this world!"
"Hahaha!"
Yuan Shuo laughed heartily and waved his hand. "Your father here would still rather do it himself!"
"Then master and disciple together, we will slaughter them all!"
"Far too murderous... Now scram!"
Li Hao rose and turned to leave.
Yuan Shuo watched him leave, a smile on his face.
A moment later, he exhaled softly. *Five Viscera Gods, Heart Fire Ape... Then starting today, I will nourish this Heart Fire Ape of mine.*
*Everyone says I, Yuan Shuo, look like a big macaque.*
*Very well!*
*When my Heart Fire Ape emerges, I'll let you all see what a true big macaque looks like.*
*Sun Yifei?*
*Late Three Sols?*
*Looking for revenge against me, are you? Bring on whatever you have!*
*Decades ago, I beat you until you leapt off a cliff to commit suicide. Back then, it was at Hengduan Canyon too. Just right this time—Hengduan Canyon again! Don't think clinging to Ying Hongyue makes any difference; Ying Hongyue was a loser under my hands back then just the same!*
***
At the same time.
At the border of Silver Moon Province.
A man walked across the ground with a slender frame, bearing an eyebrow-length staff on his back. He looked forty at most, his hair tinged with white yet his gaze extraordinarily sharp. His features did not look old either, save for his hair, which hung unkempt over his shoulders as if never tended to.
Behind him followed several young people.
"Master, we've reached Silver Moon Province!"
Someone spotted a boundary stone and showed joy.
They had finally arrived!
Walking in the lead, the Eyebrow-Length Staff King glanced at the boundary stone, a smile touching his face along with a trace of melancholy.
Twenty years!
Twenty years since he left this place, and this was his first time setting foot in his homeland in twenty years.
Defeated by Old Demon Yuan back then, Old Demon Yuan had remained confined to Silver Moon for twenty years. Sun Yifei had originally thought the man would grow old and die in the Hundred-Breaker realm, never expecting that in his old age, the fellow would actually step into Thousand-Battler and slay Three Sols with a saber.
All the better! He disdained bullying the weak.
Revenge was something he wanted.
Yet killing a dying Hundred-Breaker was beneath him.
Ying Hongyue's determination to kill Yuan Shuo wasn't purely for revenge either; there were other motives, such as extorting the contents of ancient books, ruin locations, including the Five Animals Breathing Art.
Sun Yifei cared for none of that. His sole purpose in coming was to beat Yuan Shuo to death and let Yuan Shuo know that he, Sun Yifei, had returned!
Not only that, he had brought several of his proudest pupils.
Because he had heard that Yuan Shuo made his move for the sake of his last disciple, Li Hao—the very person Red Moon wanted to capture.
No matter!
He didn't care either way. He had brought his disciples specifically to kill Yuan Shuo's disciple. Furthermore, these disciples were all martial masters, not supernaturals—they were the martial master lineage he had painstakingly fostered over the past twenty years!
If he easily slaughtered Yuan Shuo... that might seem unfair.
He wanted his own disciples to execute Li Hao, proving that the eyebrow-length staff surpassed the Five Animals Art.
One at Ten-Slayer peak, one at Hundred-Breaker peak, and one at Hundred-Breaker culmination.
He didn't know what realm Yuan Shuo's disciple currently possessed; the boy might be weak, but his own weakest disciple was already at Ten-Slayer peak. Thus, he had brought this weakest disciple along.
If Yuan Shuo's disciple couldn't even defeat the weakest one, no one could blame Sun Yifei for overpowering him with numbers and strength.
"Master, do we head straight to Hengduan Canyon? Or straight to Silver City?"
Behind him, the man at Hundred-Breaker culmination spoke softly: "With Master's strength, I doubt anyone in all of Silver Moon could stand in your way. If you don't wish to waste time, why not go directly to Silver City, execute Yuan Shuo, slay his disciple, and sever the lineage of his Five Animals Art?"
Sun Yifei looked back, sweeping a glance over him, before saying after a long pause, "Do not underestimate Silver Moon! When the chief came to Silver Moon back then, he suffered setbacks too."
"Yes, your disciple understands! I've heard it was the head of the Silver Moon Night Watchers, Hou Xiaochen, who acted, but that was also because experts arrived from the central region, forcing the chief to withdraw. Hou Xiaochen merely took advantage of the visitors from the center..."
Sun Yifei glanced at him and said calmly, "It isn't that simple! When Hou Xiaochen struck, the chief was right beside him—why didn't he stop him? Was it just because of his high status that he deliberately waited for Hou Xiaochen to finish killing before fighting him one-on-one?"
Young people always thought too simply.
He valued these martial master disciples far more than his supernatural disciples.
Supernatural powers... he didn't actually like them, even though he was a supernatural himself now.
