The City Gate Opens

Li Hao was contemplating life. The squabbling beside him showed no signs of stopping. He glanced sideways. Several Three Sols experts were still agonizing over who should enter first and whether they should take the second passage. Just then, Hao Lianchuan spoke up. "Things have come to this, so someone will have to make a trip through the second passage, though I won't force anyone. My suggestion is to leave everyone else out of it. Just let Lunzhuan, Hu Dingfang, and Dingchen go!" Why these three? One person from each of the Night Patrollers, Yama, and Feitian was enough. Sword Gate and Red Moon were already covered by Ziyue and Hong Yitang. That way—to put it bluntly—even if all three of them died, the Night Patrollers and Feitian would still have Three Sols experts holding the fort outside. At that point, things wouldn't spin entirely out of control. Hu Dingfang said nothing. Traversing the passage was naturally more suited to him. He had started as a martial master, possessed greater strength, and carried no Origin God Armaments... He knew the Fire Phoenix Spear was with Hao Lianchuan; if Hao Lianchuan died in there, the Fire Phoenix Spear might be lost for good, never to be found. The Wheel-Turning King wanted to seize the treasure, so he had no choice but to go. In any case, whether he lived or died, he was a lone man with no family to feed; the remaining three Yama Solar Radiance experts would just have to fend for themselves. Hao Lianchuan looked toward Hong Yitang again. "Sword Master Hong, your strength falls short of Ziyue's. Contending with her won't be easy... Why don't you and your wife join forces with me and that Feitian expert to keep Ziyue in check and wait until the others come out before deciding..." Hong Yitang nodded, having no objections. Entering alone to vie for treasure with Ziyue carried far too much danger. Fishing in troubled waters was fine, but taking on that woman by himself was too risky. With things laid bare like this, the group pondered for a moment and found little reason to disagree. Even the Wheel-Turning King was confident. Yaocheng had died inside, but hadn't Ziyue and Hong Yitang made it back out? Though Ziyue was injured, her Thunder God Armor had already been damaged beforehand. Compared to her, he held a greater advantage. Hao Lianchuan turned his gaze back toward the Night Patrollers, also casting a look over the experts of the various factions. "As for the rest of you... I suggest it would be best for you to leave tonight at midnight!" "Staying here moving forward will be very dangerous for you!" Without waiting for anyone to respond, he addressed the Night Patrollers' side: "Old Zhou, lead a group out first and transport the black armor back. As for those willing to stay of their own accord, I won't force you. After all, I can't rob you of your opportunities! Who knows, maybe there will be fortuitous encounters once inside the city? If anyone wishes to take the second passage, I won't stop you either, but each person must take responsibility for their own life!" He did not enforce a blanket rule. As supernaturals, everyone fantasized about soaring to the heavens in a single bound, obtaining a supreme treasure, and becoming an invincible powerhouse. The Night Patrollers were no exception! If you were willing to stay, then be prepared to die. A slight stir rippled through the crowd. Stay? Or leave? At that moment, Li Hao looked toward Liu Yan and Liu Long. Liu Long frowned slightly and glanced at Li Hao. In a low voice, Li Hao said, "I won't be going out for now. Going out right now might cause a lot of trouble... I'll wait until General Hu and Director Hao leave, then go out together with them. At least that means having two more Three Sols experts around." If he went out now, there was no telling how many people were waiting for him outside. Besides... he didn't want to leave. While he entertained a few thoughts about the treasure, they weren't particularly strong. He wanted to wait until everyone had entered the city, then stay at the city gate to examine those two characters and study them. In Li Hao's eyes, that was far better than any treasure. So he had already prepared his excuse. When Hao Lianchuan and the others looked in his direction, Li Hao spoke up: "Director... do as you see fit. The rest of you don't need to mind me either. I won't take the second passage, nor will I enter the city... I'll just wait here for you. How does that sound?" Everyone froze. Li Hao wasn't leaving, but he wasn't entering the city either... What was he going to do, then? The next instant, as if realizing something, Hao Lianchuan explained, "Director Hou is outside. No one will dare touch you!" Li Hao smiled. "I'm not familiar with Director Hou, but I know Director Hao much better. If there's anyone among the Night Patrollers I can truly rely on... it has to be Director Hao!" He then looked toward Hu Dingfang and said softly, "General Hu is righteous and