Fueling the Flames of Chaos

The battle was over. What had been expected to be Yuan Shuo's crushing defeat had instead showcased the terrifying might of the Five Animals lineage. Li Hao had slain Sun Moxian, and Yuan Shuo had broken through beyond Thousand-Battler to execute Sun Yifei on the battlefield. The mighty expert from the central region had returned his soul to his native land. Fallen leaves ultimately returned to their roots. Sun Yifei's final battle was destined to leave a heavy mark on the martial world of Silver Moon. Yet the aftershocks of this clash were only just beginning. The scene remained quiet for only an instant. In the next breath, someone leaped into the air, hurtling straight into the sky. That was where Sun Yifei had fallen. After his death, almost nothing remained behind except surging mysterious energy that had yet to completely dissipate. But there... faintly visible in the air, a broken staff materialized. A Brow-Height Staff! It was not the original weapon, but the one he had condensed from his mysterious source in his final moments. It was unbelievable! Forged from his formidable spirit and willpower at the brink of death, a broken Brow-Height Staff had actually remained. A treasure! Everyone present knew this was an extraordinary treasure—a broken Brow-Height Staff left behind at the final moment by a late Three Sols expert through sheer formidable will and peerless battle intent. Even if such a relic was not a supernatural item, it surpassed most supernatural items by far. At that moment, figures tore through the air. Among them were Three Sols as well as Solar Radiance experts. As for anyone weaker, none dared contest it. Below, Li Hao felt a bloodthirsty impulse surge within him. *That thing... none of you are worthy of touching it!* Indeed, they were not worthy. Though Sun Yifei had fallen in battle, and though he had been an enemy, Yuan Shuo had respected him in death, and Li Hao regarded him as a true martial master—a grandmaster of martial arts. What right did these scavengers have to seize his Brow-Height Staff? Li Hao kicked off the ground, gripping the Starry Sky Sword, and charged straight toward a Solar Radiance super... Before he could catch up, a furious roar rang out across the gorge: "All of you, piss off!" With that bellow, Hao Lianchuan soared into the sky, towering flames erupting around him as he roared, "How dare you! Whose belongings do you think you're touching?" In this moment, Hao Lianchuan was thoroughly enraged. No one knew what had provoked his fury. Perhaps it was because Sun Yifei had been a fire-element super? He threw a punch, sending dazzling firelight radiating in every direction. The Solar Radiance supers scrambled to retreat, but several Three Sols experts remained on the field. Yama, Feitian, and Sword Gate all had Three Sols experts present. From Yama's side, a cold-faced, middle-aged man sneered, "Yuan Shuo has already fled. Do you truly think you can stop us? Hao Lianchuan, you overestimate yourself—and you overestimate the Night Watchers!" Hao Lianchuan was on the verge of losing control. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to draw the Fire Phoenix Spear and slaughter every last one of them! *Damn them!* *Who do you think you are?* *With Red Moon wiped out, do you really think you still hold the advantage?* He suddenly glared at Hong Yitang and snapped, "Hong Yitang, are you going to snatch it too?" Hong Yitang frowned slightly and stepped aside. "I have no desire to snatch this item. I merely wished to prevent Brother Sun from being disturbed in death. If I take this half of the Brow-Height Staff... I swear I will not use it for myself. I will have it delivered to the central region... to Sun Hongxiu!" At those words, Hao Lianchuan's brows knit together in displeasure. Send it to Sun Hongxiu? If it were truly delivered to her, and if she gained something from it—perhaps even inheriting a portion of Sun Yifei's will—wouldn't she come seeking vengeance against Li Hao and the others? Earlier, Sun Hongxiu had sworn vicious vows. Now, the enmity between them was a sea of blood. Though Hao Lianchuan felt sympathy for Sun Yifei, he knew very well that Yuan Shuo and Li Hao were on the Night Watchers' side. Regardless of whether Hong Yitang genuinely intended to deliver it or not... the staff could not be given to him. "Hong Yitang, martial world rules! Sun Yifei died by Yuan Shuo's hand, so his Brow-Height Staff is Yuan Shuo's spoils of war! Though Yuan Shuo has left, his direct disciple Li Hao is still here. Is it your place to claim the prize?" Hong Yitang frowned slightly, then nodded. "So be it. I harbor no desire for treasures. Believe me or not as you please... As a fellow member of the martial world, I, Hong, would not stoop to looting Brother Sun's relics after his death!" With that, he retreated a long distance, yielding the space. Whether out of caution or genuine disinterest in the treasure, he chose to back down. In an instant, only three Three Sols remained facing off: Hao Lianchuan, the cold-faced middle-aged man from Yama, and a cloaked mystery figure from Feitian. The cloaked figure seemed to glance around, and a moment later vanished soundlessly from where he stood. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in Feitian's camp. With a wave of his hand, Feitian's experts quickly withdrew. They, too, had abandoned the struggle for the treasure. The expert from Yama frowned. He was not afraid of Hao Lianchuan, but Feitian's leader had left, Hong Yitang of Sword Gate was watching from the sidelines, and although Yuan Shuo had fled... there was no guarantee he would not return. While everyone assumed Yuan Shuo had retreated due to severe injuries, one could not be too cautious. "Night Watchers... Yuan Shuo..." Muttering under his breath, he shot into the air and departed. Below, the experts of Yama also withdrew in succession. With their leader gone, none of them dared linger. They needed to digest the outcome of today's battle and spread the word. As for the broken Brow-Height Staff Sun Yifei had left behind... the Night Watchers might not be able to keep it either. Even if they did not seize it now, others surely would. Through that half-staff, one might uncover secrets—the secrets of Yuan Shuo, the secrets of Spirit Nourishing, and why Sun Yifei had been able to leave behind this broken staff after death. There was bound to be tremendous value within it. With Yama's forces gone, the smaller organizations had no courage left to linger and fled for their lives. With today's battle ended, it was difficult to say whether tomorrow's ruin expedition could even proceed. At this point, several smaller organizations were already getting cold feet. *Should we just pull out?* *This is too dangerous!* They had assumed this would be a simple expedition to an ancient ruin, where the major organizations ate the meat while they followed behind to sip some broth. Good grief—before they could even smell the broth, Bright Island had been wiped off the map! And Red Moon, one of the Three Great Organizations, had lost two Three Sols in quick succession. Counting Duantian from earlier, Red Moon had lost three Three Sols experts in Silver Moon in just over a month. In the past, Three Sols experts were practically mythical. Yet once they actually appeared, instead of sweeping through everything unopposed, they had been slain one after another. Crucially, they had all been killed by the same man—Yuan Shuo! The Old Demon's reputation was indeed no exaggeration. When people thought about it carefully, wasn't that the truth? From Duantian to Sun Yifei, and then Hao Kong—and they did not even know about Qiao Feilong. If they had known, Yuan Shuo had killed a Three Sols expert every ten days on average. How terrifying was that? Of course, everyone had forgotten one person. The Bright Island Master! A renowned expert and a Heaven-Blessed Divine Master... Yet in today's battle, his presence had been so negligible that he was overshadowed even by Hao Kong. At least Hao Kong had Red Moon behind him; everyone knew Red Moon would not let Hao Kong's death go unavenged. As for the Bright Island Master... forget it. The man was dead, Bright Island was destroyed, and who cared about him now? At this moment, everyone had completely forgotten his existence. A Three Sols Heaven-Blessed Divine Master had died with far less attention than Sun Moxian. ... In midair, Hao Lianchuan seized the Brow-Height Staff. The half-staff seemed to struggle faintly in his grip. Hao Lianchuan landed on the ground. The moment he touched down, someone walked up to him—Li Hao. Li Hao looked at Hao Lianchuan. Hao Lianchuan looked back at him. After a long pause, Li Hao said in a subdued voice, "Thank you, Director Hao." "..." Hao Lianchuan was speechless. What did that mean? "Thank you, Director Hao, for retrieving the Brow-Height Staff for me!" "..." Now Hao Lianchuan understood completely. For a moment, he felt rather awkward. He had actually wanted to keep the staff and deliver it to the Night Watchers so the Director could study it, but... but he had just loudly proclaimed that this was Yuan Shuo's spoils of war. By martial world rules, it belonged to Yuan Shuo, and by extension, to Li Hao. "Li Hao, this..." Li Hao repeated quietly, "Thank you, Director Hao." "..." Li Hao wanted the Brow-Height Staff. Not because it was a treasure; he already possessed treasures of his own, and he hadn't even fully unraveled the Starry Sky Sword. Rather, the Brow-Height Staff was the weapon of his teacher's opponent... and in that final moment, when Sun Yifei had struck with his fist, holding back his killing blow, Li Hao had seen it clearly. This staff... Li Hao wanted to take it back so that when the right opportunity arose, he might send it to the central region, returning it to the successor of the Brow-Height Staff King. Yes! Even though he knew that after receiving the relic, the girl would feel no gratitude toward him and would likely want nothing more than to kill him. Even so... he still wanted to return it. The man had died, but his lineage lived on. The heritage of the Brow-Height Staff King endured. Was that pedantic? Just as he had thought before, it was foolishly pedantic. Not only had he spared the roots, but he also intended to return the staff imbued with the Brow-Height Staff King's will. Was he an idiot? Yes, he was. Yet wasn't this precisely what being a martial master meant? *I am still a martial master!