Chapter 1092: Making Every Minute and Second Count (III)

“You will know when you try me!” The Great Li king punched out, causing the heavens and earth to change colors as he did so.

The black robes in the surroundings looked around with trepidation. Ying Hongyue took a deep breath and also answered with a punch!

The punch elicited a shadow from the Zhaos’ boxing gloves. It roared with fury while red light shimmered over Ying Hongyue!

Rumble!

An earth-shattering collision rang out; the Great Li king paused. Ying Hongyue flew backward, his arm exploding and blood bubbling up through every inch of his skin. His bones seemed to be completely shattered and he coughed up blood.

“The Great Li king... is indeed formidable!”

The king’s expression shifted. That blow had been his full force, but his opponent still stood!

Ying Hongyue... was very strong. But based on his previous intelligence reports, Ying Hongyue was only seven element Arcanus. While it was true that everyone was improving, it didn’t make sense for him to improve so quickly.

If Li Hao represented the heavenly dao, what did this person represent? Why could he improve so quickly? He’d already reached the second and third level Sun and Moon that Li Hao spoke of, hadn’t he? That put him at more than sixteen meridians, but why??

The king couldn’t make sense of it!

Li Hao had said that Ying Hongyue was not to be underestimated. The king hadn’t done so. His proposal of three blows was a test and a true desire to beat the other to death. However, his opponent had utilized the eight heritage weapons to block his blows that were certain to be fatal!

The king wanted to punch again. As for his earlier agreement of three punches, he just needed to kill everyone present to turn that into a joke!

Who would know that I went back on my word?

It was best to kill someone like Ying Hongyue.

The king was about to make another move when Ying Hongyue’s eyes widened.

“Your Majesty, someone is coming... We have concluded our agreement of three blows. I take my leave!”

“You want to go?” The king was about to launch into a move when he turned his head in another direction. A powerhouse with an illusory face hovered in the distance and looked over at them. He watched Ying Hongyue flee.

“Ying Hongyue... you are quite bold,” he said softly. “But I won’t kill you. It’s not worth it to kill you and break the seal. There’s no need to fear anything.”

“You misunderstand, milord!” Ying Hongyue’s voice traveled in from a distance. “I am simply not willing to let the lord clash with the Great Li king on my behalf!”

He was already gone.

When the Great Li king saw the black robes react with surprise and swiftly gather around the figure, he guessed who it was. “You are the leader of the ancient city?”

“You can call me Red Dust,” chuckled the shadow.

“Red Dust?” The king raised an eyebrow while the shadow laughed and looked at Li Hao’s replica.

“Interesting.” It nodded. “Except... it doesn’t seem too bright.”

The world seemed to overturn when the figure waved a hand. Even the Great Li king, someone who’d broken the limits of the world, swiftly backed away with consternation. Li Hao’s replica didn’t have a chance to flee. He exploded from the pressure of the world in the blink of an eye!

The king’s eyes widened with shock.

“There’s no need to let it bring information back to Li Hao.” The shadow smiled. That wasn’t what was on the king’s mind.

“Such powerful control...” he muttered. “Your strength is only twelve meridians or so, but this king feels some pressure from you...”

“My cultivation level is a bit stronger,” smiled the shadow. “I’ve been alive longer, after all. Those with insufficient potential are unable to become an exalted emperor no matter how long they live, but they gain a certain degree of additional control. In New Martial, the Human King and Exalted Blood Emperor selflessly passed on the combination methods of the War Celestial Emperor. This was to bolster the control of humanity over the world. After so many years, people like us have had some gains as well.”

The Great Li king was still stunned.

Twelve meridians was the equivalent of peak first level Sun and Moon, but the figure’s battle strength had reached third level or so.

Was this what was meant to be a New Martial powerhouse?

“If your replica is so strong, why don’t you personally take action against Li Hao?”

“The king is stronger than my replica, but you cannot take down the young man either,” laughed the figure. “This is just my replica. It’s fine if my identity is exposed if I fall into Li Hao’s hands—the real trouble is if he steals some Empyrean King level secrets!”

Empyrean King!

The Great Li king was startled, but unsurprised. It was said that some premier powerhouses back in the day were peak Saints. After so many years, it was understandable that they’d entered the Empyrean King level.

“Are you the Zheng patriarch of the eight cities?”

“Is the Great Li king very curious?” laughed the shadow. “Does it really matter who I am?”

“Skulking around in the shadows and unwilling to display your real face even now... This king must be on guard when cooperating with you!” sneered the Great Li king.

“There’s nothing to worry about.” The shadow didn’t mind. “To put it bluntly, I only care about the master of great dao, the exalted emperor, and heaven’s will. I do not care about the king of Great Li!”

The king’s expression shifted—he was being scorned!