possesses extraordinary might. With the two of you around, I... can feel much more at ease!" Hearing this brought a pleasant itch to both Hao Lianchuan and Hu Dingfang. Truth be told, even if they suspected Li Hao might not be entirely sincere, just listening to it... how delightfully it hit the spot! Seeing this, Liu Long spoke up as well. "Then I will stay here to protect Li Hao." Turning to Liu Yan, he said, "Liu Yan, head out with Director Zhou and the others!" Liu Yan's objective for coming this time had already been accomplished; Li Dahu was dead. Her strength was insufficient, and continuing to stay carried far too much danger. Liu Yan said nothing, making no pretentious fuss about staying behind to live and die together—that would only drag them down. She nodded briskly, looked at the two of them, and said softly, "Then I'll head out first!" Beside them, Wang Ming sidled over, chuckling. "Li Hao, I'll stay behind too to protect you! By the way, do you think I should take the second passage?" He was also pondering it. He was very young and had stepped into Solar Radiance, yet he hadn't really played much of a role here. Now, he felt somewhat unwilling to accept that. Yet entering the city... truth be told, was indeed too perilous. Without taking the second passage, one couldn't fly, making even escaping difficult. Li Hao shot him a glance. "Suit yourself... but it's very dangerous. Think it through." Wang Ming fell into internal conflict and went silent for the moment. Meanwhile, the other factions were also conferring in low voices. A portion of the people definitely had to leave. And they would leave carrying the black armor! They had captured quite a bit of black armor this time. Although the Battle Heaven Army had unleashed a final burst that led all remaining black-armored warriors to self-destruct, the armor seized beforehand... actually contained no residual consciousness whatsoever. Those black-armored soldiers had died countless ages ago. Leaving now meant a day or two had passed since they entered; by nightfall, it would be exactly two days. People from the various factions would likely have arrived in Silver Moon, so they wouldn't lack support once outside. Soon, the factions reached their decisions. Of the remaining twenty-some people on the Night Patrollers' side, not all chose to depart; a portion decided to stay. At the Solar Radiance realm, two did not leave... counting Wang Ming, exactly three. Deputy Director Zhou, at peak metal element, did not leave. Zhao Huan, at mid-tier earth element, did not leave, alongside Wang Ming. Deputy Director Zhou of the metal element could even hold off a Three Sols expert in a critical moment. Zhao Huan of the earth element was likely staying to guard against the emergence of entities like the Battle Heaven Army again, allowing him to isolate threats from the ground in time or even attempt earth-burrowing here. Aside from Wang Ming, the other two staying behind were useful, and this had likely been discussed with Hao Lianchuan. As for the Lunar Nether level... Li Hao didn't even need to look to know Zhang Ting definitely wasn't leaving. With such a major event unfolding, it would be strange if she didn't stay! Whether as a spy or an informant for the central region, this ancient ruined city was now beyond imagination. If she didn't stay to observe, even if she didn't personally snatch treasures, she needed to know who took the ultimate prize and what it was, so she could report back to her superiors. Aside from her, a few other Lunar Nethers also chose to stay... Danger comes hand in hand with opportunity, as everyone had heard. Of course, they didn't know there was another line that followed. Opportunity... also requires formidable strength! Hao Lianchuan did not dissuade them. Severing someone's path to opportunity was like killing their parents—both bred the same level of hatred. As long as these people didn't care about their own lives, he wouldn't stop them. On Sword Gate's side, surprisingly, everyone withdrew except for Hong Yitang! That even included his Three Sols wife! Li Hao gave it some thought and understood. Sword Gate... had no superior organization backing them. If the Three Sols expert didn't go out, then the others leaving with the black armor... would truly be sitting ducks! With his wife heading out, the worst-case scenario was that she could choose to align with a faction. A Three Sols expert still held decent status, whether in Silver Moon or the central region. It had to be said that Hong Yitang had considerable boldness. Right on the verge of entering the city, he had his wife lead the others away first. Even if he fell here, Sword Gate would not easily collapse. Handled properly, even if they couldn't keep the black armor, selling it to the Three Great Organizations or the Night Patrollers would still yield a tidy sum of mysterious energy—provided they could protect it until then. On Red Moon's side, everyone below Solar Radiance