On the supernatural path, master-disciple lineage was not particularly important. Aside from some supernatural techniques, there wasn't much finesse involved—merely absorbing energy, breaking supernatural locks, and learning a few supernatural techniques.
Compared to the path of martial masters, the difference was vast.
The master-disciple lineage of martial masters fostered deeper bonds and allowed for the transmission of experience, battle methods, techniques, and the like.
Hence, even though several of his disciples on the supernatural path had already entered Solar Radiance, he didn't care much for them.
Back then, he had missed his chance at Thousand-Battler. Defeated at Hundred-Breaker culmination, his force was shattered, forcing him to advance into a supernatural to stave off his decline. In the end, he was never able to return to the path of a martial master.
Therefore, he hoped that one of his disciples could step into Thousand-Battler.
For instance, this Eldest Disciple who had just spoken—his Eldest Disciple in martial arts—had already begun to grasp force, holding hope of reaching Thousand-Battler. He held him in high regard.
"Moxian, do not underestimate Silver Moon!"
Sun Yifei genuinely prized this martial eldest disciple. Now, he gave earnest guidance: "Since ancient times, Silver Moon has been a border region where martial traditions flourished! Twenty years ago, before supernaturals appeared, the martial masters of Silver Moon were renowned across the realm!
"In those years, Silver Moon's martial masters traveled all ninety-nine provinces under heaven, running rampant across the world! Later, when the Heavenly Star Dynasty unified the realm, there was a period when the turmoil caused by Silver Moon martial masters forced them to decree a ban on martial arts!
"Twenty years ago was already the twilight era of Silver Moon's martial world, yet many powerhouses still emerged from it. That includes old monsters like Yuan Shuo, who, despite not being a Thousand-Battler, slew multiple Heaven-Blessed Divine Masters in the early days of the supernaturals' rise, making a name that resonated across the realm!
"Silver Moon's martial world possesses profound depths. Who knows what out-of-the-way corner might conceal a Thousand-Battler?"
Sun Yifei said in a grave voice, "Conflicts between supernaturals and martial masters are few nowadays. Some older-generation martial masters have retreated into the wilderness, while others lurk in the shadows awaiting their chance, and some have changed their identities entirely to become heads of supernatural organizations.
"Among the Three Great Organizations, the leader of Red Moon hails from Silver Moon... In truth, the heads of both Feitian and Yama also share ties with Silver Moon to varying degrees! In your eyes, the central region is formidable and teeming with experts, but what of it?"
Speaking of his homeland, even with enemies here, Sun Yifei was still filled with nostalgia and emotion.
Experts still existed here.
Silver Moon's martial world had produced numerous figures of might. Take Ying Hongyue: though an enemy of the authorities, he remained one of the premier figures of the current age, and he was a man of Silver Moon.
Thus, even as Silver Moon gradually declined in the supernatural realm, the name of Silver Moon still echoed throughout the Heavenly Star Dynasty.
Even if this dynasty that ruled the earth was waning with each passing day, it had not yet reached total collapse. Whether Ying Hongyue could lead Red Moon to claim a place in the world remained an open question.
Sun Moxian hurriedly nodded. "Your disciple understands!"
Beside Sun Moxian stood a young woman carrying a long staff, her hair tied up in a crisp, capable manner. At this moment, she spoke up and asked, "Master, I've heard of the might of Silver Moon's martial world, but in recent years, Silver Moon hasn't produced a single Thousand-Battler martial master. Meanwhile, several Thousand-Battler martial masters have emerged in the central region, many of them active on the supernatural battlefields... Rumors even say some Thousand-Battler martial masters have hopes of stepping above Thousand-Battler. Why did it decline so rapidly?"
She had heard tales of the strength of Silver Moon's martial world—not only from her master, but from older-generation martial masters as well.
Yet to her knowledge, Silver Moon had not produced a Thousand-Battler martial master in many years. In contrast, while Thousand-Battler martial masters were rare in the central region, they were not nonexistent. She and her master had visited several Thousand-Battler martial masters before, though none were from Silver Moon.
"The decline of Silver Moon's martial world..."
Speaking of this, Sun Yifei shook his head with rare helplessness. "In truth... it wasn't quite a decline! To be frank, it had something to do with us as well, which accelerated the pace of the decline. Back then, many martial masters in Silver Moon held hope of advancing to Thousand-Battler... and I mean many, not just one or two!
"Back then, it was praised as the final madness of Silver Moon's martial world! Be it me, the chief, or that Yuan Shuo, we all struck with extreme ruthlessness during that era, killing many martial masters at Hundred-Breaker culmination...
"The Seven Swords of Silver Moon, the Three Spears of Silver Moon, the Southern and Northern Fist Kings, the Four Directions Saber Kings, Thunderbolt Leg, Mountain-Cleaving Axe, Iron Cloth..."
