At the edge of the outer city.
Here, everyone indeed saw a building distinctly different from the other structures in the outer city.
Not only that, a plaque hung above it, and its main doors opened outward.
"Halt Horse Hall."
Li Hao took a look and recognized the ancient characters. As a student of ancient civilization studies, he was familiar with basic ancient script.
He was not the only one in the crowd to recognize it either.
This time, the major organizations had brought along a few experts in that field.
"Does it mean to rein in one's horse at the edge of the precipice?" someone spoke up with hesitation. What did it signify?
Of all things, why call a city entry passage the Halt Horse Hall?
Was it telling everyone not to harbor ill intent?
Or did it literally mean: halt your horse here?
Seeing Li Hao and the others arrive, the Wheel-Turning King spoke once more. "Hao Lianchuan, you went inside, and so did these people just now... Li Hao, tell us, what is inside?"
He knew Li Hao!
He could even call him by name directly. Evidently, these major organizations had not ignored the Eight Great Families or disregarded Li Hao; they simply hadn't paid much heed to him before because he was too weak.
Yet now, the Wheel-Turning King singled Li Hao out to answer.
Hao Lianchuan was a deputy director of the Night Watchers, Liu Long was a veteran inspector, and as for Liu Yan... a woman's words were deemed unreliable, not to mention her grudge against Yama.
Li Hao, at least, appeared scholarly and gentle.
Li Hao frowned, glanced at him, and then looked at Hao Lianchuan. Hao Lianchuan remarked blandly, "Why look at me? You're a Night Watcher..."
"Shut up, Hao Lianchuan!"
The Wheel-Turning King barked, his gaze turning icy as he looked at Li Hao and said coldly, "Li Hao, tell us everything you experienced and saw... Furthermore, I hope you will accompany the others inside shortly to give it another try!"
Li Hao stared at him with furrowed brows for a while before answering, "It's very dangerous. If I die, I'm afraid you won't be able to shoulder the responsibility."
The Wheel-Turning King laughed.
"Are you referring to Yuan Shuo?"
Li Hao replied calmly, "No, I'm talking about Red Moon! Ask Ziyue whether Ying Hongyue would kill you if you got me killed."
"..."
Silence fell.
The Wheel-Turning King's eyes flickered, while not far away, Ziyue frowned slightly without offering any contradiction.
If Li Hao truly died here... it would bring considerable trouble.
Not from Yuan Shuo, but if the Wheel-Turning King got Li Hao killed, the Red Moon organization might genuinely refuse to let him off.
The Night Watchers were easy to bully, but Red Moon was not to be trifled with.
The Night Watchers sometimes had to follow rules and consider the bigger picture, but Red Moon needed neither.
Li Hao said evenly, "If you ask me, I can answer truthfully. But expecting a Hundred-Breaker like me to risk his life... that's impossible! So don't bother intimidating me."
The Wheel-Turning King chuckled with profound meaning. "At such a young age, you certainly have a sharp mind, actually using Red Moon to threaten me!"
Fascinating!
Not Yuan Shuo, not the Night Watchers—Li Hao had actually threatened him with Red Moon. Was it ridiculous?
Utterly ridiculous!
Yet despite that, this ridiculous threat was one the Wheel-Turning King had to take seriously.
"Tell me, then: what did you see and what happened when you entered the house earlier?"
Li Hao stated, "One hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy!"
"What?"
Thinking he had misheard, the Wheel-Turning King looked at Li Hao in astonishment.
Li Hao remained adamant, gritting his teeth. "One hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy! I want fire elemental! Only if you give it will I tell you... Major organizations like yours won't miss such a tiny amount of mysterious energy!"
"..."
The Wheel-Turning King laughed and suddenly said, "It doesn't matter if you won't talk... The Night Watchers can simply send someone on a trip!"
Hao Lianchuan looked at him and smiled. "Are you sure?"
The Wheel-Turning King frowned slightly. After a pause, he looked back at Li Hao. "As long as you answer truthfully, one hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy is nothing... However, we have no reserves of fire elemental. How about water elemental?"
Li Hao frowned. "Water elemental... I need fire elemental, the Heart Fire Ape..."
Reaching this point, he snapped his mouth shut.
Yet the others pricked up their ears.
They knew it had something to do with Spirit Nourishing. When Yuan Shuo erupted earlier, it was precisely with the Heart Fire Ape—a fiery power that seemed somewhat akin to supernatural abilities.
Sure enough, Li Hao needed fire elemental mysterious energy as well!
At this moment, everyone formed their own judgments... Once they got out, they had to report to their superiors to stockpile more fire elemental mysterious energy.
When the Heart Fire Ape appeared, everyone initially thought it was heavily tied to the Blood God Seed, but now it seemed fire elemental mysterious energy was also required.
The more Li Hao protested, the broader the Wheel-Turning King smiled. "We truly have no fire reserves. Water elemental works just as well. I'll give you a hundred and fifty cubic meters. Take it outside and trade with someone; you'll easily swap it for a hundred and fifty cubic meters of fire elemental mysterious energy.
"Of course, if you can't find a trade... exchange it with Hao Lianchuan. He's a fire elemental supernatural. If he saves up for a month or two without consuming any, providing you a hundred cubic meters will be effortless."
Li Hao looked disgruntled. He glanced at Hao Lianchuan, who gave a faint frown.
