Chapter 1174: Winds Arise (I)

Ying Hongyue frowned, this was not a good sign. The other leaders hadn’t questioned his decisions before. But now, Yama veered on the edge of losing his temper, Celestial Flying Sword didn’t say a word, and the Yonder mountain lord was equally quiet. They were clearly sick of running around and incurring no end of casualties.

Ying Hongyue looked toward Ash Mountain, seeming to want to see something. The look on his face grew graver.

Was it Gan Wuliang hunting him, or was it... Li Hao? Somehow, Ying Hongyue had the feeling that the kid had never given up on killing him. Perhaps he wasn’t here in person because he’d learned a few things.

If Gan Wuliang could identify that Ying Hongyue wanted to head east and search for opportunities, did that mean Li Hao was secretly observing everything from the shadows?

The little fellow that Red Moon had kept a close watch over in Silver City now concealed more and more of his thoughts. Unbidden unease and anxiety rose in Ying Hongyue’s heart, even a bit of inexplicable fear.

He seemed to understand something in this moment. Was he to pay everything back one day? This was what Li Hao had felt in Silver City, wasn’t it? It was like there were eyes on him at every second, ones that threatened to take his life. Someone had arranged for every one of his steps, killing off those beside him one by one until only he was left to await the arrival of death!

These were the thoughts and emotions that came to mind! They were overpowering.

Ying Hongyue could see no way of changing the situation unless he put his life on the line. However, that was a course of action that only Yama could so easily speak of. Once something went awry with the seal, it wouldn’t just be Li Hao’s problem. It would also be Ying Hongyue’s issue. He would be the first to be struck by misfortune!

And Li Hao had said that Yuan Shuo was dead?

Ying Hongyue’s heart churned with nerves—it was an incomprehensible fear and unease. Li Hao no longer had any reservations following Yuan Shuo’s death. Would the young man really be that afraid of the seal breaking?

The seal was the final line of defense that all of them—Ying Hongyue, the Moon God, and Red Dust—had to defend, but it wasn’t Li Hao’s! Wasn’t this ludicrous?

“Killing Yuan Shuo... was their dumbest decision!” Ying Hongyue murmured to himself.

The others looked at him—

who are you talking about?

“Let’s go and be careful.” Ying Hongyue refrained from explaining himself. “Be careful, Gan Wuliang might stop us. We must be careful, especially Yama and the rest!

“Do not linger in battle,” he switched to transmission. “Run when you should. There is always hope of mounting a comeback when you are alive! Even if you leave all of your people behind, there is still a chance so long as we still exist. Don’t give them a chance! Li Hao is out of control—someone’s released his demon, damn it!”

The others wanted to roll their eyes at him. What did this have to do with Li Hao?

For fuck’s sake, it’s Gan Wuliang and the Great Li king hunting us. Is Ying Hongyue losing it in his anger, that bastard? Li Hao’s not here!

Ying Hongyue didn’t say anything else. It

was

Li Hao!

Many thoughts ran through his mind—perhaps going to the west in search of the Moon God was what Li Hao wanted to see happen. Nothing might happen to Ying Hongyue, but everyone around him might die.

Does he want me to taste fear, loneliness, and betrayal?

You won’t have things your way, Li Hao!

......

Inside the Hao Cosmos.

The universe shook as the great dao was repulsed by the newest addition. Li Hao shouted and raised up the city in his hands like he was a giant holding up the sky. He expanded his body manifold and lifted the city into the Hao Cosmos.

Thunder and lightning crackled!

The great dao seemed displeased by Li Hao’s gesture. It was one thing to occasionally bring people in, but an entire city was being shoved inside today?! That was intolerable to a dao universe!

Celestial bodies gathered on all sides, some of them twinkling from remote locations. Stars that Li Hao was yet to discover also zoomed over, erupting with the force of great dao in a bid to suppress him, the ancient city, and the world!

This was the first time that the dao universe erupted not because of the Red Moon power. Li Hao looked on gravely. Although he’d had some speculations beforehand, it was still hard to see the dao universe truly target him.

Thunder and lightning roared around them!

Li Hao rose into the air and smashed through a thunderbolt with one fist. More promptly churned his way. He absorbed great dao power from the thunderbolt he shattered, a shearing of the sheep that he would quite enjoy in regular times.

But today, he was concerned that there would be too many thunderbolts for him to react to. If he couldn’t digest all of his gains, he would eventually be turned into a charred husk by the thunderbolts.

The young man looked strong, but he was only a cultivator of thirty-six dao meridians. He was nothing compared to the entire dao universe.

Thunder and lightning struck Li Hao. The look in the young man’s eyes danced around and he howled, “Battle Heaven Army!”