He listed off the Silver Moon experts of that era one by one. Almost all had been at Hundred-Breaker culmination, or remarkably close to it.
So very many!
That had been a dazzling era—the final era of madness before the rise of supernaturals.
Silver Moon's martial world had looked poised to rise to prominence, yet... Sun Yifei let out a sigh, full of emotion: "In the end, out of the Seven Swords of Silver Moon alone, three died at Yuan Shuo's hands; two of the Four Directions Saber Kings were slain by him; and Iron Cloth's physical body was shattered by his Five Animals Art...
Sun Yifei chuckled. "That old bastard alone killed half the experts in the martial world! As for the rest, between me, the chief, and a few others, we beat nearly the other half of the martial world's experts to death..."
And thus, Silver Moon's martial world declined!
His disciples were dumbfounded!
They truly hadn't known about this.
So, all along, Silver Moon's martial world had been beaten out of existence by their own hands!
"Then... then why couldn't Yuan Shuo step into Thousand-Battler all this time?"
"His ambition was too grand!"
Sun Yifei said coldly, "That fellow cultivated the Five Animals Art and trained the forces of five animals. Since ancient times, most martial masters have focused solely on a single force. But him? The forces of five animals weren't enough; he had to fuse all five! When that fellow stepped into Thousand-Battler and slew a Three Sols, I wasn't surprised in the least! If he couldn't step through, he couldn't; but once he entered Thousand-Battler, he was bound to be a top-tier presence among Thousand-Battlers. With the fused forces of five animals alone, his slaying of a Three Sols is entirely natural in my eyes!"
He held Yuan Shuo in high regard—or rather, among the martial masters who had emerged from Silver Moon's martial world back then, no one dared take him lightly.
A figure who had slain half the experts of an entire martial world single-handedly.
A madman who fused the five forces of the five animals!
Even Ying Hongyue, lofty as he was today, would be slapping his own face if he dared claim Yuan Shuo was useless just because he hadn't stepped into Thousand-Battler.
Who could achieve the fusion of five animal forces at Hundred-Breaker?
Hou Xiaochen protected Yuan Shuo not merely because Yuan Shuo could explore ruins; he also harbored a sliver of hope that Yuan Shuo might advance to Thousand-Battler and keep the last hope of Silver Moon's martial world alive.
"Five animals, five forces..."
Sun Moxian clicked his tongue in awe. "He truly succeeded? Forget five forces—I struggle even to fuse a second force!"
At this moment, he began to understand why his master was treating this so seriously.
A figure like that, even if he hadn't reached Thousand-Battler for years and only entered it today, could never be underestimated.
He was at Hundred-Breaker culmination himself, so he understood deeply how difficult it was to enter Thousand-Battler with just a single force.
Much less five forces!
"Master, so his slaying of a Three Sols was real strength as well, not some trick?"
"Of course!"
Sun Yifei said in a deep voice, "How could it be a trick? Without raw strength, where would any trick come from! Certain supernaturals in the central region are arrogant and conceited, claiming Yuan Shuo killing Duan Tian was sheer coincidence, an accident, an ambush... Bullshit! Those fools gained power by sheer luck and dare look down on the powerhouses of the martial world. People like that won't last long!"
Though he was currently a supernatural himself, the disdain in his words was plain to see.
Looking out across the surroundings, high-spirited, he said, "If given the chance, I would still become a martial master! A martial master beyond Thousand-Battler! So what if I'm late Three Sols? Moxian, remember this: martial masters have far more of a future than supernaturals!"
For a late Three Sols supernatural to say such words—if leaked outside, it would likely send shockwaves through the supernatural realm.
Sun Moxian hurried to nod, then couldn't help asking, "Then... Master, you..."
"Worried I'll be beaten to death by him?"
Sun Yifei smiled. "I am no ordinary Three Sols supernatural. Don't forget that I was once a martial master who nearly stepped into Thousand-Battler! In the central region, I have slain late Three Sols supernaturals as well... It's not worth bragging about! In my eyes, Yuan Shuo is formidable, but he was delayed for many years after all. In truth, I yearn for him to be capable of a real fight with me, to have the strength for a true battle. If I were to beat him to death effortlessly... that would be the true pity!"
His fighting spirit rose.
Yuan Shuo—he looked forward to battling that man far too much!
Sun Moxian asked again, "Master, between Yuan Shuo and Master Yunshang, who do you think is stronger?"
Master Yunshang—a top-tier martial master powerhouse of the central region.
On the supernatural battlefield, he had once severed a peak Solar Radiance expert with a single sword strike, and had clashed head-on against a Three Sols expert. Though unable to slay his foe, he had wounded him and forced that Three Sols to flee.
He was one of the few top-tier martial masters in the central region capable of defeating a Three Sols, keeping alive much anticipation and hope for the martial masters of the central region.
