Chapter 1083: Awakening, A Myriad of Changes (II)

The Skystar Commander Office.

It’d been a long while since Li Hao’s last visit. Everyone was gathered in the main residence.

“Commander.” Gan Wuliang stepped forward before Li Hao had a chance to speak. “I’m prepared to lead a team to the cities of the Hongs, Lius, and Zhengs.

“One of the cities must have completely turned traitor! Possibly even all three of them. Of course, they might put on an act or two and not kill me. Any who seek to kill me is certainly the enemy! Of those who do not, this subordinate may be able to learn a thing or two with my abilities. I can also come to certain conclusions.

“This subordinate will need a few people on the team.”

“Speak.”

“Long Ears Hu Ming,” Gan Wuliang began solemnly. Hu Ming was the wretched old man.

“You can have him, but... he’s as timid as a mouse.” Li Hao frowned slightly. “You’ll easily have trouble with him.”

“The commander may not be aware.” Gan Wuliang smiled. “For those like us, we are willing to take the risk if we can obtain rewards one hundred or even ten times greater than usual. We are willing to win distinctions in battle for the commander!

“What are we if we pledge fealty to an ancient city? Less than the dogs! Hu Ming will agree to the operation if I speak to him of it. He will never betray us.”

Li Hao nodded.

“The second is Deputy Zhou,” Gan Wuliang continued.

The deputy blinked.

“Deputy Zhou walks the path of ancient martial dao.” Gan Wuliang smiled. “He will make it easier to build rapport with them.”

Li Hao nodded again after some thought. “Anything else?”

“The ancient cities may wish to assess our strength. This subordinate lacks sufficient strength to make a compelling case. The three cities may not all be against us. We might be able to recruit one of them to our cause. In that case, I will need a powerhouse to coordinate with me.” Gan Wuliang looked at a certain person. “That powerhouse will need to be of high enough status to represent the Skystar Commander Office!”

High enough status.

Li Hao’s expression changed slightly.

“I’ll go!” Yuan Shuo dusted off his clothes. Clearly, Gan Wuliang was talking about him.

However, Li Hao didn’t wish for his teacher to go as the undertaking was bound to be dangerous.

“Do you really want me here writing textbooks for the rest of my life?” Yuan Shuo looked at the young man just as Li Hao opened his mouth. “I’ve been to more ruins than you have cities! I am well versed in ancient culture and can tell from a single glance if a city is occupied with living people, if its energy is vibrant, or if there are signs of inhabitation!

“There are bound to be people alive in the city of traitors. It will be a hubbub of activity as it can’t have been inert for one hundred thousand years. Therefore, I’m the best person for the job to detect these traces.

“Not to mention, whether they are traitors or not, everyone should know that you are of my Five Styles discipline. I am the best candidate to demonstrate your sincerity!” Yuan Shuo laughed. “Besides, the true city of traitors won’t dare to easily kill me as they’ll be exposing themselves that way!

“He Yong is an annoying bastard, but he speaks truly when he says not to underestimate us. The world continues to turn no matter who is missing from it. Silver Moon has survived to present day without you! Zhao Shuguang and the others are dulling their shine now, so you do not know their full capabilities. They illuminate Silver Moon all the same without you! I’ll go and work well with Gan Wuliang!”

The supernatural didn’t dare lift his head to look at Li Hao. He felt that naming Yuan Shuo was testing the young man’s bottom line. Everyone knew that Li Hao didn’t have any family left. He hadn’t reacted in any way when he suffered an enormous loss at the hands of Divine Nation, but he immediately flew into a rage when Yuan Shuo was injured.

Yuan Shuo might be the only person in all of Skystar who could affect the young man’s emotions. But if the former didn’t go, that would make it difficult for the delegation to win any respect from the ancient cities. How would Gan Wuliang be able to read their true emotions if they weren’t even treated properly? What would he be able to tell with a group of insignificant nobodies?

Li Hao closed his eyes in thought for a while and finally said slowly, “Very well!” He looked at Gan Wuliang again. “Anything else?”

“Yes.” The man suppressed the fluctuations of his emotions. “If possible, I would like a New Martial senior to accompany us as a middleman...”

“There’s no need for that!” Li Hao shook his head.

Gan Wuliang blinked, but quickly understood the ramifications of his request. “Then we can forget that.”

“Anything else?”

“None other than needing a sum of mysterious power stones as a greeting gift.”

“You will have it!”

“I will need... one hundred million stones!”

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

“You can have that!”

Gan Wuliang heaved a sigh of relief. This was good. “In addition, I will need Director General Zhao to give me some information. I’m not that familiar with Silver Moon and am unaware of its geography. So long as I know the vague whereabouts of the ancient cities, I’ll have my ways of enticing them to welcome me into the city, even if I can’t find them.”

Li Hao looked at Director General Zhao; the man nodded. “I’m not certain of their precise location either, but having administered the province for many years, I am more or less aware of where they are. I can even provide information on who their informants might be within our borders.”

“Then I will trouble the director general in this regard!” said Li Hao. “This matter cannot be delayed. Director General Zhao and the others, you will accompany General Gan back to the province at once!”

“Understood, sir!” Those named for the expedition immediately rose and left. Yuan Shuo didn’t even bid farewell to Li Hao as he was afraid the young man would seek to keep him.

