Chapter 1218: The Silver Moon Conspiracy (IV)

“How old was Li Daoheng when he did that?” Li Hao took in a sharp breath.

“Seven or eight.”

“......” Li Hao clucked his tongue with amazement. “That’s... some skill! First, he beat you guys up in private, then he beat you guys up in public, and after that your parents beat you guys twice. So you suffered four times but couldn’t do anything about it...”

Li Daozong looked around sheepishly. That was right. That was why he hadn’t stayed at Sword City upon becoming an Apex. It was too stifling being in close quarters with that person. Li Daozong had been an example of what not to do since young, whereas his brother was the most shining example of perfection that he should live up to.

While his friends all hated Li Daoheng, there was nothing they could do about it.

“If that’s the case... then it’s quite normal that he’s done something like this!” Li Hao smiled. “He wants everyone to know that he was involved, but only as a minor character. The real masterminds were the Zhengs—he can utilize this perception to hide a lot of things! How very impressive!”

The young man was certain of his conclusion. But some things didn’t matter even if they were set in stone. No one would believe him if he spoke of this. If he were to seek out Zheng Yu and the Red Moon exalted emperor to tell them of this, they would think he was an idiot.

Li Daoheng? We know him! He’s just a henchman!

Conspire against us? What a joke! The two of us are an exalted emperor and a half step emperor, how could he plot against us? That’s not possible!

“The trouble that is the Zheng young master...” Li Hao laughed. “Zheng Yu would not talk about himself like that. He wouldn’t paint himself in a less than flattering light. But to your brother, he’s nothing but trouble and a hassle! He’s confident to the point of arrogance, smug, and conceited!

“This kind of Zheng Yu with immense potential is a perfect candidate to be the rebel leader on the surface! When everyone thinks this is the truth, won’t everyone be immensely grateful to your brother once he steps forward to pick up the pieces?

“Maybe even the Human King will look at him in a different light when they return to New Martial. Everyone will think that he bore the heavy burden that was his disgrace and ultimately turned the tables. He saved Silver Moon and New Martial...”

“But he’s a traitor...” Li Daozong blinked.

“What if he says that he was controlled, then later broke free of his control? That when he was himself again, he suffered silently for the perfect moment to kill Zheng Yu and the Red Moon exalted emperor? When all those who know the truth are dead, who can prove that he really did betray your civilization?”

The Ninth Division leader was momentarily at a loss and nodded after a long moment. “If he really does take out the Zhengs, the Red Moon exalted emperor, revitalizes Silver Moon world, opens the Star Gate, and returns to New Martial, then everyone will be very grateful to him! He will have put things back into order, as expected as the shining star of the Lis!”

He was beginning to believe Li Hao’s outlandish claims because this was his brother they were talking about. This was what Li Daoheng had been doing since they were children. The entire world would praise him!

However, Li Daozong’s emotions grew more complicated by what Li Hao had said. If all of this was true, then his older brother was more horrifying than even an exalted emperor. But how was this possible?

“Then... what about the rest of the Lis?” Li Daozong suddenly asked.

“They’re dead, all of them!” Li Hao answered softly.

“What?”

“He killed them all!” Li Hao repeated quietly. “It’s a natural conclusion. The Lis will certainly know a bit of what’s going on, including the seal...”

“But that’s not possible...” The Ninth Division leader blinked. “If they’re all dead, then where does your... the Li bloodline in the outside world come from?”

“There’s several possibilities. One, he left it behind,” Li Hao smiled. “Two, he sent a random, oblivious Li member out with Stellaris. Not everyone knew of what was happening behind the scenes.

“Three, he stripped the bloodline from some of the dead and converted it. Is that a difficult task for powerhouses?

“Four, perhaps there was no so-called Li bloodline to begin with. Maybe it was simply some leftover presence from the Sword Sovereign on Stellaris that converted some people. Why is the real Li bloodline unable to control Stellaris?”

“What?” Li Daozong blinked again. “Hasn’t Stellaris always been in your hand...”

“How I employ Stellaris has nothing to do with my bloodline!”

“......” The man was utterly confused.

“If this is the case, then Li Daoheng must be incredibly baffled as well,” Li Hao leered. “Someone can actually use Stellaris! My teacher is so amazing!”

The young man broke out into a laugh.

What does any of this have to do with your teacher?

Li Hao simply continued laughing.

The reason why I can use Stellaris to begin with is because of the Five Styles Method!

It was a mystery to him even now why that method could compel Stellaris into action.

Why? It had nothing to do with their bloodlines!

His teacher could also utilize the blade of the Zhangs—he definitely didn’t possess that bloodline. It could only be the Five Styles Method that broke some of these limitations. The method mapped to five auras and five elements...