Realizing he couldn't wring out any more benefits, Li Hao sullenly muttered, "Hand it over!"
The next instant, an object resembling a human bone was tossed over.
Li Hao did not dare catch it and made no move to.
Seeing this, Hao Lianchuan cursed under his breath. Without a word, he reached out and caught it, examined it carefully, and then tossed it to Li Hao.
Only then did Li Hao speak: "After I entered, the interior of the house was pitch-black, and the space was far larger than what it appears from the outside!"
Li Hao recalled, "You can't tell direction, and you feel completely lost! And... and while walking, it feels as though someone is constantly watching you. Not only that, there's another feeling, as if countless tiny hands are stroking and touching you!"
Li Hao hesitated briefly before continuing, "In addition, I felt a sense of suffocation! A suffocating feeling in the darkness, as if something were trying to seal you away. I didn't understand it before, but now I suspect it might be meant to seal mysterious energy... or not necessarily a seal... more like all your pores are being clogged up. It's extremely uncomfortable! I'm a martial master, so the feeling wasn't very pronounced, but supernaturals might feel it more distinctly."
At this point, the Wheel-Turning King suddenly asked, "Did you encounter an attack?"
Li Hao shook his head. "No, nothing like that."
"How long did it take you to enter the outer city?"
"Not entirely sure. It felt like an instant... I didn't count the exact duration, and it's hard to calculate; it's difficult to gauge time in there."
"The three of you went in together? None of you were injured?"
"None!"
Li Hao shook his head. "We just felt a bit uncomfortable. Emerging from the house into the outer city was like swimming up from underwater—there was a feeling of surviving a disaster."
After the Wheel-Turning King asked a few questions, Ziyue suddenly piped up: "After entering the outer city, did you pass through the inner city gate?"
"The inner city gate?"
Li Hao shook his head. "No need. Those streets have many small alleys. Not long after entering, we ran into black-armored soldiers. Knowing how formidable they are, and since the Night Watchers had explained the dangers and Director Hao told us to avoid them, we left directly through an alley."
"Which alley?"
"Go inside, turn right past... six houses... either six or seven. Once you exit, you enter the Second Street, and outside looks like a teahouse..."
Ziyue furrowed her brows slightly, then asked in a deep voice, "Did only you martial masters go in? Did any supernaturals enter?"
She was wondering whether those who caused the supernatural fluctuations in the First Street earlier were related to these guys.
Li Hao shook his head. "No. If a supernatural went in, it'd be a near-certain death. Besides, how many of us entered was plainly visible to you behind us. Wouldn't you know if any supernaturals went missing?"
True enough!
Among the Night Watchers, only those three had disappeared; there had indeed been no supernaturals.
"Anything else?"
"Nothing!"
Li Hao shook his head.
As he shook his head, a hint of guilt flashed in his eyes, and he lowered his head—a look of someone avoiding eye contact.
The moment this expression appeared, the expressions of the Wheel-Turning King and the others shifted slightly. There was more!
This kid was definitely hiding something.
The Wheel-Turning King said in a dark, cold tone, "Li Hao, martial masters emphasize trustworthiness! You took my payment, so naturally you should hold nothing back. Although your teacher doesn't get along with us, he is still a man of his word. As a martial master and the final disciple of the Five Animals Sect, do you dare swear on your teacher's name that everything you said is the truth with nothing omitted?"
Li Hao raised his head, looking aggrieved. "Why should I swear? What good is an oath? Besides, my teacher is my teacher; why should I swear on him?"
He sounded rather annoyed. "Don't you find that childish? You are all powerful experts, yet you talk about swearing oaths... It's ridiculous!"
Ridiculous?
If it was ridiculous, why didn't you dare?
At this moment, Hong Yitang stirred the pot again with a smile. "Li Hao, don't pay it any mind. This time, we are still partners. Everyone is cooperating, and we all hope to enter the inner city! If this drags on and wastes time, we won't even be able to solve the outer city's trouble. If supernatural ripples can be concealed, that will also be good for the Night Watchers... Did you discover anything else?"
Li Hao fell silent.
Hong Yitang continued, "I saw that you've comprehended sword momentum and aren't far from Thousand-Battler. Do you plan to continue down the path of a martial master, or pursue the supernatural path?"
"Martial master!"
"A good thing!" Hong Yitang nodded and smiled. "I think Thousand-Battler isn't far off for you. As long as your sword momentum grows, you can step into it sooner or later. I have already abandoned the martial path. Earlier, I noticed you didn't have a good sword... If you don't mind, I'll gift you my Earth-Overturning Sword!"
Gifting a sword?
Li Hao was startled. The Earth-Overturning Sword... was no ordinary weapon!
It was the very sword that had made Hong Yitang famous!
Moreover, after he transitioned to a supernatural, he had modified it considerably. By now, the Earth-Overturning Sword could be considered an extraordinary item. Even if it hadn't reached the level of an Origin God Armament, it was far more powerful than ordinary extraordinary artifacts.
Giving it to me?
What the hell?
Even if this guy wanted to play peacemaker, there was no need to go this far!
The others were also surprised. Why was Hong Yitang giving away his sword at this moment?