* At this moment, Li Hao's blood had not yet run cold. Hao Lianchuan was thoroughly at a loss for words. After a long silence, he finally said, "There are too many eyes on it right now. Once we return to the Night Watchers' headquarters, I'll give it to you." "Thank you," Li Hao replied. Li Hao gazed silently at the sky, then turned his gaze toward Sun Moxian's grave in the distance. He walked over, searching the ground for anything that could represent the identity of the Brow-Height Staff King. It could not be anything too valuable; if he buried the half-staff there, someone would probably dig up the grave every day. Before long, Li Hao gathered some torn scraps of cloth left behind during the clash, as well as a small splinter from Sun Yifei's original wooden Brow-Height Staff. It was only a tiny fragment that would not draw undue attention. Before the freshly dug mound, Li Hao buried these remnants together. Finding a large stone, he remained silent for a long time before carving only a few words upon it: *Tomb of Sun Yifei, the Brow-Height Staff King, and Sun Moxian, Successor to the Brow-Height Staff.* No battle records, no illustrious deeds, no dates—nothing else. And that was enough. At that moment, another figure approached—Hong Yitang. Leading his daughter, he walked over step by step. Glancing at the headstone, Hong Yitang sighed softly and bowed slightly. "Brother Sun, you fulfilled your wish and witnessed the birth of Spirit Nourishing. I imagine you went willingly!" "The lineage of Silver Moon's martial masters has not been severed after all..." There was deep emotion and sorrow in his voice. Yet another peer was gone. He turned to Li Hao and said gently, "You did very well too. Don't dwell on it too much. Martial masters... are just like this! Today's jianghu may be long gone, but the moment your teacher walked out of Silver City, the jianghu returned!" "The legends of Silver Moon's martial world will continue, I believe." "Take good care of yourself, Li Hao. Your teacher slew Sun Yifei, broke through to Spirit Nourishing, and shattered the shackles of Thousand-Battler. Now that he has vanished, if people cannot find him, I am certain they will soon come looking for you." "Whether to spar or to kill you, they certainly won't leave you in peace. You must understand... martial masters have already fallen from grace!" Those words carried profound weight. And no small amount of sorrow. Martial masters had been replaced. What had superseded the martial Dao was the blazing supremacy of the supernatural. Yet now, an anomaly had arisen among martial masters. Would the supernatural world tolerate the resurgence of martial masters? Not necessarily! Back when supers first emerged, countless martial masters had been slaughtered, and many others had been forced to cross over into the supernatural. If martial masters were now proven to be superior... wouldn't that slap many faces? Especially those martial masters who had transitioned to supers—not all of them were like Sun Yifei, and not all of them wished for the martial Dao to rise again. Some supernatural martial masters actually resented any resurgence of martial masters. It would mean that their choices back then had been wrong. No one wanted to admit they were wrong! Thus, having martial masters sink into permanent obscurity suited their interests far better. Hong Yitang was himself a supernatural martial master, and at this moment, he felt this keenly. He did not say it aloud, but when he saw how formidable Yuan Shuo had become, he too felt a twinge of regret: though the path of a martial master was difficult, was it perhaps greater? The thought quickly dissipated. Yet a lingering trace of regret remained in his heart. He considered himself open-minded; had he not been, he would never have endured the humiliation of avoiding battle when Yuan Shuo came knocking on his door multiple times to challenge him. If even he felt a pang of regret, one could only imagine how other supernatural martial masters would feel. Beside him, Li Hao bowed slightly toward Hong Yitang. "Junior understands! However... if they come for an upright, honorable challenge, I will not fear it! My teacher forged a path through blood, and so will I! And if they resort to assassinations and ambushes, then Sword Master Hong underestimates the Night Watchers." Li Hao gave a faint smile. "The Night Watchers span all ninety-nine provinces, and this world still belongs to the Heavenly Star Dynasty. Killing me depends on whether the Night Watchers agree. And even if the Night Watchers agree... I wonder if they have forgotten that my teacher is still alive!" He wasn't dead! At those words, Hong Yitang smiled and nodded slightly. "It is good that you have your own plans. Tomorrow's ruin expedition may not go smoothly. Even if it does... it would be best if you did not enter. It is far too dangerous." "Thank you for the warning, Sword Master Hong!" With that, Li Hao looked toward Hong Qing beside him. "Miss Hong Qing, your sword was shattered. I apologize. Once I return to the Night Watchers, I will have another forged and sent to you." "It's nothing," Hong Qing said, looking at him with curiosity and shaking her head. "It was just an ordinary sword, not a supernatural item. Broken is broken." Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, "You've... only practiced martial arts for three years?" "Yes." "That is truly impressive!" Hong Qing felt genuine admiration. Only three years. A true genius! She had practiced martial arts since childhood, training for over a decade to reach late Hundred-Breaker, which was already considered remarkable. Yet this young man, after only three years of training, had slain Sun Moxian in combat—a genius who had comprehended force and stood on the verge of stepping into Thousand-Battler. Hong Qing felt sorrow for both martial masters who had fallen today. Of course, had Li Hao and Yuan Shuo died, she would have felt sorrow for them as well. They were all geniuses and powerhouses of the martial Dao; to see them perish like this inevitably brought a wave of grief. "You flatter me," Li Hao said without lingering, turning to leave. He disliked conversing too much with strangers. Though Hong Yitang acted amicably, one could know a person's face but not their heart; who knew what Hong Yitang truly thought? ... Returning to the Night Watchers' camp, the others were currently cleaning up the aftermath. With the Red Moon members dead, the battlefield needed to be swept and the mysterious energy extracted. While other factions dared not do this, the Night Watchers didn't care—they were destined to take the blame for this mess anyway! Yuan Shuo claimed he was not a Night Watcher... but outsiders did not see it that way. Back when Hou Xiaochen shielded Yuan Shuo, in the eyes of outsiders, Yuan Shuo had become one of the Night Watchers. In that case, Hao Lianchuan saw no reason to hold back. Yuan Shuo had killed his enemies and seized the Red Shadows, but others could not see that, assuming Yuan Shuo had killed purely for the sake of slaughter. Right now, the mysterious energy from the fallen remained. Many experts had died today, leaving behind copious amounts of mysterious energy. As for the fire energy dissipating into the sky, no one moved to harvest it. Even though Hao Lianchuan felt a twinge of regret deep down, he chose to let it go. He did not harvest it! Though Sun Yifei had been a member of Red Moon, Hao Lianchuan respected the martial honor he had displayed today. Such an expert should not suffer indignity after death. It had nothing to do with factions; it was pure admiration. If every member of Red Moon had been like him, Hao Lianchuan would have respected them as true men. Unfortunately, men like Sun Yifei were far too rare. ... At that moment, Wang Ming wandered over, sighing with emotion. "Senior Brother, who would have thought this battle would end like this!" "..." Silence fell. Li Hao froze. Liu Long froze. Liu Yan was stunned, and Hao Lianchuan stared blankly at Wang Ming as if seeing him for the first time. *What?* *Senior Brother?* Wang Ming acted as though he hadn't noticed their expressions, saying with concern, "Senior Brother, Teacher left in such a hurry—could his injuries be too severe? Everyone saw him get wounded earlier. Once news of today's battle spreads, countless people will surely want to kill him or force out the secret of a martial master's breakthrough... Teacher is in grave danger. Senior Brother, is there any way we can help him?" Li Hao managed with difficulty, "Old Wang..." "Call me Xiao Ming!" Wang Ming said firmly, "Senior Brother, martial etiquette cannot be discarded! I didn't understand before, but today moved me deeply. Seniority must be respected: you are the senior brother, and I am the junior brother. Not only am I slightly younger than you, but even if I were older, you still couldn't call me Old Wang. Just call me Xiao Ming!" The crowd was thoroughly speechless. Yet... could they refute him? They could not. He was indeed Yuan Shuo's disciple; even a nominal disciple was still a disciple. Back then, Yuan Shuo had intended to smooth the road for Li Hao. He hadn't expected Li Hao to advance so rapidly, nor had he foreseen his own swift advancement straight into Spirit Nourishing. Now, the three nominal disciples he had accepted had effectively secured themselves an illustrious title: Disciples of the Five Animals lineage! Hao Lianchuan's expression turned peculiar. Soon, he chuckled. "Indeed. Li Hao, if you need help, just speak up. As for Wang Ming... Wang Ming, consult your senior brother more often. The martial Dao... still has great prospects." He was more than happy to see this happen. In fact, he felt a bit of gloating amusement inside. Back when Yuan Shuo had forced them to take him as teacher, Hao Lianchuan had felt it was improper. But looking at it now—heh, Yuan Shuo, you never expected this, did you? Your nominal