Chapter 1086: Awakening, A Myriad of Changes (V)

Vice Head Qi turned to Li Hao after the passageways to the Hao Cosmos were stabilized and everyone’s initial burst of cultivation had concluded.

“Can the commander help me with a small favor?”

“Please speak of it, vice head.”

There were a few more ethereal hints around Vice Head Qi after he regained a physical body. He’d chosen to appear as an old man—perhaps that was more conducive to facilitating a sagacious air?

Who knew!

“I’ve spent some time studying the new martial dao.” The vice head smiled warmly. “And discovered that there are far more unattributed dao meridians than we’ve uncovered. The thirty-six that we’ve chosen form one circulatory loop...”

Li Hao nodded. That was indeed the case. No one was interested in studying more dao meridians since the thirty-six were yet to be fully excavated.

“I’ve also discovered that those with attributes manifest as supernatural abilities, whereas those without do not.”

Um... duh?

“But I’ve also discovered that the unattributed meridians have their own abilities as well.”

Li Hao blinked and stared at the man.

“Please open a few more meridians for me, commander.” Vice Head Qi pointed at certain areas on his body.

The young man thought for a bit before extracting a large sum of energy to fashion more dao meridians. It was only then that Vice Head Qi started cultivating. He had more than one hundred meridians throughout his body, which meant that he expended a lot more energy than others.

He didn’t open meridians like the rest, but followed his own sequence in clearing acupoints. He lit up seventy-two in the blink of an eye, but didn’t follow the order known to all.

Instead, the vice head opened one acupoint on each of seventy-two meridians. He quickly formed a weapon in his hand.

“Commander, what weapon would you say this is?” he smiled.

“A... spear?”

“No, this is a writing brush!” Vice Head Qi smiled and pointed the brush in a certain direction, shattering a large boulder made of mysterious power stone. “Seventy-two acupoints is only peak Sunderer and does not make one a supernatural martial master, but these acupoints can be combined into a supernatural ability of their own. I can call this... a brush ability?

“I’m just making do with what I have now, but the effects are quite good! While some adjustments need to be made, this is proof that unattributed meridians also possess supernatural abilities, such as ones of weapons.

“They just need to be combined in the proper order to create blades, swords, spears, and everything beneath the heavens! Different combinations of dao meridians will result in different abilities. We’re not limited to the abilities of the elements!”

Li Hao blinked, a new possibility seemed to be unfurling in front of him.

“The commander saw 360 dao meridians forming a sword! In that case, does it mean that the 360 unattributed dao meridians will ultimately be a formidable sword dao in the end? And can sword dao be categorized by different types of sword dao? 360 dao meridians might be the most comprehensive sword dao, but can thirty-six unattributed meridians be a simpler sword dao?”

Enlightenment flooded Li Hao’s mind. He glanced sharply at the vice head with a strange look in his eyes. That was right! The 360 dao meridians had formed a sword, how had he forgotten about that?

Was sword dao a supernatural ability?

Not at all!

Sword dao was unattributed! But it could have its own abilities too!

“I need to research this further.” Vice Head Qi paused after touching upon the subject. “The dao bodies of new humans are really quite interesting and fascinating! Commander, don’t just focus on the attributed meridians. The unattributed ones are where the true treasure lies!”

“And here I was thinking that there are too few daos in the world because there is a limited number of attributed meridians.” Li Hao took a deep breath. “I suddenly understand today—it’s my thinking that is too narrow-minded! All things can be dao and supernatural abilities! So long as they are successfully combined, all sorts of weapons can be supernatural abilities!

“A rock and a drop of water can be an ability! So this... this is the true great dao! Just look at me, I’ve even read

The Accounts of Evenround,

but got off on a tangent! Thank you for your reminder, Vice Head Qi!”

He’d been focused on the five elements, light and dark, wind, and thunder before. He’d completely forgotten that all things could be supernatural abilities!

“I see! I understand now. This means that I can trace other supernatural characters, that the thirty-six meridians can be a supernatural character. The seventy-two can also be one as well, and the seventy-third can be reformed. No matter how many or how few dao meridians there are, they can all be combined into new abilities and supernatural characters...” Li Hao threw his head back with laughter. “I see! Thank you for your enlightenment, senior!”

“I simply followed the road that you guys paved,” Vice Head Qi chuckled. “You discovered long ago that the 360 dao meridians is a sword. I just feel a bit regretful that I am unable to manifest all 360 dao meridians. Otherwise, I’d love to see just how strong the sword dao ability is when all 360 dao meridians, all 3600 acupoints are cleared!”

Even Li Hao looked to the future with anticipation now. He’d been so busy lately that he’d forgotten this. 360 dao meridians was a sword! Perhaps that might be the strongest sword dao in the world?