pulled out. None of the Solar Radiance experts left, though there weren't many to begin with—only four. On Yama's side, only one person left, tasked with escorting the black armor away, while the remaining two stayed behind. As for Feitian, of their thirteen remaining experts, six left this time, and the remaining seven were all Solar Radiance... Their strength was truly not weak; clearly, Feitian still harbored ambitions. They had two Three Sols experts who weren't the strongest, but combined with these seven Solar Radiances... they still had a shot at the prize! With that, deliberations concluded. On the Night Patrollers' side, two Three Sols experts stayed, along with three Solar Radiances, five Lunar Nethers including Zhang Ting, plus Li Hao and Liu Long—a total of twelve people, the largest group. Feitian came second, leaving nine. Red Moon, Yama, and Sword Gate together also totaled nine, with Sword Gate having only Hong Yitang remaining. At this moment, exactly thirty people were confirmed to be staying behind; the rest would all depart. Hao Lianchuan cast a few glances at the Lunar Nethers who stayed... Truth be told, for these people to remain now meant they were either utterly greedy or... informants and spies who didn't want to leave before the situation became clear. Look at the Three Great Organizations; they only dared let Solar Radiances stay. The Night Patrollers, on the other hand, had five Lunar Nethers staying behind. Leaving Zhang Ting aside, Hao Lianchuan actually knew one of the other four was a spy. He didn't know which faction they belonged to, but they likely came from the official administration. Quite possibly from the General Administration Department! So regarding their decision to stay... he didn't care. You walk the path you choose. If you die, don't blame anyone else! Look at Sword Gate—even their Three Sols expert had withdrawn. They clearly understood how dangerous the next phase would be. Anyone with eyes could see that once the treasure truly appeared, a battle among Three Sols experts would be inevitable. To dare stay was to dare die. He wasn't worried about the others, but he was somewhat concerned about Li Hao. Li Hao... was still too weak. The fellow claimed going outside was dangerous, but Hao Lianchuan felt that with Hou Xiaochen around, any danger wouldn't be excessive. Staying here... was far more dangerous! ... Hao Lianchuan walked over to Li Hao, taking advantage of the others' distraction to frown and say in a low voice, "You'd better leave... Director Hou can protect you. Don't worry, if Director Hou couldn't even settle minor troubles, Silver Moon would have fallen into chaos long ago!" "I don't trust him, and I'm not familiar with him. In the Night Patrollers, I only trust Director Hao!" Li Hao spoke resolutely, adding, "I won't enter the city! You all go grab what you want; I'll just wait at the city gate. If a Three Sols comes out, I'm a martial master—if I hide, a Three Sols won't go out of their way to waste time hunting me down... Unless Director Hao and General Hu both die, I'm actually very safe!" Thinking about it, that made sense too. This kid really had a foul mouth—who said anything about dying?! Hao Lianchuan stopped trying to persuade him and glanced at Liu Long. Liu Long was a Thousand-Battler martial master; as long as he didn't get involved in the Three Sols clash, he was capable of self-preservation among Solar Radiances. Besides, most others would likely enter the city, so staying outside... wasn't all that dangerous. Nodding, he said no more. Soon, the crowd began to withdraw. Hao Lianchuan had his own task: keeping watch on Ziyue alongside Hong Yitang and Kong Qi to prevent her from entering the city alone, while Hu Dingfang and the others prepared to traverse the second passage. ... They withdrew, but Li Hao did not leave. Even Liu Long left with them... he had to. Liu Long had traversed the second passage, so if he didn't leave, everyone would worry he might slip into the city alone. Li Hao didn't matter; after all, he hadn't cleared the second passage, so even if given the chance, he couldn't fly inside. Aside from Li Hao, several supernaturals who hadn't entered the second passage also chose to stay behind. Including Wang Ming! Wang Ming was dragging his feet, feeling reluctant and sullen. "Li Hao, tell me, should I go try it? But Director Hao said I'd better not go in. My advancement is too recent, so my supernatural energy is unstable. If I go in, there's a ninety-nine percent mortality rate." "He's looking out for you!" Li Hao agreed. He had basically figured out the mechanism of the second passage: the stronger your supernatural energy and the more it leaked, the more dangerous it was! The truly powerful could withstand it. As for Wang Ming, freshly advanced, with unstable supernatural energy and not much strength... it would be a miracle if he didn't die. That Yaocheng had likely leaked too much supernatural energy after getting