The sword in Hong Yitang's hand floated toward Li Hao as Hong Yitang smiled. "I don't wish to see everyone bickering over a trivial matter and delaying more important business. Li Hao, this sword is temporarily good enough for you! Once you step into Spirit Nourishing... it probably won't suffice."
Then he added, "Tell us what you discovered so everyone can be prepared."
Li Hao hesitated, looking at the floating Earth-Overturning Sword before him. After a long moment, he mumbled, "Thank you, Martial Uncle Hong!"
"Martial Uncle" was a courteous term of address in the martial arts world.
The martial arts world was one family, and the Silver Moon martial arts world was likewise one family... even if this family fought and killed one another without a moment of peace.
"Out of respect for Martial Uncle Hong, I'll share what I found."
Li Hao said in a grave voice, "The moment I walked out of the house, I looked back. In the originally pitch-black room, a token suddenly emerged. Ancient characters were carved upon it, and I vaguely made out the character 'Wang'! In addition, a tortoise was carved onto the token, lifelike and vivid.
"I originally wanted to turn back and grab it... but when I looked again, it had already vanished."
Li Hao recalled and added, "Not only that, I felt a special power from that token... very unique! It's hard for me to describe specifically, but it felt vast, carrying the vastness of the starry sky, an invincible defense, and a destructive aura capable of obliterating everything!"
The moment these words left his mouth, Ziyue's expression shifted in the distance.
A special power!
She seemed to know what it was.
This place... was truly related to the Eight Great Families.
The vastness of the starry sky, invincible defense, and destructive power that shattered all things...
Her heart trembled.
This... might genuinely be a ruin of the Eight Great Families!
And Li Hao described it as though it were completely real, as if he had seen it with his own eyes. Even Hao Lianchuan was somewhat bewildered. *I told you to lie, not deceive yourself! Have you fooled yourself too?*
*Good heavens, listening to this, even I feel like it's real!*
*The details are so vivid!*
*What tortoise, what character 'Wang', what special energy... I never taught you any of this!*
*Impressive!*
The story Li Hao fabricated was too convincing. His description of that power could hardly be imagined by anyone who hadn't seen it before.
Yet both the Wheel-Turning King and Ziyue reacted noticeably.
Even the cloaked Feitian expert held his breath and listened intently.
The Three Great Organizations knew far more than the Night Watchers.
When Li Hao described these things, they all seemed to recall something.
At this moment, Ziyue felt an urge of urgency, but she suppressed it and pretended to remain calm. "You failed to obtain that token?"
Li Hao frowned. "No, but I had a feeling that if I could reach Thousand-Battler... and capture it using momentum, I might succeed!"
At this point, he hesitated again for a split second.
Ziyue caught it and hurriedly pressed, "What else?"
Li Hao fell silent for a moment, visibly irritated, and mumbled, "Nothing else."
He was definitely hiding more!
Seeing Ziyue's impatient look, Li Hao said testily, "Doesn't your Red Moon know better than I do? Why keep asking? In my view, there wasn't just one token—there were eight! Although I didn't see them clearly, I looked carefully and there might have been others in the darkness. There should be eight tokens in total. Getting them probably grants some special effect. As for what exactly, I don't know—your Red Moon probably knows better than me!"
Eight tokens!
Ziyue immediately clamped her mouth shut and asked no further.
The Eight Great Families!
This city was definitely connected to the Eight Great Families.
Not just her—everyone else came to the same realization at this moment.
No wonder Li Hao hadn't wanted to say anything.
Revealing this made his status as a descendant of the Eight Great Families appear all the more vital—a very dangerous situation. Hong Yitang seemed to realize this as well and gave Li Hao an apologetic look, whispering, "Li Hao, Martial Uncle didn't know this beforehand... Had I known, I wouldn't have asked you."
Li Hao replied gloomily, "It's fine! It's not like this is the first day they've been watching me anyway. I just feel that ancient house isn't simple... Whatever, you people are the ones going in, not me!"
Nearby, Hao Lianchuan also frowned, looked at the others, and finally said after a pause, "We... didn't discover any tokens earlier."
Did people believe him?
Perhaps they did!
If they hadn't seen them, it was likely related to Li Hao's bloodline.
Of course, nobody asked any further questions now.
What needed to be known had been learned.
As for the danger... they would only know by trying.
Li Hao sullenly retreated behind Hao Lianchuan. The long sword was only handed to Li Hao after Hao Lianchuan examined and stroked it several times.
Li Hao remained disgruntled.
One hundred and fifty cubic meters of water energy and an Earth-Overturning Sword in exchange for exposing his secret—he was still feeling a bit of regret!
Well... regret that he had asked for too little.
If he had asked for more, those fellows might have given it anyway.
To people like them, what did this amount to?
One hundred and fifty cubic meters of mysterious energy wasn't worth crap!
Li Hao inwardly cursed his modesty; he had demanded too little. The Earth-Overturning Sword had been an unexpected bonus. When Ziyue spoke up earlier, he should have asked her for a Blood God Seed refined from a blood shadow... He might have actually gotten one!
What a pity!
Beside him, Liu Long scolded in an extremely hushed whisper, "Idiot! Hong Yitang isn't necessarily a good person. How... how could you tell him all this? You fool, you're in danger now. Everyone will have their eyes on you!"
The voice was tiny, yet several Three Sols experts clearly seemed to have caught wind of it.