disciple has latched right onto you! Li Hao couldn't be bothered to argue; Wang Ming was simply like this at times. He merely said casually, "Don't yell that around carelessly outside. Don't think you're gaining any advantage here. You have to realize that right now... countless people want Teacher dead, and they want me dead too." Martial masters, supers, Red Moon... Even within the Night Watchers, not everyone wanted Yuan Shuo to stay alive. Li Hao recalled Hou Xiaochen's words... if the higher-ups pushed too far, he would rebel! When that time came, things would become terrifying. Furthermore, right now, a mid Three Sols expert was lurking nearby, watching them in silence. Saying too much would only attract unwanted attention. When his teacher left, he hadn't absorbed any sword energy, taking only the Red Shadows. Li Hao didn't know whether the Red Shadows' power would be enough to help him recover. Moreover, having forcibly nurtured a second spirit, his kidneys had to be severely depleted. Li Hao was still deeply worried. As for his teacher fleeing, he understood completely. If he hadn't run now, once the news spread while his injuries remained unhealed, he would become a sitting duck! Staying here would make it all too easy to be surrounded and wiped out. At this point, Hao Lianchuan thought of this as well and said solemnly, "The matter of the ruin is going to be troublesome! The news might have already leaked. I need to report to Director Hou immediately! Li Hao, come with me!" With that, he led Li Hao toward the Night Watchers' encampment. He knew he might not be able to handle this... not 'might not,' but absolutely could not. The trouble was monumental! Fortunately, Yuan Shuo had fled; had he stayed, the trouble would be even greater. Hao Lianchuan felt a wave of relief. If Yuan Shuo had remained, top experts from all Three Great Organizations would have rushed over from the central region at top speed. Even if the central region was too far, neighboring provinces would have mobilized forces urgently. ... At the same time, the news had indeed spread. At the foot of White Moon Mountain, inside a teahouse. The Wheel-Turning King had just reached the base of the mountain when a bronze mirror in his robe began to vibrate. He took it out and glanced at it, his expression gradually turning grave. Before long, it grew intensely grim. The message was brief. Yet it was utterly shocking. *Yuan Shuo has broken through to Spirit Nourishing! Beyond Thousand-Battler, a path still exists for martial masters!* *Yuan Shuo executed Sun Yifei on the battlefield. Even when Sun Yifei forged a weapon from his mysterious source, he was still slain. Yuan Shuo's combat prowess nears the realm beyond Three Sols!* Terrifying news! Of course, an addendum was attached: *Yuan Shuo was heavily wounded and fled. Before departing, he slaughtered the entire Red Moon expedition team, including Hao Kong.* That particular detail made the Wheel-Turning King chuckle. They weren't Yama's people. While the Three Great Organizations collaborated, they also competed; their deaths were for the best. Still, he had no leisure to mock them. Having originally intended to ascend the mountain, he abruptly turned around, tearing through the air and speeding straight toward the Hengduan Gorge. At this point, pinning down Hou Xiaochen was no longer the primary objective. He was leaving first! Moments later, a furious roar shook heaven and earth. In an instant, a purple-robed figure shot into the sky. It was Ziyue, leader of Red Moon in Silver Moon! She had also received the news. Although every Red Moon operative at the scene had been slaughtered, among the numerous supers present, someone was bound to inform her. Who it was didn't matter; Red Moon's intelligence network had never been weak. ... Atop White Moon Mountain. Hou Xiaochen was sipping tea in a pavilion on the summit when Chief Steward Yu swiftly brought over a screen, saying in a low voice, "An urgent report from Director Hao!" "Connect it!" Hou Xiaochen already knew something had happened; he had felt Ziyue and the Wheel-Turning King depart. But what kind of event could make them so impatient? Had Hao Lianchuan unveiled the Fire Phoenix Spear? Were they rushing to seize the Origin God Armament? That was well within his calculations. If they wanted to go, let them! An Origin God Armament was not so easily snatched away. Therefore, he wasn't particularly anxious. When Hao Lianchuan's face appeared on the screen, Hou Xiaochen even had the composure to smile and ask, "You haven't run yet?" *The Origin God Armament is exposed, and you're still lingering there?* "Run?" Hao Lianchuan froze, then quickly said, "Director, should we withdraw?" "What else?" "But..." Hao Lianchuan urged anxiously, "The timing is excellent right now! Red Moon has suffered catastrophic losses. I think this is an opportunity." "Give me a brief summary." Hou Xiaochen acted as though everything remained within his grasp. In truth, he had anticipated numerous scenarios, so even if an accident occurred, he had countermeasures prepared. "Director, Yuan Shuo broke through to Spirit Nourishing, discovering the martial path beyond Thousand-Battler. He executed Sun Yifei, slaughtered every member of Red Moon, and wiped out Bright Island..." *Crack!