injured, on top of suffering diminished strength, which was why he perished inside. Having said that, Li Hao looked toward Zhang Ting nearby and smiled. "Sister Zhang, why did you stay?" Zhang Ting smiled amiably and replied, "I won't be entering the city either. I stayed because my water energy isn't suited for combat, but rather for healing. At critical moments, I can treat life-threatening injuries... After all, if we want to leave and don't go tonight, we'll have to wait until tomorrow night. That's too long, and some injuries could turn fatal..." Saying that, she added softly, "So moving forward, I will wait outside the city with you." "Healing?" Wang Ming's interest was piqued. "Sister Zhang, I was wondering why you'd stay—so that's why! You really are thoughtful! Sister Zhang, I suffered a minor injury earlier; could you help treat it?" Keeping a healer around was indeed a solid choice. Just as she said, once a life-threatening injury occurred, the ruins couldn't be opened, and there was a long wait until the gates opened the next night. Having a healer on hand ensured one wouldn't drop dead immediately. Her staying behind thus seemed entirely reasonable. Li Hao smiled as well. "Sister Zhang, don't our Night Patrollers have any Solar Radiance healers?" "No." Zhang Ting shook her head. "Healers are actually very specialized and rare! Those suited for this direction include wood, light, and water. In truth, the Life system—a variant of the wood element—is the most suitable for healing, but unfortunately, there are barely any in Silver Moon, let alone the central region." "As for the light element, Bright Island used to have some, and they absorbed most of the light-element users in Silver Moon... So nowadays, the various organizations mainly rely on water-element healers!" "However, water can also be used offensively, so most people still choose the offensive system rather than pursuing healing." Li Hao nodded. "The Life system... so there's such a system. I've broadened my horizons!" With that, he added, "Sister Zhang, you'll need to be careful then. Since you lack offensive power, it's best to stay near us. My captain is very formidable—a Thousand-Battler martial master!" Li Hao chuckled. "Thousand-Battler martial masters are all very strong. With him around, as long as we don't enter the city to snatch treasure, no one will go out of their way to cause trouble for us." A Thousand-Battler martial master! Beside them, Liu Long kept quiet. Zhang Ting's eyes flickered with a peculiar light, and she soon nodded. "Congratulations, Captain Liu. I didn't expect you to finally step into Thousand-Battler. Back in White Moon City, I heard of your great reputation—one man holding down an entire city..." That was Liu Long's famous line. Back then, White Moon City wanted him to join the Night Patrollers, but he refused, insisting on returning to Silver City and making the bold declaration of one man holding down an entire city. He wanted to guard Silver City all by himself! And back then, he was merely a Hundred-Breaker martial master. Now, he had stepped into Thousand-Battler... Recalling that now, Liu Long shook his head without saying much. One man holding down an entire city... nothing more than words of indignant passion! Nowadays, supernaturals were growing stronger and stronger. Especially this time, with Three Sols everywhere, where did he still have the confidence to hold down an entire city? As for Li Hao revealing his status as a Thousand-Battler martial master, he didn't mind. This kid... had a dark heart! With himself known as a Thousand-Battler, everyone would naturally focus their attention on him. Who would care about a sickly-looking Hundred-Breaker martial master? Even now, Li Hao's face remained terribly pale. Earlier, he might truly have been injured, but now... Liu Long suspected otherwise. Zhang Ting... he knew about her. A mid-tier Three Sols of the water element! Li Hao had been eyeing her for a long time. Earlier, Li Hao had seemed to give up, but now... the woman hadn't left and had even sidled over. If Li Hao hadn't set his sights on her, Liu Long would twist his own head off! Li Hao continued, "Sister Zhang, did you know? Old Wang has reached Solar Radiance..." Zhang Ting smiled. "I know. Everyone knows—the youngest Solar Radiance expert in our Silver Moon!" Wang Ming laughed heartily, then feigned modesty: "Don't say that, I'm already twenty. I'm not really young anymore. In the central region, people reach Three Sols at twenty!" Having said that, he still couldn't hold back his grin. Hearing that felt immensely gratifying. At this moment, he suddenly felt that this Sister Zhang, whom he didn't know very well, spoke very pleasantly. It was just a pity she was a bit older and her looks were fading; otherwise, he could chat with her a lot more. As they bantered, someone nearby was watching them. It was a Solar Radiance expert from Yama. The man bore some scars on his face. He suddenly looked toward