Hong Yitang's expression remained unchanged, as though he hadn't heard a thing.
Li Hao hung his head dejectedly.
After a while, he whispered back sullenly, "They pressured me to swear on my teacher. Members of the Five Animals Sect can die in battle, but we cannot let our masters be disgraced... I couldn't swear on my teacher, could I? Master saved me several times and risked his life to win opportunities for me. I... I couldn't bear to curse Master... Besides, there are gods between heaven and earth, and even Heaven-Blessed Divine Masters exist. If it really came true, how could I face Master?"
Liu Long sighed and said no more.
The surroundings fell quiet.
At this point, the Wheel-Turning King spoke: "Liu Long, was it? You went in once as well. How about the Night Watchers send Liu Long to enter with us this time?"
The Wheel-Turning King added, "Of course, we won't let anyone make the trip for nothing. Whether it's Liu Long or anyone else, whoever is willing to go in... as long as you make it out alive, you get one hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy each!"
At these words, many in the crowd felt tempted.
One hundred cubic meters?
What a generous offer!
Of course, for leaders of major factions like them, having people enter willingly was naturally best. They weren't afraid of spending money, but it all depended on whether these people could survive.
If they survived, they would talk.
This was far better than forcing them in, which might cause them to conceal critical information.
The Wheel-Turning King added, "Furthermore, whoever brings out that token... will be heavily rewarded! Hand it over to Yama, and Yama is willing to buy it at a high price... Everyone also understands that there are things you cannot carry away."
Everyone understood this.
Besides, they might not even be able to get it.
At this moment, a Solar Radiance expert who had survived from a minor organization spoke up: "Lord Wheel-Turning King, is it one hundred cubic meters for everyone who enters? If Lunar Nethers get that much, then what about Solar Radiance..."
The Wheel-Turning King smiled. "Two hundred cubic meters. That applies to all Solar Radiance experts who go in. How about that?"
"Your Lordship is wise!"
A smile broke across that Solar Radiance expert's face.
To a minor organization, two hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy was no small sum. He had only asked offhand and hadn't expected the other party to actually double it.
Generous!
Major organizations truly were formidable.
The Wheel-Turning King smiled again. "If you make it out alive... joining Yama isn't out of the question! Yama welcomes all unaffiliated members to join us!"
Hearing this, more rogue cultivators felt their hearts stir.
Yama was one of the Three Great Organizations.
Back in the early days, the Three Great Organizations recruited indiscriminately, but as supernaturals rose in power, stabilized, and grew in number, organizations like Yama had established strict rules and numerous requirements for recruiting.
For members of minor organizations like them, joining the Three Great Organizations was by no means simple.
Feitian remained silent, and Ziyue couldn't be bothered to say anything.
They would talk after people made it out!
Besides, even if someone joined Yama here... they would most likely just become cannon fodder. Only by making it out alive could one hope to become an official member, so the others didn't care to intervene.
The Wheel-Turning King spoke once more: "Now, is anyone willing to enter the house to test it?"
After some hesitation, three or four rogue cultivators stepped forward.
The Wheel-Turning King added, "Yama, Feitian, Red Moon—is no one willing to go?"
He continued, "If members of the Three Great Organizations go in, the reward is doubled!"
At that, people from the Three Great Organizations stepped forward after all. Clearly, the Wheel-Turning King preferred Yama's own people to emerge alive and provide them with more intelligence.
It was just that he hadn't forced the matter this time.
Opposite them, Liu Long said in a deep voice, "I went in once. I don't want to go in again... nor will it serve any purpose!"
The Wheel-Turning King replied calmly, "What if... I insist that you go in?"
If sweet talk failed, force would do!
He turned to Hao Lianchuan. "If Liu Long is unwilling, then have a few supernaturals from the Night Watchers go in with them!"
Hao Lianchuan frowned. "On what grounds?"
"On the grounds that you didn't mention this passage earlier!"
The Wheel-Turning King said coldly, "And on the grounds that you, Hao Lianchuan, need our cooperation to assault the inner city together!"
Hao Lianchuan cursed under his breath. He had no choice but to look at Liu Long and say, "Liu Long... you... make another trip inside! When you return, I will reward you with one hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy on behalf of the Night Watchers!"
Liu Long frowned, but nodded nonetheless. "Understood, orders will be obeyed!"
Director Hao was his superior; since he put it that way, Liu Long raised no objections.
However, he looked at the Wheel-Turning King and said, "I need two hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy, paid right now! I don't trust you. And... I want water energy!"
He stared at the Wheel-Turning King. *I want water energy! Will you give it?*
As for whether he truly needed water energy—Li Hao had just asked for fire energy and was refused. Would the man now do the reverse and give him fire energy instead?
The Wheel-Turning King laughed. "You want water energy? As it happens, the rest went to Li Hao; you can trade with him... I only have earth, wind, and metal energy left on my end. It's all the same, makes no difference!"
*Whatever you want, that's precisely what I won't give!*
With that, he tossed out several items, all containing copious mysterious energy. Some were stained with blood; clearly, when people died fighting on the plaza earlier, he had been the strongest and gathered some of their bones directly.
Putting waste to use—he didn't need these anyway, and they had come at zero cost.
Liu Long frowned and said nothing further.
He simply handed the items to Li Hao and whispered, "If I don't make it out, take good care of our other Silver City brothers for me!"