* The teacup in his hand shattered, crushed to powder. "Director?" Hao Lianchuan asked in confusion. Hadn't the Director already known? Hou Xiaochen didn't bat an eye, nodding faintly. "Mm. What else?" Yet inside, his heart was churning in shock. *What is going on?* *Yuan Shuo... Spirit Nourishing?* That Yuan Shuo could defeat Sun Yifei was not entirely outside his consideration. He had considered it—for instance, Yuan Shuo wielding the Fire Phoenix Spear to unleash immense power was entirely possible. Yuan Shuo wielding a mysterious weapon of the Eight Great Families to erupt and defeat Sun Yifei... had also been considered. Yuan Shuo being outmatched by Sun Yifei and ultimately fleeing... yes, that too had been considered. The only scenario he hadn't considered was Yuan Shuo slaying Sun Yifei purely through raw, unassisted strength. Indeed, not even a god could have foreseen that Yuan Shuo, who had broken through to Thousand-Battler only a month ago, would so rapidly discover the martial path beyond Thousand-Battler—and actually step into it! Spirit Nourishing? Hou Xiaochen was genuinely astonished, horrified, and incredulous. *How is that possible!* Yet... having just displayed such calm nonchalance, he could hardly let himself show panic now. Only Chief Steward Yu noticed that the Director, who was usually unshakeably calm, had ground his teacup into fine powder. "Director, Yuan Shuo killed everyone from Red Moon and fled with heavy injuries! So do we abandon the ruin exploration and retreat right now?" *Retreat?* *Retreat my ass!* Hengduan Gorge would very soon become the focal point of all factions. They could not leave now; if they left, that ruin would be lost to them. Once they pulled out, a massive influx of experts would arrive to probe the gorge. They had to explore the ruin before those people arrived! And he... needed to personally oversee the scene! At this moment, even White Moon City was no longer a concern. Of course, not just him—neither the Three Great Organizations nor the central authorities would care about White Moon City anymore. What a joke—who still had the leisure to care about White Moon City? They would all be searching for Yuan Shuo. And if they couldn't find Yuan Shuo... finding his disciple would do just as well! "I will be there shortly!" Throwing down those words, Hou Xiaochen hung up the call. As he hurried down the mountain, he ordered, "Contact the garrison headquarters!" Chief Steward Yu swiftly dialed the line. Hou Xiaochen took the receiver and said in a grave tone, "Regardless of the cost, deploy the garrison to Hengduan Gorge and lock it down. Aim all heavy weapons to cover the gorge! Furthermore... declare Level One combat readiness... At the critical moment, you have authorization to deploy *those things* for saturation bombardment!" "Director Hou?" "Trust me, or we will be facing severe trouble this time." "Understood. However... doing this may cause negative repercussions." "It doesn't matter. We are prepared. At worst... we proceed according to our most dire contingency." "Understood!" Hou Xiaochen hung up, pondered for a moment, and dialed another number. "Spread the word far and wide: Yuan Shuo has advanced to Spirit Nourishing, stepping beyond Thousand-Battler, and slew late Three Sols Sun Yifei in three strikes! Announce that Yuan Shuo has already departed for the central region, intending to use the power of Spirit Nourishing to execute Ying Hongyue, and that Ying Hongyue should wash his neck clean and wait for death!" "Furthermore, announce that Yuan Shuo intends to reorganize the Silver Moon martial world and is willing to impart the method of Spirit Nourishing. Any like-minded martial masters willing to join him in slaying Red Moon experts will be accepted under his wing and taught the art of Spirit Nourishing..." Beside him, Chief Steward Yu's eyelids twitched repeatedly. *Is this... appropriate?* Of course, doing this meant that Ying Hongyue and his subordinates would keep their eyes glued to Yuan Shuo no matter what, most likely waiting for him in the central region. Meanwhile, powerful martial masters from across the world would flock to the central region to search for Yuan Shuo. As for whether they would go to kill Yuan Shuo or kill Red Moon members, that remained to be seen. Would people believe it? Why wouldn't they? This tone perfectly matched Old Demon Yuan's style. Anyone familiar with Yuan Shuo would hardly suspect a thing. By this time, Hou Xiaochen had regained his composure. The shock and astonishment from earlier were gone. His calm restored, he thought for a moment and added, "Send a dispatch to the Central Government!" "State that we require reinforcements. Demand that they send several Rising Light experts along with three to five Origin God Armaments, or else we cannot hold the line!" Chief Steward Yu asked in shock, "Are we truly sending that telegram?" "Yes!" Hou Xiaochen suddenly