Liu Long, his eyes turning cold and sharp. "Liu Long, you stepped into Thousand-Battler?" Liu Long glanced over. He didn't recognize the man and had no desire to respond. Yet the man continued staring at him, his voice frosty: "So... you were the one who killed Hu Po, right? Back then, several of you vanished and entered the city, and Hu Po entered the city at the same time. The clothes he left behind bore fist marks... Earlier, we wondered if someone from Sword Gate had made a move... Now it seems you killed Hu Po to avenge that slut Liu Yan!" Liu Long shot him a glance and said indifferently, "And what if I did?" By this point, he couldn't be bothered to deny it. This person likely had some connection to Hu Po. The scarred Solar Radiance sneered coldly. "It really was you! Do you know that after Hu Po joined Yama, he always followed me? I raised and nurtured him with my own hands..." Liu Long looked at him coldly. This person was strong! By rough estimation, he was likely late-stage Solar Radiance, perhaps even peak... But was he, Liu Long, afraid? Beside them, before Liu Long could speak, Wang Ming cut in, cursing, "So what? Does killing a wanted criminal require your permission? Yama only has a couple of strays left this time. You'd better watch out or your Wheel-Turning King won't make it back out once he goes in. You looking for trouble? Believe it or not, we can make sure you don't leave here alive!" At this moment, he too was utterly fearless. Among the Three Great Organizations, Yama had suffered miserably this time. As for the Wheel-Turning King, weren't there Three Sols experts holding him back? And only two Solar Radiances remained on their side. If a real fight broke out, the remaining Night Patrollers wouldn't fear them. In a one-on-one duel, he was naturally no match for the man, but wasn't Liu Long a Thousand-Battler? Joining forces, could they really not beat this fellow? The Yama expert sneered, but spoke no further. Liu Long! Hu Po truly had been killed by him, this bastard! Hu Po was a heavy-earth expert who had reached Solar Radiance; once he fully matured, his combat power would have been terrifying. Unfortunately, he had died in the outer city right off the bat—an immense waste. To the side, Li Hao merely listened in silence without interjecting. Now and then he looked toward the city gate, and at other times toward the end of the street, checking whether those traversing the second passage had returned. Hu Dingfang was entering the passage this time... as was Deputy Director Zhou of the metal element. He didn't know whether they would make it through safely. Li Hao coughed, spitting a little more blood. Seeing this, Zhang Ting asked, "Li Hao, are you alright? How about I examine you..." "No need!" Li Hao shook his head, smiling. "Sister Zhang, a martial master's body... can't be shown to others casually. My teacher said it easily exposes secret arts... My apologies!" "It's fine, I was just worried your injuries were too severe..." "It doesn't matter!" Li Hao took out his last Blood God Seed and said with a smile, "This is a supreme healing treasure. After consuming this Blood God Seed, I should be just about fine." With that, he swallowed this final Solar Radiance Blood God Seed. The Red Shadow power surged through his body. Soon, his viscera and flesh were absorbing this energy. Today, Li Hao had consumed three Solar Radiance Blood God Seeds in succession. The inner force that had just stepped into Thousand-Battler and remained unstable was now completely replenished and brimming with vigor. Seeing his complexion turn ruddy, Zhang Ting waited a moment until Li Hao opened his eyes, then couldn't help asking, "Are Blood God Seeds really that effective?" Li Hao nodded. "Extremely! Paired with the Five Animals Breathing Technique, it's practically a supreme treasure... Unfortunately, I cannot impart the Five Animals Breathing Technique to outsiders. Otherwise, I'd be willing to teach anyone who wants to learn... Sadly, my teacher forbids it!" He sighed and shook his head. "That's the flaw with the martial arts path—hoarding secrets, which causes many precious secret arts to be lost!" Zhang Ting's heart heated up as she listened. The Five Animals Breathing Technique! Unfortunately, only two people knew it: Li Hao and Yuan Shuo. As for Chen Yuhua... that former closed-door disciple wasn't someone most people would consider. She had vanished many years ago and had been expelled from the sect early on. In truth, Zhang Ting vaguely knew she had joined the Tiger Soul Army; being in the military made her difficult to touch. Nowadays, Yuan Shuo was formidable... If one wanted to obtain the Five Animals Breathing Technique, Li Hao was actually the best breakthrough point. As the group talked, a commotion sounded in the distance. Before long, the group returned. Li Hao caught sight of Hu Dingfang and let out a small breath of relief. It wasn't that he felt particularly attached to him, but if