“Here!” Tens of thousands roared beneath him.

“Dare you battle the heavens?!”

“We dare!” The shouts shook the world!

“Open your dao meridians and fight the thunder tribulation. Absorb the dao power within for today, we fight the heavens!”

“We fight!” Roars filled the air. Tens of thousands of soldiers shot into the sky, as did several Gold Armors.

Dao meridians had just started forming in the few that’d recovered physical bodies. The rest was yet to possess a physical body, but they shot into the air all the same. Today, they dared to brandish their swords at the world just like they once had!

Thunder and lightning erupted!

RUMBLE!!

“Assemble into formation!”

“Prepare to meet the enemy!”

“Fight fight fight!” roared the division leaders. It’d been so many years with no enemy for them to clash against. They’d been trapped within an isolated city. But today, they could march on the heavens and battle a thunder tribulation!

Battle intent erupted from the troops and their killing intent threatened to shake the heavens. Within the ancient city, several Saints hovered in the air. They looked on with sober expressions. The turtle guardian sighed softly and didn’t say a word.

Stimulating the dao meridians, converting to the new dao, following Li Hao to battle the heavenly dao... That was enough for the lower level soldiers. Their commander seemed to be quite an outstanding guy in their eyes!

For soldiers, no matter how much disgruntlement or dislike they might hold for someone, all were washed away by the tides of friendship after a major battle. They were all fellow battle comrades. If they had a few more gains on top of that and grew stronger from opening a few dao meridians, then they would hail the commander as invincible and wholeheartedly pledge themselves to Li Hao’s banner.

Such was the harshness of reality!

Not to mention, Li Hao’s position of commander came from Battle Heaven. It was a legitimate and perfectly justifiable position, not one that had been wrested by force.

It was in this moment that the old turtle understood Battle Heaven belonged to someone else now. Whether Li Hao had done so on purpose or unknowingly through recent events... at the very least, the Battle Heaven Army followed another!

Wu Peng, you bastard, why did you have to be a traitor?!

The old turtle’s heart dripped blood!

If he hadn’t, the commander would still be in place and there would be no opportunity for Li Hao at all.

BOOM!

Tens of thousands of soldiers brandished their swords against the heavens as the turtle’s thoughts ran wildly! The thunder tribulation broke apart and great dao power surged in. The army formation unfolded and furiously absorbed currents of great dao power. Strength from the new dao swiftly melded into people’s bodies.

These soldiers did not have any core origin presence to begin with—that only formed after ninth rank, when one was an Apex. Few were the ordinary soldiers who could reach that level in New Martial. Hence, switching to a new path was very easy for them.

It was a difficult process for Director General Wang and the others because they wished to retain their original dao. They didn’t wish to start all over again in their cultivation.

Battle Heaven soldiers swiftly cleared their acupoints; the manual for doing so had long been shared through the armor system. The Gold Armors stepped forward to face the thunder tribulation. It was difficult for them to change their presence, but as the ones of their subordinates shifted, the pressure that the great dao brought against them weakened.

That was because the soldiers were now of the new dao!

The great dao had no reason to kill those who enhanced the glory of the new dao. The new dao was a child of the great dao.

As Li Hao absorbed vast sums of great dao power, acupoints that he’d yet to clear in the thirty-six dao meridians popped open one by one. When the last one cleared, the thirty-six meridians fully completed one circulation.

This was a foundational circulation and the most basic circulatory system.

When the thirty-six dao meridians were fully cleared, an intangible force ensconced Li Hao. The thirty-six dao meridians formed a tiny sword, not as formidable as the one of the 360 meridians, but one that more resembled a dagger.

Changes manifested in Li Hao’s body as well. White dao meridians materialized near his original body dao meridian. These were other body dao meridians!

As he thought! There was more than one body dao meridian!

Three more had appeared after Li Hao completed one small circulation. Combined with his first one made for four total.

It was easy to identify a body dao meridian—it was filled with white liquid. A large amount of white liquid had appeared when he opened one body dao meridian, it’d strengthened the body. According to He Yong and the rest, that was the origin of life.

Li Hao grinned radiantly and roared once more, “Attack! Gather the thunder tribulation to strengthen yourselves. We march on the world!”

“Fight!!”

shouted the soldiers. It’d been too many years! Even though the enemy in front of them wasn’t real—just a thunder tribulation from the the great dao—the army reveled, exulted, and basked in their elation!

They were a ferocious tiger let out of its cage!

The division leaders, even the Eighth Division leader, shouted with abandon. They vented their spleen on the thunder tribulation, chasing it across the cosmos as an army formation of thousands supported them from behind.

Tens of thousands of soldiers raged against the world. The thunder tribulation ceased and the great dao withdrew.