Li Hao nodded heavily.
Soon, with Liu Long included, a ten-man team was formed.
Four rogue cultivators, plus Liu Long, one person each from the Three Great Organizations and Sword Gate, and another person also from Sword Gate... who happened to be a martial master at the Hundred-Breaker level. Aside from Liu Long, everyone else was a supernatural.
Clearly, they also wanted to test the difference between supernaturals and martial masters.
Sword Gate had dispatched two people this time, though neither was exceptionally strong. Martial masters were few in number to begin with.
They didn't choose to enter one by one. Sending them in one at a time might have been safer, but it would be far too slow, and it would be difficult to distinguish the variables—was it the supernatural influence, mere luck, a difference between martial masters and supernaturals, or differences among ability systems?
The ten people they selected had distinct attributes.
There were metal, earth, wood, lightning, and water elementals...
In short, none were duplicates.
The leaders of the major organizations hoped to test and identify the differences in a single attempt.
...
A trace of worry showed in Li Hao's eyes; he was concerned something might happen to Liu Long.
This place might very well be a trap!
However, Hao Lianchuan's voice sounded in his ear: "It's fine. We tested it before; this place is rather peculiar. The survival rate for martial masters is extremely high, and for supernaturals, it isn't actually low... Put it this way: the weaker the supernatural, the higher the survival rate! The stronger they are, the lower the survival rate! If these fellows are truly tempted, believing they'll be fine because low-tier supernaturals made it out alive, or even get greedy for that token... that would be ideal! If we can't secure the Origin God Armament this time, getting these people killed is also a win."
He had already prepared for this.
If they couldn't enter the inner city... then they would weaken the Three Great Organizations' strength.
If Ziyue and her ilk dared enter, their survival rate would be abysmally low.
Li Hao said nothing.
He merely watched in silence. Ahead, Liu Long took the lead without a word, marching straight into the ancient house. He possessed the courage of a martial master; since things had come to this, he would simply go in.
What was there to fear!
He vanished into the darkness without a sound. The others were somewhat frightened, but at the thought of the rewards... the remaining nine people quickly rushed into the ancient house as well.
Silence!
Not a sound emerged. Several experts scanned the area, but detected nothing.
No sound leaked out... yet the very next instant, a bloodcurdling scream rang out!
Everyone frowned!
What a bizarre house. If sound could escape, it should have been constant, yet sound only carried through when someone screamed... Was it deliberately manufacturing a sense of dread?
That scream belonged to a rogue cultivator.
He had likely died!
Everyone thought so inwardly, their expressions impassive, unperturbed by a death.
It was just a rogue cultivator; even if all of them died, it was within expectations.
After a while, another scream rang out.
After that, there was no more sound.
After an unknown length of time, silhouettes seemed to appear on the street behind the ancient house.
Gazing through that faint, translucent protective film, everyone's eyes flickered.
They were out!
The next moment, those silhouettes sprinted outward toward the plaza—this had also been the prior arrangement: as long as they survived, they were to come out immediately!
Several members of the major organizations even carried special missions.
To test the reactions of the black-armored soldiers!
Without a word, the Wheel-Turning King strode directly toward the plaza, and the others hurried to keep pace.
The location wouldn't move, so there was no need to worry.
They cared far more about whether the survivors had obtained the token or any other treasures.
Li Hao breathed a slight sigh of relief. He hadn't heard Liu Long's voice, which meant the captain was likely safe.
It seemed only two had died... The mortality rate really wasn't that high.
It made Hao Lianchuan's earlier claim of "nine chances of death out of ten" seem rather exaggerated!
It also proved that the man had been deliberately trying to scare people!
...
Moments later, the group arrived outside the plaza.
Before long, a figure took the lead, sprinting rapidly toward them—it was Liu Long. He dared not linger in the city; after emerging on that side, he immediately dashed back.
Not just him—behind him, several silhouettes bolted forward at extreme speed.
Every one of them ran faster than rabbits.
Soon, these people appeared on the plaza. Seeing them about to step out, Hao Lianchuan quickly shouted, "Do not step out recklessly! Once you emerge, the protective layer covering you will vanish! If you want to shield your supernatural aura again, you'll have to walk through it once more! This thing doesn't last indefinitely; it remains active within the city, but disappears once you exit!"
The other supernaturals hesitated in fear, but Liu Long ignored him entirely and walked straight out.
He was a martial master and hadn't felt any protective film to begin with.
Walking out directly was all that mattered!
He had no desire to stay inside.
Meanwhile, another person ran outward from within the city—a Lunar Nether Moon Overflow expert from Red Moon, his face flushed with excitement.
He bolted all the way to the edge of the plaza, panting and frightened, and whispered, "My lady!"
Ziyue nodded slightly and said gravely, "Speak directly!"
There were people from all major organizations present anyway; there was nothing to conceal.
The man said excitedly, "My lady... I... I just approached within about ten meters of a black-armored soldier and intentionally used some supernatural power... and... and that soldier really didn't react!"
At these words, everyone's heart skipped a beat.
Using supernatural powers within a ten-meter radius, and the soldier genuinely didn't react.
Ziyue instinctively stepped toward the plaza to investigate the difference, but Hao Lianchuan whispered, "If you enter now, that silver warrior has memorized your aura and might charge over immediately to slaughter you!"