something happened to this man... staying behind would be truly perilous. With him alive, the Night Patrollers still retained some confidence. Hu Dingfang looked as calm as usual, showing nothing on the surface. Yet when Li Hao looked closely... Hu Dingfang's sphere of light had diminished considerably, and the same went for the Wheel-Turning King. Not only that, the Origin God Armament within the Wheel-Turning King's body seemed to have suffered damage as well. As for Dingchen, this mid-tier Three Sols expert had not suffered much injury. Similar to Hong Yitang earlier, his injuries were light, and Dingchen... also held an Origin God Armament within him! Comparing it, however, it was roughly on par with Zhang Ting's—not particularly strong, and far inferior to the Fire Phoenix Spear. It seemed Feitian had brought an Origin God Armament this time as well. No one saw things more clearly than Li Hao; practically no one present could hide anything from him. He could clearly tell who was injured and whose strength had diminished. The three Three Sols who entered had all walked out alive. As for Solar Radiance, it seemed only Deputy Director Zhou had gone in; he... appeared perfectly fine. At peak Solar Radiance, he wasn't excessively strong, nor was he weak. Having remained at this boundary for many years, his supernatural control was quite solid. Such people were actually the safest; most of those who had traversed the second passage earlier without much injury were supernaturals stuck at the peak of their realm. Zhao Huan, the mid-tier earth-element user, had not entered the second passage. ... The crowd gathered once more. Thirty people, not one missing. However, these people were in no rush to enter the city; instead, they began to wait. Waiting for what? Waiting for the gate of the ruins to open so the earlier group could leave. Waiting like this... served another purpose: once the ruin gates opened, the next opening wouldn't be until tomorrow night, a full day away. That way, even if someone unexpectedly seized the treasure... the others would have time to surround and kill them to snatch it back! Otherwise, if the ruin gates were about to open in an instant, it would be far too easy for someone to escape. These Three Sols experts had calculated every detail to perfection. At this moment, some time remained before the ruin gates opened. Having nothing better to do, Hao Lianchuan took the initiative to speak. "Everyone, regarding the Sovereign Emperor and Human King mentioned by that Battle Heaven soldier earlier, do you have any thoughts or clues?" No one answered him. Hao Lianchuan wasn't offended and said with a smile, "The Three Great Organizations possess different intelligence, and the Night Patrollers have some too. Since we've encountered this, why not pool our knowledge? These are all matters of the ancient civilization; wouldn't it be better to understand a bit more?" He volunteered, "Actually, the Night Patrollers do know a little. According to some ancient texts we obtained, during the ancient civilization, there indeed seemed to exist a level known as 'Human King'—though whether it was an address or a position remains unclear... Human King, as the name implies, a king of the human race! A Human King might not have been just one person; it could have been passed down through generations. For instance, the Heavenly Star King of our present dynasty... could actually be called a Human King as well..." At these words, the Wheel-Turning King sneered. "The Heavenly Star King? A Human King?" His tone was steeped in mockery. "An imperial family that has even lost supreme authority over the dynasty can be called a Human King? Do you understand what a Human King is? Ancient records state: wherever the Human King stands, all is royal soil! Be it the starry skies, the oceans, or even the universe! The ancient texts might exaggerate, but according to scattered records of old, whatever territory the Human King laid eyes upon—whether it was his or not—soon became his! Can the current Heavenly Star King compare to that?" He was full of disdain! On the other side, Ziyue also remarked coolly, "Forget the Heavenly Star King, especially this generation's. The one who founded the Heavenly Star Dynasty hundreds of years ago... could barely be considered worthy of being called a Human King!" Only the founder had a shred of qualification. As for the current Heavenly Star King, he was nothing more than a figurehead. Authority rested entirely in the hands of the Nine Departments; who took the imperial family seriously? Hu Dingfang swept his gaze over them without speaking. By rights, he ought to have been infuriated. After all, he was a general in the military of the Heavenly Star Dynasty. Yet... it was pointless. The Silver Moon Province was a border province. To be frank, it held little reverence for either the imperial family or the Nine Departments. Silver Moon was self-sufficient, receiving little aid from the dynasty. At