“This world is not the world of our time, after all. Even if we win, we’ll need someone at the helm, no?” laughed the shadow. “Therefore, there is still plenty of basis for cooperation between us.

“The Great Li king has wasted a lot of time. To Li Hao, time is everything. We will gather at Barren Dynasty in three days. Barren cannot easily walk out of their territory and Li Hao’s side cannot easily set foot inside. We’ll convene there and host the parley of five sides in hopes of good results.”

“Three days?” frowned the Great Li king. “That quickly?”

“Three days is not quick,” murmured the shadow. “More unexpected developments might occur if we drag this on any further.”

“Very well then,” nodded the Great Li king after some thought.

“I hope that the king... does not grow too close with Li Hao,” emphasized the shadow. “Whatever you’ve guessed, so does Li Hao know. That’s why he hasn’t exterminated the four sides. But once the situation drags on for too long, working with Li Hao is truly laying down with tigers. Great Li might topple as soon as we are gone from the equation!”

The Great Li king was silent after that proclamation and didn’t deny it. His nation was no match for the young man, and it was also due to these people that Li Hao hadn’t razed the four nations to the ground yet.

Everyone was just making use of each other.

“This king knows!”

“Then I await the Great Li king in Barren Dynasty!” The shadow disappeared, as did the black robes.

A frown creased the king’s forehead after they left. He looked in the direction that they’d disappeared in, then at the direction Ying Hongyue had vanished in. Irritation ruffled his heart.

Ying Hongyue was very strong. Three of the king’s punches hadn’t killed the man and the latter had possibly even pulled his punches. It’d been Ying Hongyue who first discovered Red Dust’s appearance.

The lord of the ancients was also immeasurable. Just one of his replicas at only twelve meridians and less than the limits of the world had killed Li Hao’s replica right in front of the Great Li king.

Damn it! The situation was raging ever more out of hand!

“Three days later...” A frowning Great Li king disappeared on the spot.

......

In the distance, Ying Hongyue fled for his life, his face flickering through a variety of expressions. That guy was very strong!

Although his presence wasn’t that strong and his energy mediocre, a surge of pressure had descended before he arrived. It’d been a suffocating presence. Was this what was meant by a premier powerhouse?

How terrifying!

As for the Great Li king himself, although he was also strong, he lacked the same sense of suffocation through sheer domination.

So he saw me? He’s got keen eyes, alright. It’s fine that he has, that makes me safer this way.

The ancients would not easily kill him, which provided the basis for a partnership.

It looks like we need to postpone our plans for a bit. Once that guy demonstrates fifteen or even eighteen dao meridians, then there will be no one in this world who can stand against him!

Ying Hongyue had wanted to set minor plots and schemes in motion, but he abruptly chose to give up. He could not do that!

At least, he couldn’t take action while there was no one to keep that one in check. Otherwise, Ying Hongyue would love to start something near the Forbidden Sea. However, that person’s appearance brought unspeakable pressure with him.

......

At the same time.

Li Hao had seized his seventh base station. He abruptly frowned and looked to the north—his replica had shattered.

Although it wasn’t too strong, it was with the Great Li king. The king would have no need to kill his own replica, so it was either Ying Hongyue who’d done so beneath the king’s nose or... something else had happened.

There weren’t many in this world who could stand against the Great Li king. The candidates were Li Hao, the Divine Nation queen, the Watercloud empress dowager, and... Ying Hongyue. Any other possibilities would have to be the replicas of supreme powerhouses or the Great Li king entering a ruin.

But if inside a ruin, Li Hao wouldn’t sense the breaking of his replica so easily.

Therefore, the answer lay outside the ruins!

The queen and empress dowager wouldn’t make a move, this was the end of the northern direction! That also meant to say that Ying Hongyue wasn’t responsible, that a truly premier replica had appeared. That replica might even be stronger than Zhang An!

Zhang An’s replica may not be able to kill Li Hao’s replica right under the Great Li king’s nose.

“We need to complete the coverage of the nine base stations as soon as possible!” Li Hao took a deep breath, a solemn look on his face. “The remaining two must be conquered today!”

Those people might be waiting to take certain action. The highest possibility was that they’d ally together.

They needed a temporary truce to divvy up war spoils and profits. In that case, Li Hao needed to complete his ambushes of the ancient city by then and seize first mover advantage with his own hands.

By then, he could stand to take a risk even if the four nations formed an alliance!

“Is there news from Gan Wuliang?”

“In response to the commander, yes. He has entered the city of the Lius and is negotiating with them. There will be a result soon.”

The city of the Lius?

“I understand.” Li Hao breathed in deeply. “We need to march at double time from now on and complete our control over the world’s communication as soon as possible!”

“Understood!” The group quickly started their search for the eighth base station.