Ziyue frowned and held her tongue.
That was indeed possible!
She looked at her subordinate and said, "Step outside!"
Following her orders, the subordinate quickly stepped out. The instant he emerged, Ziyue enveloped him in lightning energy. In that split second, Ziyue sensed something different: the moment he stepped out, he had felt connected to the ground beneath him, much like those suits of armor, but that connection severed the instant he crossed the boundary!
"The ground?"
She looked down at the earth, and Hao Lianchuan nodded.
Everyone understood at once. It appeared this protective layer originated from the earth. Perhaps like those black-armored soldiers, passing through that house granted the protection of the earth.
However, stepping out meant severing the connection to the earth, causing the protective film to dissipate, requiring another trip through the house to regain it.
"What did you feel?"
"That house... was pitch-black, pretty much as Li Hao described, but... I didn't see any token."
The man explained, glancing at Li Hao with a hint of doubt.
The others, however, didn't care. It was normal for Li Hao to see it, and normal for this man not to.
The bloodline of the Eight Great Families might truly be unique.
"Did you encounter any danger?"
"A bit of danger..." The man recalled with lingering fear, "Halfway through, it felt like someone threw a sack over my head... which was probably the process of forming that protective film... I felt like I was suffocating, but it soon faded, and then I came out."
"Any other discoveries?"
"None."
Ziyue frowned slightly and continued waiting.
A short while later, the rest emerged.
Eight had made it out alive; two had died.
One was a rogue cultivator, and the other was from Yama... The Wheel-Turning King nearly vomited blood in fury. Another one from Yama!
"Two dead: one Moon Overflow, one Full Moon. One fire elemental, one lightning elemental..."
Ziyue noted, pondering before saying, "Was it because their offensive nature was too strong? But the metal elemental survived..."
Speaking of offensive power, metal was even sharper than fire.
And the metal elemental was still breathing!
Still, it was an undeniable fact that offensive-type supernaturals suffered greater casualties.
Moreover, none of the eight had spotted any token.
Had anyone else claimed it, it might have been dismissed as a lie, but coming from Li Hao, everyone believed it might truly exist—these people simply lacked sufficient strength, luck, or perhaps the correct bloodline.
"It truly can shield supernatural ripples!" the Wheel-Turning King said. "What should we do now? Should everyone take that route?"
The risk was substantial: a twenty percent casualty rate.
Hao Lianchuan frowned. "I'm not going! Choosing life or death based on sheer luck—I'd rather rely on my own strength! Even if those soldiers kill me, I'll accept it. If you want to go, go yourselves; in any case, I'm not going, and the Night Watchers aren't allowed to go either... If necessary, those below Solar Radiance can take that route, while Solar Radiance experts all have the strength to put up a fight!"
Among the Night Watchers, some scratched their heads.
If supernatural ripples couldn't be shielded while everyone else managed to conceal theirs, the Night Watchers would be in grave danger!
Yet since their director had spoken, nobody could openly contradict him.
When the time came, the Night Watchers might suffer even heavier losses... or even be used as meat shields by the others, since the soldiers would inevitably discover the Night Watchers first.
Still, some agreed that relying on strength was better than gambling on luck.
At this moment, the Wheel-Turning King said, "It's voluntary! However, those who don't take that passage and emit heavy supernatural ripples will form another team to draw the black-armored soldiers' attention and create opportunities for the rest... The Night Watchers have no objection to this, right?"
Just as Hao Lianchuan was about to refuse, the Wheel-Turning King stated coldly, "Both paths carry risks! Taking the second passage has its dangers, and acting as target bait has its dangers too. If you feel being bait is more dangerous, then take the second passage!"
He looked across the assembly. "No exceptions for anyone! Those who stay here will serve as bait to draw the black-armored soldiers' attention! Those who take the second passage will follow orders, launch surprise attacks from the shadows, and flank the powerful enemy in coordination with the bait out front! Unless we clear out these black-armored soldiers, this exploration will be a failure!"
This plan was actually quite reasonable.
Each option had its own risks.
Hao Lianchuan considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough! The Night Watchers will not take the second passage... Anyone unwilling to go can join us!"
The major organizations began deliberating. Before long, the crowd split into two teams.
Currently, there were roughly one hundred and fifty people left.
Around eighty-odd people—a little over half—chose to take the second passage. Among the Three Sols experts, only a few chose to take it.
Yaocheng from Yama, Ziyue from Red Moon, and Hong Yitang from Sword Gate.
Only these three chose the second passage. Neither of Feitian's two Three Sols experts took it, nor did Sword Gate's female Three Sols expert, and the Wheel-Turning King stayed behind as well.
Li Hao was somewhat surprised.
Hadn't they all been clamoring to go earlier?
The Wheel-Turning King had actually chosen to remain.
Of course, perhaps it was to keep the Night Watchers in check; who knew?
As for Ziyue choosing the passage, Li Hao guessed it was because she was injured, coupled with the fact that the silver warrior had kept his eyes on her and hacked at her for a long time earlier. She likely feared that her obvious supernatural ripples would cause that monster to relentlessly target her again.
At this moment, Li Hao silently prayed... *Die!*
It wouldn't pain him in the slightest if every last one of them died in there.