"Yunshang..."
Sun Yifei considered for a moment. "A few years ago, after Yunshang made his move and wounded that fellow, he went into secluded cultivation and hasn't emerged since. Some say he might have found a path above Thousand-Battler. As for Yuan Shuo, he only recently stepped into Thousand-Battler; his strength is perhaps on par with Yunshang from a few years ago. As of now, Yuan Shuo is likely no match for him."
*That's good then!*
Sun Moxian felt relieved. Yunshang had only injured an early Three Sols, whereas his master was late Three Sols and had advanced from being a martial master. As such, formidable though Yuan Shuo was, he could hardly match his master.
Standing by the boundary stone, the group talked freely of the martial world, expert after expert from the central region rolling off their tongues.
Thousand-Battler and Three Sols were the mainstream.
Solar Radiance was rarely mentioned, and above Three Sols was seldom brought up either.
After chatting for a while and recounting the glory of the past to his disciples, Sun Yifei resumed his stride, stepping across the border into Silver Moon.
In this moment, he headed straight toward Hengduan Canyon.
He did not go to Silver City. He would defeat or even kill Yuan Shuo at Hengduan Canyon. He had lost there all those years ago, and today, he would rise again at Hengduan Canyon to reclaim his honor.
***
White Moon City.
Hou Xiaochen sat in his office chair, watching streams of messages flash by. A moment later, his eyes fell upon one dispatch: "Sun Yifei, accompanied by three disciples, has entered Silver Moon territory!"
"Sun Yifei..."
He was here!
Hou Xiaochen frowned slightly. That man was no easy foe; he didn't know if Hao Lianchuan had the certainty to handle him.
As for Yuan Shuo, having advanced only recently, he was most likely no match for Sun Yifei. Even if his progress was meteoric and he had stepped into the so-called Thousand-Battler peak, it would still be difficult to best Sun Yifei, who was also a martial master by origin.
Hao Lianchuan, armed with the Fire Phoenix Spear, had a higher chance of defeating or holding off Sun Yifei.
As he was thinking, there was a knock at the door, and Chief Steward Yu entered. "Minister, a dispatch has arrived from the central region. Rioting has erupted in the neighboring Beige Province. The situation is critical, and they hope the Minister can bring your Origin God Armament to Beige Province to quell the unrest!"
Hou Xiaochen's eyes turned sharp, but calmed in the very next instant. He said placidly, "Send word back that Hao Lianchuan is leading a team to explore the ruins. With no one overseeing White Moon City, I cannot leave!"
"Understood!"
Chief Steward Yu acknowledged, then lowered his voice: "The Wheel-Turning King of Yama and Ziyue of Red Moon request a conference with the Minister outside White Moon City."
Hou Xiaochen smiled. "What in the world are they afraid of?"
"Afraid that you will make a secret move, Minister!"
Chief Steward Yu smiled. "They know full well how powerful you are, Minister. Thus, they are trying every means possible to pin you down and keep you from showing up at the ruins."
Such was the might of Hou Xiaochen!
The Wheel-Turning King and Ziyue, the Silver Moon branch head of Red Moon, had joined forces specifically to prevent Hou Xiaochen from leaving the city.
"Very well. Tell them I shall await them at the summit of White Moon Mountain. Tell them they'd better not lose their nerve!"
Having said that, he chuckled and asked, "What of Feitian's Banshan?"
Feitian also had a leader in Silver Moon who called himself Banshan, an extraordinarily mysterious figure.
"There is no intelligence regarding Banshan. He hasn't appeared in public for a very long time... Either he is in seclusion recovering from injuries, or... he is about to break through!"
Chief Steward Yu offered this assessment.
Hou Xiaochen nodded slightly; breakthrough was indeed a possibility.
"Never mind him. If he's breaking through, there's nothing to be done anyway. Feitian's style of conduct is even more bizarre than Red Moon's, truly elusive."
With that, he looked toward Silver City.
After a moment of silence, he looked away.
This time, Yuan Shuo's emergence had caused him to adjust some of his plans. He wondered how much of Old Demon Yuan's old demeanor Yuan Shuo still retained today.
Old Demon Yuan, whose slaughter back then had nearly driven Silver Moon's martial world to extinction, had actually taken to cultivating his temperament and keeping a low profile nowadays.
Even he found it difficult to judge Yuan Shuo's exact strength.
Hou Xiaochen gave a soft laugh and turned his gaze toward the central region. The central region was a mess; even the Night Watchers were divided. Some supported war, some opposed it; some favored defense, others offense... What a mess it truly was!
He wondered whether the Heavenly Star Dynasty could even hold together.
If it collapsed completely, there was no telling how chaotic the ninety-nine provinces under heaven would become.
Chapter 75