The old man in front of him had casually combined seventy-two dao meridians into a writing brush. Would he be able to materialize a real brush after 720 acupoints and truly utilize that ability?

How fascinating!

It was so interesting that Li Hao even wanted to see if he could create a dog’s body to create a dog dao ability!

This inspiration was the spark that lit spontaneous enlightenment. Sometimes, all one needed was a sudden stroke of genius. Also, had Panther opened a monster spirit dao meridian yet?

If it hasn’t, how about I create one for it?

Li Hao looked forward to the possibilities. What a pity that he couldn’t continue cultivating and had to turn his attention back to business at hand. Otherwise, he’d love to drag Panther out for some experiments. What would happen if he opened a set of dog-shaped dao meridians?

The young man peered into the depths of the mine; there was no sign of Panther to be seen.

I’ll yank it out of the mine when I come back next time. I’ll just create an artificial dao meridian for you! There’s no need to be in closed door cultivation for so long.

......

Fifteen powerhouses had recovered their physical bodies today. Although their battle strength wasn’t that strong after only one day, it was only a matter of time before they grew stronger. Li Hao didn’t mind their current cultivation level. This was a good beginning. Integration with the times was a bigger problem.

The separation between New Martial and Silver Moon meant that there was a natural schism between the two sides. For those of the new age, New Martial was a tremendous threat no matter if the ancient civilization bore them hostility or not.

They could choose to fully adhere to New Martial, like the nine ministries had. Or be arch rivals with New Martial, like the divine spirits were. Li Hao wanted to choose a third path of integrating the two, but that happened to be the most difficult path.

Those who’d once experienced a glorious age thought very little of the modern era. No matter how stunning Li Hao was, he would always be less than the Human King in their eyes.

And that was the crux of the problem.

This was why there were very few New Martial citizens who’d wholeheartedly joined Li Hao’s banner. The only ones were fringe characters such as the imperial guard and redwood tree. They weren’t even humans.

With the imperial descendants making a decision today, this was a new experience for Li Hao. Creating their bodies was a very small integration between the two eras.

The young man didn’t care that they’d made their choice out of resignation. It didn’t matter how true their intentions were.

......

The powerhouses weren’t the entirety of Li Hao’s gains. Most important of all was that he’d obtained a new understanding of the Hao Cosmos. The unattributed dao meridians were also a supernatural ability—they were a combination ability!

That made them stronger than individual dao meridians. It truly deepened Li Hao’s knowledge of the great dao.

Since Vice Head Qi could combine the seventy-two meridians into one type of supernatural ability, couldn’t the thirty-six also be done in the same way?

The thirty-six were just one-tenth of the 360 dao meridians that they’d discovered. It was just the most basic circulatory loop, and it wasn’t the only one. Would he be able to convert another combination of thirty-six into an unattributed ability?

Li Hao’s battle strength could be considered the limits of the world, but what if he didn’t open dao meridians or traverse the Hao Cosmos?

Each dao meridian was sectioned into ten acupoints. Thirty-six meridians meant 360 acupoints.

If I clear nine acupoints for each and leave the last one for all thirty-six, will that raise the limit to thirty-six meridians?

Or would that still count as zero meridians opened?

Li Hao was correcting some of his earlier thoughts and feeling out the way ahead. This was a path that no one had walked before.

Enemies forested the road ahead and his opponents were too many to be counted. There was the limit of the world to contend with, the seal of the Star Gate, incursions from the four nations, the three great organizations hiding in the dark, and ancient cities everywhere...

Li Hao walked on thin ice.

He knew that setting one foot wrong might be the start of complete destruction—not just for himself, but for everyone who followed and trusted him. He’d left everyone of this age in the dust, but the pressure on him was all the stronger for it.

His teacher and others could hold up the sky for him in the past, but now the burden was on his shoulders. He needed to lead everyone to a path of safety in this darkness. He needed to locate the road of light!

Li Hao was everyone’s beacon of hope these days; the way ahead was dark and murky for those of Silver Moon world. As their leader, he needed to walk it well so that those behind him wouldn’t be lost.

The young man walked out of Skystar Town, still turning over many thoughts in his mind. Every step was the result of gradual exploration. Whether it was going back on his word or deserting the battlefield, he knew that he could not do as he wished anymore. He had to consider everyone’s future.

Some of those from New Martial privately said that he lacked the domineering air of the ancient Human King. He heard those whispers now and then, but he didn’t care. That age was unknown to him. He only knew that he’d become everyone’s harbor of safety in this age. He couldn't afford to make a mistake, not a single one.

Everyone was waiting for him when he emerged from the ruins.