Of course, according to Hao Lianchuan, the stronger one was, the higher the mortality rate, but that didn't mean there was no chance of survival. Hao Lianchuan had likely walked through it himself. Li Hao hadn't asked, but if the man had survived it, that meant Three Sols experts still had a shot at making it through alive.
"We split into two routes. Once you enter, conceal yourselves quickly and wait until our side steps in to draw the black-armored soldiers' attention... Ziyue, you leaders will secretly lead your team to strike, pinching them from front and rear. That silver warrior is our primary target; drive as many black-armored soldiers out of the outer city as possible... That way, even if the silver warrior remains unharmed, without an army to coordinate with, he won't be much of a threat!"
The Wheel-Turning King laid out the arrangements, then added, "Furthermore... do not recklessly approach the inner city. There might be greater rewards... but there may also be greater dangers! This ruin is clearly not comparable to previous ones; do not throw your lives away for a moment of greed! If you still haven't appeared one minute after we engage... we will choose to retreat!"
He couldn't afford to create opportunities for them unchecked. Even though Yaocheng was among them, he had to remain on guard.
If no reinforcements appeared after a minute, they would retreat, and the returning black armor would certainly turn on those inside.
Ziyue sneered, "Lunzhuan, don't assume everyone is as despicable as you!"
"Just taking precautions!"
The Wheel-Turning King said no more. With the plan finalized, Ziyue led her group toward the passage.
Those remaining behind only needed to wait. Once the other group was inside, someone would come deliver word, and that would be the moment to launch the attack.
...
Everyone waited in silence.
At this time, Hu Dingfang also walked over to Li Hao's side, glanced at him, and said expressionlessly, "Shortly, stay close to me, but not too close... It will be quite dangerous!"
Li Hao nodded.
Hu Dingfang shot him a glance and said nothing further; as long as this kid didn't run around blindly, it would be fine.
Li Hao and the others settled into waiting.
They were somewhat looking forward to the results over there.
The others hoped they survived... Li Hao wished they would all drop dead.
Roughly ten minutes passed. Within the city, a dark shadow flickered repeatedly as a cloaked figure dashed over swiftly—it was someone from Feitian, which had also sent a few people inside.
The messenger's breath was ragged and heavy. Halting near the edge of the plaza, he whispered hurriedly, "Things aren't good... Lord Yaocheng of Yama didn't make it out... Lady Ziyue's injuries seem even worse... Sect Master Hong appears mostly fine..."
At these words, the Wheel-Turning King's aura violently surged!
What?
Yaocheng was dead?
The Wheel-Turning King nearly exploded with rage. How could that be!
Yaocheng was a Three Sols expert; he had vanished just like that without a sound?
"In addition, aside from the lords... the casualties were heavy. Twenty-two died, and only sixty made it out alive..."
A twenty-five percent loss!
Was it worth it?
It was hard to say whether it had been worth it. Everyone had chosen freely, and deaths were inevitable, but nobody had anticipated losing a Three Sols expert.
The Wheel-Turning King's face turned ashen!
Yaocheng was dead; as for the others... he didn't give a damn.
Damn it all!
From the moment they entered until now, Yama had suffered catastrophic losses.
Suppressing the turmoil in his chest, he said in a heavy voice after a long pause, "Understood!"
Around him, the surviving Yama experts also looked grim.
Aside from Red Moon, Yama had suffered the most grievous losses this time.
Taking a deep breath, the Wheel-Turning King looked at the others. "Hu Dingfang... Hao Lianchuan... are you all ready?"
"Ready at any time!"
"Then... let's move!"
They had to dispose of these black-armored soldiers as quickly as possible.
The next moment, experts strode directly onto the plaza. Supernatural energy surged from their bodies, sweeping through the entire city in a formidable tide.
In the blink of an eye, the silver warrior manifested, while beneath his feet, black-armored and bronze-armored soldiers converged toward this direction at terrifying speed.
The battle was about to begin once more!
...
Inside the city.
In a narrow alley, Ziyue looked deathly pale, and Hong Yitang was equally pale. Both Three Sols experts felt a pang of regret.
Even they couldn't clearly explain what had transpired inside that house.
Not only had Yaocheng perished, but both of them had suffered severe injuries.
What pained Ziyue even more was that her Thunder God Armor had suffered catastrophic damage; she could no longer manifest it and could only nourish it inside her body. That was the true source of her anguish.
Without the Thunder God Armor, her combat prowess would take a heavy hit. Previously, her defense had been extraordinary, but now, it was greatly weakened!
Yet despite her heartache, a faint smile appeared on Ziyue's lips when she saw the silver warrior fly off.
Sure enough, it truly worked.
Otherwise, being closer to the entity, it would have flown straight at her. Though they had paid a steep price, the ensuing trouble now belonged to the Wheel-Turning King and his team.
"Wait one minute before we move!" Ziyue transmitted her voice to Hong Yitang. One minute... they would let those fellows shoulder the pressure and suffer a few casualties first.
She added via voice transmission, "Did you see the token?"
Hong Yitang remained silent for a moment before replying, "There seemed to be one... but it felt separated by a layer. Did Leader Ziyue see it as well?"
"I saw a flash of golden light... Whether it was a token is hard to say."
The two ceased their conversation.