Perhaps it had something to do with the great dao!

Various notions popped into Li Hao’s mind as the young man looked at the sectors of the five elements with longing.

When can you come back, teacher? Things might be easier for me if you were still here.

There should also be a tighter connection between the great dao and the auras. It may have something to do with the auras that caused Li Daoheng to fail at locating the dao universe. Perhaps the man hadn’t paid attention to the appearance of auras until Yuan Shuo and Li Hao used their auras to enter the dao universe.

Auras stemmed from the world, as did great dao! Auras also melded back into the world and were a critical factor in the strength of modern day martial masters.

Li Hao had integrated the auras into supernatural characters, then melded supernatural characters into the great dao. These days, he utilized the auras when he called upon the characters. With that, he entered the Hao Cosmos.

The young man sank into deep contemplation. One could perceive the great dao even without auras, but there must be something different that occurred with the appearance of the auras.

He thought back to when he first comprehended the aura. His teacher once said that auras formed domains and domains became their own world. Li Hao’s only use for the domain was as a protective shield for New Martial powerhouses.

Auras did not enhance one’s strength as quickly as opening dao meridians. He trained the auras in a perfunctory way these days and did not delve into a deep study. Previously, he’d wanted to grasp the auras of a myriad daos, comprehend them all, and forge them into their respective supernatural characters...

Li Hao later found that that was too much of a hassle. It was so much faster to outright open dao meridians. But now, he pondered his course of action anew.

The auras formed a domain that encompassed the world! They were independent of the world and even expelled the interference of heavenly will and the world. There did indeed seem to be something different about the aura.

The key to the Five Styles was that it was an amalgamation of five types of auras. Yuan Shuo had used them in conjunction to hold back a Saint when he was only mid Sun and Moon. Being able to fight beyond one’s cultivation level was a frightful prospect!

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Li Hao had improved so quickly before that he’d set auras to the side. But due to Li Daoheng. he considered them anew now.

Auras form a domain. We perceive the world and even devour it at times... The ancient Human King created a world within himself by devouring the core origin universe. He ultimately became the master of a great dao and world...

The domain that his teacher studied bore traces of similarity to the internal world of the Human King. This was a wide avenue of cultivation to explore!

Li Hao looked again at the river of stars, at the myriad of daos it represented. Currently, he relied on the ‘dao’ character to maintain his control. In reality, due to a lack of grasping sufficient auras, he’d given up comprehending attributed dao meridians and switched his focus to training unattributed meridians. He hoped to complete his conversion to the sword dao ability.

If Li Daoheng proceeds according to my speculation, then he might already be inside the Hao Cosmos. He might even be like me and have conquered a portion of dao stars in another sector of the universe. The god of prophecy’s star, for example, still eludes me.

If we clash against each other in the dao universe in the future, then his many more years of cultivation experience, intelligence, vision, and strength are all top notch. All I can rely on in the dao universe is the ‘dao’ character. I don’t think I’ll beat him!

The first generation Moon God’s star might also be here. As the first god since time immemorial, his dao star might be too strong to be comprehended. It might lay within the sector that Li Daoheng commands.

The dao universe was so vast that Li Hao had only explored a tiny part of it to date. For example, he didn’t know where Zhang An’s primary dao star was located. There were many more people’s he was yet to find.

The brief span of theorizing gave him new ideas and a sense of urgency. All enemies out in the open had shown themselves. He’d come to the west in search of the enemy—the Lis. But now, everything seemed much more complicated than anticipated.

Li Daoheng might be an Empyrean King. While Li Hao wasn’t afraid of that cultivation level because he’d already killed one, what if Li Daoheng was more than that?

All of my trump cards have been revealed. Everyone knows everything about me and knows about my arrangements in the dao universe, including the existence of Battle Heaven!

And the moon...

The moon might exist to keep everyone under surveillance and to watch the entire world!

Li Daoheng had not created it just to be a hideout. He would keep an eye on the entire world! Nothing that happened could escape his notice. Perhaps he knew of everything that everyone did, no matter how big or small or what was plotted.

Someone like him was the true hand in the shadows. Whether it was Zheng Yu or the Red Moon exalted emperor, they didn’t know enough of the world because they were trapped in the ruins or seal. They didn’t know enough of Li Hao, which was why they were defeated again and again.

A litany of thoughts ran through Li Hao’s mind as he came to an initial judgment. Li Daoheng ignored everyone and simply watched the show because he was confident in crushing them all.

Perhaps they were all just clowns in his eyes and even Li Hao was under his thumb. Perhaps Li Daoheng was watching as the young man opened his dao meridians.