critical moments, supplies and troops were even requisitioned to support the central region. Even a soldier like Hu Dingfang harbored little fondness for those fellows in the center. The discussion about the Human King... quickly drifted toward the Heavenly Star Dynasty, a topic of far greater interest to them. As for the ancient civilization, countless ages had elapsed—who still cared that much? Besides, with so little intelligence currently in hand, none of them were willing to share anything openly. The group soon fell into arguments over the state of the Heavenly Star Dynasty. Li Hao had no interest in listening to this. These fellows were all seasoned foxes; barely any of their words were useful, consisting entirely of ambiguous evasions. At this moment, he looked once more at the two giant characters on the city gate... This, in truth, was also a tempering of willpower. Unlike before, when merely looking caused his eyes to engorge with blood, looking now... Li Hao could barely endure it. It was still that faint, indistinct silhouette! Li Hao didn't dare stare at the silhouette too much... He was mainly looking at that saber—the saber worn at the waist. Even though the saber remained sheathed, Li Hao seemed to faintly perceive saber intent. A saber intent that would slaughter all enemies! With one slash, heaven and earth shatter, and the firmament tears asunder! Even though the figure had never drawn his blade. Last time, Li Hao had seen a sword—with one strike, severing longevity, from which he comprehended sword momentum. Now, looking again... Li Hao wasn't trying to comprehend saber momentum, which would be useless; the key was whether he could nurture his own sword momentum and make it stronger! Whether saber or sword, both were weapons of slaughter. In essence, they were the same. However, that sword strike of severing the self was resolute, a matter of life or death, drawing blood whenever unsheathed. This saber, on the other hand... carried far more of an overbearing dominance! Beneath my blade, all weapons submit! When the saber is drawn, all living beings prostrate! It was that kind of feeling... Li Hao didn't know if his perception was correct, but he was willing to contemplate it this way. Perhaps, by drawing closer to those two characters, he would gain an even more direct impression. His sword momentum underwent subtle, imperceptible shifts. At present, Li Hao's path was not yet set in stone. Every time he witnessed more, he gained insights of his own. He was frantically absorbing everything he saw, distilling the essence, hoping he might walk a path uniquely his own. After watching for a while, Li Hao closed his eyes and thought back to the silver warrior's strike. That was far more direct! He had witnessed it with his own eyes! Everything else was too distant and too formidable, far exceeding what his current level could comprehend, allowing him to grasp only superficial fragments. Only that single sword strike... truly resonated deeply with Li Hao! The sword strikes without self! Charging toward death to find life! He shut out all the words and clamor around him. These people weren't martial masters; they didn't understand. Even that single strike from the silver expert was enough to benefit someone for a lifetime. Wasn't that far better than any Origin God Armament? The captain didn't use weapons, or at least didn't use a sword, so perhaps his comprehension was limited. Li Hao, however, happened to be half a swordsman himself, which was why he kept dwelling on it. Within his body, inner force transformed into a sword. Sword momentum entwined! At this moment, the sword momentum and inner force felt somewhat blended into a seamless whole. Within his five viscera, the locked earth momentum also stirred restlessly. Right now, Li Hao had a strong urge to draw his sword and fight! He wanted to try that sword strike! Which strike? The silver warrior's slash toward the heavens! Unfortunately, there were too many people around, so he suppressed the impulse. ... In the distance. Hong Yitang suddenly cast a glance at Li Hao, a look of mild surprise in his eyes, wondering if he had... sensed wrong? Beside Li Hao was his Earth-Overturning Sword. He had used it for many years, making it an extension of himself, and at close range he shared a faint resonance with it. Just now, he suddenly felt his Earth-Overturning Sword stirring restlessly, as if wanting to draw itself. That faint sword intent he detected... to someone like him who had once comprehended momentum, and specifically sword momentum, felt extraordinarily distinct. He took another long look at Li Hao. A strange feeling rose in his heart. Giving the sword to Li Hao had involved many considerations. First, Li Hao's teacher was Yuan Shuo, the foremost martial master. Hong Yitang had no way back, but his daughter was a martial master; this counted as an investment or a gesture of goodwill. Both belonged to the Silver Moon martial arts world; perhaps... his