However, they were certain that a treasure lay inside that house. Unfortunately, they couldn't obtain it. Ziyue was already pondering whether she should find an opportunity later to capture Li Hao and force him to enter and investigate.
In the distance, roars and explosions echoed.
The great battle had erupted!
Only after the battle had raged for a short while did the group, led by Ziyue and Hong Yitang, quietly creep closer.
Their concealed supernatural auras gave them the perfect chance to mount a sneak attack.
...
Gripping the Earth-Overturning Sword, Li Hao slashed out, knocking a black-armored soldier several paces back.
Chaos reigned.
Fighting was everywhere!
The black armor was numerous, but several Three Sols experts were no pushovers either. Brazenly aggressive this time, they charged directly into the formation!
Hu Dingfang and the Wheel-Turning King joined hands to tie down the silver warrior, while the remaining Three Sols experts charged straight into the ranks, relentlessly batting the black-armored soldiers outward!
Still, there were simply too many black-armored soldiers.
With the earth's reinforcement bolstering their defense, only Three Sols experts held a clear upper hand; even Solar Radiance experts couldn't gain much ground. On top of that, eight bronze-armored soldiers caused no small amount of trouble.
If no reinforcements arrived right now, they would be forced to retreat once more.
Li Hao paid no heed to the broader chaos. He simply swung his sword repeatedly, channeling his sword momentum.
These black-armored soldiers were the best practice targets!
He didn't care whether he damaged their armor; sword strike followed sword strike. It had to be said that Hong Yitang's Earth-Overturning Sword was remarkably formidable. With this blade in hand, whenever Li Hao slashed, the earth trembled.
Nor was there any sign of the sword threatening to shatter under the infusion of sword momentum, unlike before.
What a truly generous man!
Li Hao was currently accumulating momentum, using these black-armored soldiers as whetstones.
Screams drifted into his ears, but Li Hao ignored them.
At such a juncture, looking after oneself was priority enough.
Amid the chaos, he clutched a bone in one hand, running the Five Animals Breathing Art. It was the bone the Wheel-Turning King had given him earlier. Water energy continuously surged into his body. He wasn't the only one doing this; as supernatural energy depleted during battle, others were replenishing theirs as well.
Li Hao's actions didn't appear out of place at all.
*I asked the Wheel-Turning King for fire energy, but he insisted on giving water energy...* Li Hao had been quite disgruntled, especially since the man had thrown in an extra fifty cubic meters. Providing so much water energy strengthened his kidneys; if he suddenly crossed into Thousand-Battler... wouldn't that cause trouble?
With so many people around, breaking through to Thousand-Battler ought to be done discreetly.
Thus, Li Hao exercised relative restraint.
Even if his Five Elements were balanced, he still had to hold back.
These black-armored soldiers were strong, but their ability to distinguish targets was truly abysmal, relying entirely on supernatural ripples and sound. Li Hao began experimenting with other methods against them, such as launching them into the air with his sword!
He was testing how to flip someone into the sky in an instant, and these soldiers were the ideal targets.
One soldier after another was sent flying!
Li Hao was having the time of his life... Whenever real danger arose, he edged toward Hao Lianchuan. Hu Dingfang had told him to stay close, but Hu Dingfang was fighting the silver warrior; Li Hao was not about to run over and seek his own death.
Balancing the five viscera, strengthening his inner force, Li Hao began training his Nine Refinements Force again...
A minute slipped by in the blink of an eye.
At that moment, powerful supernatural energies suddenly erupted from the rear!
Lacking any supernatural ripples beforehand, not even the silver warrior had detected their approach. In an instant, black-armored soldiers were sent flying through the air, blasted clean out of the city.
*Boom!*
Only now did the silver warrior seem to register fury. His greatsword cleaved frantically, forcing both the Wheel-Turning King and Hu Dingfang to back away, while from the rear, Ziyue and her group charged furiously into the battlefield.
Black-armored soldiers were knocked into the air one after another.
For the first time in their clashes, the outside supernaturals gained the upper hand, smashing the black-armored legion into utter disarray.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Suits of black armor crashed outside the plaza. Soon, they lost all power, collapsing motionless upon the ground.
At this moment, the silver warrior appeared genuinely enraged, letting out a series of furious roars—spine-chilling, somewhat stiff, yet heard by everyone. He truly seemed to be bellowing!
"Pin him down!" Hao Lianchuan bellowed.
Over there, the Wheel-Turning King also roared, "Quick, crush these black-armored soldiers and come help us!"
The silver warrior went mad!
Reckless and frantic, he brought his greatsword crashing down strike after strike!
Below, the number of black-armored soldiers dwindled rapidly.
Just then, the silver warrior roared again. Within the ranks, several bronze-armored soldiers swiftly retreated, escorting a portion of the black-armored soldiers with them. Though most were intercepted, some still managed to escape.
"They can retreat?"
Someone gasped in shock. These creatures actually knew how to flee?
Unbelievable!
*Rumble!*
The others paid no heed to their retreat, pressing the attack relentlessly. The remaining black-armored soldiers continuously lost power until the ground outside was piled high with inert suits of armor.
These spoils alone were enough to make the major organizations grin from ear to ear!
The trip through the second passage had not been in vain.
Though some had died, without their silent ambush, there would have been no way to easily pincer and crush these black-armored soldiers from both sides.
For a time, morale soared across the entire battlefield.
Chapter 93