chuckled. "Send it exactly like that! In addition, instruct them to grant Yuan Shuo special care in the central region, claiming that Yuan Shuo has secretly pledged allegiance to the Night Watchers. Tell headquarters that Yuan Shuo promised that if we help him kill Ying Hongyue, he will provide us with the complete method of Spirit Nourishing, help us resolve certain supernatural flaws, and pass along the higher-tier version of the Five Animals Breathing Method..." It was complete fabrication, yet it sounded remarkably like Yuan Shuo. "As for me... I am currently forced to head to Hengduan Gorge despite my injuries. Tell headquarters that whoever comes should bring along a Primordial Spirit Fruit to help heal my wounds, or I fear I won't last long!" Chief Steward Yu swiftly jotted down the instructions. By now, his admiration for the Director was boundless. The Director was truly formidable. "Lastly..." Standing on the mountainside and looking into the distance, Hou Xiaochen said, "Release one more piece of news to the entire world: Red Moon's Blood God Seeds were the key to Yuan Shuo's breakthrough into Spirit Nourishing. Any Origin God Armament can extract Blood God Seeds, and the extraction method is to be publicized in its entirety!" He smiled! Chief Steward Yu, however, felt a chill run through him. If this news spread, whether supers or martial masters, any organization in possession of an Origin God Armament would be sorely tempted. Whether for research or stockpiling, they would certainly be tempted. In the past, such news would have been useless. Who would believe it? Yet now? Everyone would believe it! "Prepare the details meticulously: after killing Duantian, he seized a Blood God Seed and advanced rapidly. After suffering heavy injuries this time, he killed Hao Kong and seized another Blood God Seed. When Yuan Shuo appears next, he may be even more formidable. Reveal all of this! Looking at his trajectory and rate of advancement, this is the treasure that most closely aligns with the characteristics of his breakthrough into Spirit Nourishing!" Hou Xiaochen's mind raced, generating schemes and stratagems in the blink of an eye. And upon closer inspection, the story was practically airtight. "Also, leak the information that the Night Watchers gifted him a Three Sols Blood God Seed, and that he entered seclusion for days after receiving it... spread every detail through our embedded moles!" "Understood!" Chief Steward Yu's admiration deepened further, and he silently mourned for Red Moon. With this, even if Red Moon withstood the pressure, they would have no spare energy to cause trouble in Silver Moon or Silver City in the short term. They would have to worry about saving their own skins first! ... At this moment, Li Hao had no idea any of this was happening. Otherwise, he would have admired his teacher even more. No wonder Teacher had said before leaving that the mess should be left entirely to Hou Xiaochen. Evidently, Yuan Shuo trusted that Hou Xiaochen could resolve these troubles and minimize the danger. And Hou Xiaochen indeed lived up to expectations. In mere moments, he had laid out order after order. When this news exploded, the ones suffering the most wouldn't be Yuan Shuo or Li Hao, but Red Moon. Blood God Seeds allowed breakthroughs. And killing Red Moon members could yield the method for Spirit Nourishing. With both factors combined, anyone with ambition would take action. Who could resist hunting a few Red Moon experts to test the waters? Even if people suspected the rumors might not be entirely true, powerful figures would still try. They definitely would! Even experts within Red Moon might not remain loyal and quiet. ... On this day, before Hou Xiaochen and his party had even reached Hengduan Gorge, the news had already begun spreading through various circles. ... "Yuan Shuo has advanced to Spirit Nourishing! A martial master beyond Thousand-Battler, he killed Sun Yifei, who was on the verge of breaking through to the Rising Light Realm!" ... "Breaking news! Huge news! The Silver Moon Old Demon, Yuan Shuo, who dominated the martial world over twenty years ago, has stepped beyond Thousand-Battler and slain Rising Light-level Sun Yifei with a single saber strike! And his method of breakthrough was actually provided by Red Moon themselves—Red Moon's Shadow Gods are the key to a martial master's breakthrough!" "No wonder! I knew it! I've long suspected that Red Moon's Shadow Gods were extraordinary. Ying Hongyue cultivates Shadow Gods, yet never allows martial masters to cultivate them, only supers, and he periodically reclaims them... So that was why! Could Ying Hongyue still possess inner force himself?" "..." ... "The heavens are shifting! A martial master has advanced beyond Thousand-Battler, rivaling the Rising Light Realm! And the key to the breakthrough is Red Moon's Shadow Gods, a treasure with immense concealment ability possessed by many Red Moon supers! Just three Three Sols-level Shadow Gods refined into a Blood God Seed is enough to break through to Spirit Nourishing!" "Is that true?" "I swear it! It's probably