daughter could step into Spirit Nourishing as well? Second, Li Hao had slain Sun Moxian with his sword, showing promise of reaching Thousand-Battler. A Thousand-Battler martial master and disciple of a Spirit Nourishing expert was someone he regarded quite favorably—provided the kid didn't die prematurely. Third, Sword Gate was based in the Silver Moon Province after all. One couldn't forget that Silver Moon was still the realm of the authorities, and Hao Lianchuan, Hou Xiaochen, and Hu Dingfang were the true rulers of Silver Moon! As for Li Hao... his relationship with Hao Lianchuan seemed decent, and regarding Hu Dingfang, Hong Yitang vaguely knew some details—the general could be considered half a disciple... even if Yuan Shuo would rather die than admit it! Building a good rapport with Li Hao in Silver Moon was very necessary. Based on all of this, he had gifted his precious sword. Yet now, he was somewhat puzzled. Li Hao... this sword intent... had it come from him? Could that fleeting, imperceptible sense of sword intent—brimming with dominance, killing intent, and sheer resolve—truly come from a young martial master with so little worldly experience? As he was looking at Li Hao, Li Hao suddenly looked back at him. Startled for a fraction of a second, Li Hao noticed the man watching him and offered a kind, friendly smile! Hong Yitang's expression shifted slightly. He smiled in return, saying nothing. ... Time slipped by. After an unknown interval, voices suddenly drifted over, boiling with sharp excitement. Li Hao didn't know the exact situation, but seeing the reactions of the others... it was likely a signal sent before letting that group out. Those people... had left! The next instant, several Three Sols experts stood up one after another. Hao Lianchuan said directly, "Everyone, you go in first and try to open the city gate. If it can be opened, wonderful; if not... we'll wait for you outside!" The others said nothing. At this point, whether the city gate opened or not didn't matter to them. Opening it was best; otherwise, leaving Hao Lianchuan and the others waiting outside meant that if a fight broke out inside, wouldn't those outside reap the spoils? The next moment, Hu Dingfang, Ziyue, the Wheel-Turning King, Dingchen, and Hong Yitang—all five vaulted into the air, flying toward the interior of the city. Outside, Hao Lianchuan and Kong Qi waited quietly. Everyone stared at the colossal city gate with anticipation. Could it be opened? If it could... then even those who hadn't entered the second passage would have a chance to enter the city and search. Perhaps there were leftover treasures? After an unknown amount of time, a sudden rumbling echoed from the massive city gate. The tightly shut gate began to part toward both sides. It opened! At this moment, Hao Lianchuan and the others were overjoyed! It was finally open! Rumble! The gate of Battle Heaven City, dust-sealed for countless ages, was pushed open at this moment. ... At the same time. In the inner city. As the city gate opened, the tortoise sprawled atop the tower-like structure... seemed to open its eyes. The gate of Battle Heaven City... was open! In the past, every opening of the Battle Heaven City gate was met with bustling clamor and extraordinary vibrancy. Now... with the passage of time, the gate opened once more, yet all was different. ... Beside the tower structure stood another building, not particularly tall, but covering vast ground. At this moment, within that structure, atop an enormous throne, sat a person... or rather, a suit of armor. Golden battle armor! The armor remained motionless, yet in its hands it cradled an object. Looking closely... it appeared to be a tortoise shell, radiating a faint luminescence, as if it were the true core of the entire ancient city. It had guarded and protected the ancient city all along, allowing Battle Heaven City to endure for tens of millions of years. Energy circulated across the tortoise shell like moonlight, like the starry heavens, exceptionally mesmerizing. As the city gate opened, the tortoise shell quivered for a brief instant before quickly settling into calm. As if discerning something, or perhaps anticipating something. The golden battle armor sat motionless, surrounded only by dead silence. ... Outside the city. At this moment, there was only joy and jubilation! The ancient city had opened! The moment the massive gate parted, figures rushed inside one after another. Even Hao Lianchuan couldn't maintain his composure; the Night Patrollers had tried countless methods without ever managing to open this city. Now, it was finally open! "Li Hao, you guys be careful..." Leaving behind those words, he dashed off. Even knowing Zhang Ting was here, he didn't care; Zhang Ting wouldn't expose herself voluntarily. She was merely an observer—provided Li Hao didn't provoke her. He probably... wouldn't, right? After all, with the black and silver armor gone, why would Li Hao bother her?