Li Hao silently watched the group leave. Although this was a diplomatic mission, it was not a peaceful one. It might very well be fraught with danger! Whether it was the city of traitors or not, they were unlikely to be welcomed at their destinations. He’d broken the weapons of the Hongs and Lius, and outright said that the Zheng patriarch had turned traitor when he fought the Great Li king,...

He’d offended all three families to the point of no return.

Li Hao didn’t care that much if Gan Wuliang would survive the mission. This attitude might be cold-blooded, but it was what he truly thought. Yuan Shuo, however, could not come to any danger.

After a long period of watching them leave, Li Hao collected his thoughts and turned to the rest. “The Great Li king has returned to his nation and is yet to come back to the battlefield. Still, that does not mean we can stay here. A portion of you will return to Silver Moon province with his priest Jiang Li!

“Commander Yu, your people will head back first. Sky Sword, Earthturner Sword, Director Yao, Minister Chen... you guys will stay with me and continue sweeping through the ruins. Let’s clean up as many of them as possible before the Great Li king returns!

“In addition, I must take over the nine communication stations as soon as possible. I need to sever communication between their suits of armor as well as their transmission pendants...”

“Commander, do you... need help from Senior Redwood and the others?” Lin Hongyu asked after the group exchanged glances with each other.

“The redwood and imperial guard will come with us. The rest are not needed.”

Lin Hongyu nodded with understanding and murmured, “The plant spirits of the communication stations might be peak Immortal like Senior Redwood...”

“Mmhmm, I understand. However, they are individually located, which makes for a perfect testing ground. If we can’t take out scattered peak Immortals, then we’d just be going to our deaths against the ancient cities.”

Lin Hongyu was in full understanding of the young man’s plans and said swiftly, “Then I’ll focus my efforts on perpetuating education, planting crops, sky canopies, and several important infrastructure projects. I’ll need some more food from those that promised it to us.”

“Very well, you can give them more money or mysterious power stones when you transact with them!” Li Hao smiled. “We lack everything right now but mysterious power stones.”

“I understand.” Lin Hongyu nodded and fell silent.

“Time is of the essence,” said Li Hao when he saw that no one else had anything else to say. “We are always short on time. We can march on some people while Gan Wuliang is busy with the ancient cities. Wait half a day for me. We set off after I finish crafting new bodies for the troop leaders!”

The group dispersed as no one else had opinions to offer.

......

The ruins of Skystar town.

The ancient town had recovered its old appearance following the efforts of the Skystar Army. There were Evenround Martial students, Director General Wang, some plant spirits, a portion of the army, and replicas such as the old turtle in residence. Given the dense concentration of energy in the atmosphere, this was a hold of treasures to them.

Outside the mine.

Li Hao released the self-detonated troop leaders. They had been strong in their time—nearing Apex. Since they hadn’t died after all this time, their mental strength had greatly increased.

When they self-detonated, they’d jointly taken down a divine spirit.

Of course, it also had to do with the fact that the divine spirits hadn’t fully awakened. One that was fully recovered was extraordinarily powerful. They were all Saints in their prime; the troop leaders would never be able to blast those opponents to pieces.

Five troop leaders hovered in the air as mental strength. Vice Head Qi suddenly drifted over as well.

“Are you going to create more physical bodies now?” he smiled.

“Yes.”

“How about you count me in for one?”

Li Hao blinked. He’d made the offer before, but the vice head hadn’t accepted. What’d changed?

“I see that the pool of treasures is about to be depleted, there’s only some medicinal mud left,” smiled the man. “If I don’t catch this ride, I might only have a simple body left to choose from if I desire one later. Right now, the choices are a bit stronger.”

That was true enough.

“What kind of body would the vice head like?” Li Hao nodded.

“Let’s just make one similar to yours,” chuckled the man. “I’m too familiar with the bodies of New Martial. Living in another way might give rise to new inspiration.”

“Very well!” The young man smiled, then looked at Zhang An also floating over. “Senior Zhang, I will be creating bodies for the five troop leaders and Vice Head Qi. I’ll make four spots available to Evenround Martial for now—that will be ten total bodies today. I have business to attend to, so will need to leave ahead of time. Is there anyone from Evenround Martial who would like a body?”

“Yes, and since you’re making bodies, let’s make them slightly stronger,” Zhang An said calmly.

“I agree, it’s just that...” Li Hao wanted to say that it wasn’t up to his preferences, but the limitations of ingredients at hand. The pool of treasures had been depleted and he couldn’t create strong bodies out of thin air.

“Use this.” A body suddenly hovered in front of Zhang An.

“Senior.” Li Hao blinked. “That is the body of the Empyrean King...”

“I know. There’s not much use for it right now. Its true purpose will be apparent after the second awakening, it’s not needed right now. I am not able to utilize the battle strength of an Empyrean King in the outside world either. On the other hand, this body doesn’t make a difference in the ruins.

“In that case, we might as well break it and use it to craft bodies with better foundations. That will prevent everyone from having to start all over in their cultivation. Using this for the first batch, as well as some of the local elements contained within the divine spirit corpses, may result in unexpectedly ideal effects.”

“I see,” Li Hao inclined his head. “Does the senior mean that there are Evenround students who will require new bodies?”

“Some are intrigued by the idea. Four, did you say? I’ll collect them. You can make your preparations.”

“Alright.”