spread across all ninety-nine provinces by now!" "Three Sols... just Three Sols? Let's go, get ready... We need an Origin God Armament, right? Quick, bring the Origin God Armament... Slay a few while everyone else is still unprepared!" "..." At this moment, the entire Heavenly Star Dynasty was shaken. Killing a late Three Sols expert wasn't inherently unprecedented; in the central region, late Three Sols experts had died before, and even Rising Light Realm experts above Three Sols had fallen. However, for a *martial master* to kill one... that was the biggest news imaginable. What was more, this martial master had shattered the limits of the martial Dao. For many individuals and organizations, martial masters had never truly been abandoned, because everyone knew that a super who began as a martial master was exceptionally powerful! Many organizations trained martial masters—even the Three Great Organizations were no exception—because advancing through martial arts made one vastly stronger. Therefore, hearing that one could advance beyond Thousand-Battler and match Three Sols or even Rising Light drove people mad. For they knew that when a martial master transitioned to supernatural, their realm usually jumped by a tier. If a Spirit Nourishing expert transitioned, wouldn't they instantly reach Rising Light? Or perhaps even stronger! If the rumors were true and Yuan Shuo already rivaled Rising Light... wouldn't that mean that once he transitioned, he could surpass Rising Light and reach a peak realm that had yet to appear in the supernatural world? No organization would let such an opportunity slip away. Chaos reigned! The aftershocks were officially spreading. Yuan Shuo, Red Moon, Blood God Seeds... These became the keywords passionately debated by experts across the world. And among all this, Hou Xiaochen had certainly added fuel to the fire. Countless organizations began investigating the authenticity of the rumors, activating their spies in Silver Moon or within the Night Watchers to unearth more reliable information. And the information leaked by Hou Xiaochen... was exceptionally convincing. In particular: Yuan Shuo had stepped into Thousand-Battler, slain Duantian, and advanced rapidly; Hou Xiaochen had then gifted him a Three Sols Blood God Seed, after which Yuan Shuo went into seclusion for several days before emerging to battle Sun Yifei... All of it aligned flawlessly! No matter who investigated, they could find no flaw in the narrative. Furthermore, Yuan Shuo's disciple, Li Hao, having practiced martial arts for only three years, was said to have consumed a Solar Radiance-level Blood God Seed to enter the Hundred-Breaker culmination directly and slay Sun Moxian, who had mastered force. This detail appeared in reports received by many organizations as well. A novice who had trained for only three years rapidly reaching the Hundred-Breaker culmination... only confirmed the veracity of the rumors! Naturally, Li Hao drew considerable attention as a result. If they couldn't find Yuan Shuo, they could always look for Li Hao. Provided, of course, that they killed a Red Moon expert, extracted a Blood God Seed, and brought the genuine treasure with them. Otherwise, even if they found Li Hao, without a treasure in hand, what good would it do if he told them how to absorb it? Li Hao and his side clearly had none left; if they had any, they would have used them long ago. Without bringing along a Blood God Seed, who would have the face to travel all that way to seek him out? ... The already tumultuous Heavenly Star Dynasty descended into even deeper turmoil. Before Red Moon could even react, numerous Red Moon experts vanished in the blink of an eye. Not confirmed dead, but vanished. Silently, without a trace! Never mind the weak—several Three Sols experts simply vanished without a whisper, neither seen alive nor found dead. Less than an hour had passed since the leak of the news, demonstrating just how formidable some of the covert supernatural organizations truly were. ... In the central region. Within a secret realm, a slightly effeminate yet strikingly handsome man suddenly narrowed his eyes, a vicious glint flashing within them! "Bastards!" He was furious! This was Ying Hongyue. If Yuan Shuo had seen him, he would probably have cursed him for being shamelessly vain—retaining that youthful appearance after so many years, an old fogey acting like a young lad. Rage aside, he swiftly barked orders in the next breath: "Quick, pull back our forces across all provinces! Everyone is to await orders, destroy our strongholds, and go underground!" *Dammit!* At this moment, he was so angry his liver ached. He had only hesitated for a brief moment, yet... several Three Sols stationed across various provinces could no longer be reached. Why? Did anyone even need to ask! *Those bastards!* The major organizations and the Night Watchers had unquestionably had a hand in this. Otherwise, how could Three Sols experts vanish so easily? Not to mention that extracting the seeds required an Origin God Armament, which small organizations couldn't possibly possess!