Chapter 1294: Next Steps (IV)

“Don’t worry, the Moon God has been severely injured and her star is greatly dimmed,” Li Hao reassured Gan Wuliang. “Li Daoheng is preoccupied trying to save her! The situation in the immaterial dao universe is unknown—nothing might happen to you. If anything does, I’ll resurrect you if you can claim the immaterial dao universe!”

“My thanks to the marquis!”

“In addition, the Empyrean King-level blood pearl is just one of your rewards. If you really can locate the immaterial dao universe for me, I will reward you handsomely at the end of it all!”

“This subordinate will do my utmost and then some!” Gan Wuliang bowed to indicate his gratitude. He set his jaw—he would put everything on the line then! How else could he have risen from a minor character to the fourth or even third Fused Dao cultivator in the world, if not for taking these kinds of risks?

This was worth it!

There was no helping it. The Fused Daos now were either Li Hao’s wife in name—someone who counted as half a master—or someone who was the administrator of the world. Hadn’t Gan Wuliang managed to surpass the rest in a single leap due to putting his life on the line for Li Hao before?

The young man inclined his head and sent the two blood pearls out to their recipients.

The two powerhouses accepted them with shaking hands. Such densely concentrated power of dao and unique energies! This item was far too extraordinary. Just taking a whiff of it was sufficient to send their blood boiling!

“Although the twenty remaining Saint-level blood pearls may not facilitate an ascension to Fused Dao, they will still help everyone take another step forward!” Li Hao regarded the group. “However, our New Martial comrades from Battle Heaven have gone to enormous effort in this battle. Half of the pearls will go to them. Hongyu can allocate the remaining ten!”

“Will do,” Lin Hongyu nodded.

Li Hao tossed out a storage ring. Not only were the Saint-level blood pearls inside, there were also numerous Immortal level ones. Each and every single one of them was a treasure.

“Martial Uncle Hong!”

Hong Yitang quickly looked in Li Hao’s direction.

“Martial uncle oversees the education of the effort, but you cannot just be a manager,” Li Hao raised. “You also need to find new ways of doing things! Methods must be updated and be appropriate to each cultivator utilizing them. We cannot apply the same method to the entire world. Martial uncle must give more thought to this matter!”

“Understood!” Hong Yitang nodded.

“The world has been engulfed by confusion for a while as more wars arose,” Li Hao continued. “Many have lost their homes, so we should set up orphanages and homes for the elderly. The Sword Sect has experience in these matters, so I would ask the martial uncle to exert yourself to further effort in this regard as well. I do not wish for anyone to die of hunger or be forgotten in a corner of the world during an age of superhumans!”

“I will do everything in my power to ensure this does not come to pass!”

Li Hao inclined his head and turned back to the group. “Cultivation of the great dao lies with the heart! We are strong if our hearts are strong! I once said that I grasp the great dao in hopes of everyone becoming a dao master. I repeat what I said before, that we should not forget our initial aspirations and the domain that we were skilled in!

“Sky Sword walks the path of the sword, Tyrant Blade walks the path of the blade, and Gan Wuliang, you walk the path of the mind. The unattributed dao meridians can be and must be cultivated! However, each of us cannot forget what we were most versed in!

“Only when you bear distinctive characteristics will you have a unique future!

“The five ancient cities will arrive tomorrow. I will move them into the dao universe to suppress the great dao. The limits of the world are relaxing and the world may be able to tolerate Empyrean Kings soon!

“The number of cultivators in the world is increasing at an untold rate. The existence of the ancient cities no longer stabilizes the world, but begins to restrict it. I will push the revitalization rate of the world another step forward. If your strength continues to lag...” Li Hao mulled over slowly. “Then, despite my unwillingness to leave anyone behind, you will cause yourself to be left behind sooner or later!

“I cannot remain in place to wait for people. The situation of the world would not permit it either! Silver Moon is just a minor world in the vast universe, not its entirety. There is already an exalted emperor here and a half step emperor. What thrills are there to be found in this world? Are we to be trapped here for our entire lives, constantly fighting against those decrepit and ignoble fellows abandoned by their time?”

Li Hao spoke in lofty tones, but everyone listened quietly. Perhaps... the young man wasn’t just running his mouth. After all, who would’ve believed before today that he would kill multiple Empyrean Kings in one battle?

This was someone accustomed to creating miracles!

“That is what I leave you with. Dismissed, everyone.” Li Hao waved them off after a while. “Think on it. Also, I will permit you entrance if you wish to enter the dao universe to study the great dao! You can enter with the ancient cities tomorrow!

“In the future, I may leave a special passageway for everyone to travel to and fro the dao universe. You should seek your true selves! Entry is permitted at will so long as you do not purposefully destroy any stars.”

Faces colored and Lin Hongyu furrowed her brows. “Your Lordship... this... is not very appropriate...”

That was too dangerous!

“The great dao does not belong to one person alone,” Li Hao laughed. “Take this time, for instance. I was able to improve thanks to everyone being of one heart! Entering the dao to cultivate is helping both them and me!”

Complicated emotions arose in everyone’s hearts. Li Hao controlled the dao universe, but he wanted to give them free entry to it... He was... so incredibly bold and shone brilliantly with charisma!

He didn’t seem to be afraid that someone would slip into the dao universe and get up to no good. What a terrifying fellow! Even enemies would be shaken by this news!

The group thanked Li Hao and went back to their business. After everyone was gone, the two Fused Dao cultivators remained.

“Should I give you guys space?” Hong Yitang smiled.

“What’s martial uncle teasing me for?” Li Hao burst out laughing. His response made Hong Yitang the awkward one instead. If the youngsters didn’t play along with him, then he would be the only one to feel awkward...

The man flicked a glance at Lin Hongyu,

so she’s coolly composed as well...

Hong Yitang could only sigh to himself that it was nice to be young. They didn’t think twice about anything and there wasn’t a hint of modesty to be found. Very well, he would stop joking around then. A serious look appeared on his face again.

“This was just a small victory!” Li Hao finally voiced his real thoughts. “It looked like a glorious triumph, but it wasn’t much to speak of! None of their core strength was destroyed!

“Zheng Yu, Li Daoheng, the Red Moon exalted emperor, and the god of Initial Martial are now the four strongest entities in the world. Our goal is to eliminate them, or at least coexist peacefully like we do with the god of Initial Martial!

“I’m counting the god as a half step emperor, which makes for three half step emperors and one exalted emperor. Setting aside the Initial Martial god for now, the Red Moon exalted emperor is the strongest out of the remaining three. Li Daoheng is the most mysterious and Zheng Yu is the most blatant...

“Only when we finish eradicating them does it count as an overall victory!”

The others listened gravely to the young man. This was not an easy feat. The weakest among their targets was half step emperor!

“Do you guys remember the blade at Tranquil Star ruins?” Li Hao asked. “That blade may not be easily moved and the god of Initial Martial might have something to do with it. He wouldn’t have remained in this world for no reason at all. Apart from the world itself, the most important item in Silver Moon is that blade. He might be here because of it!”

Hong Yitang and Lin Hongyu nodded, waiting for the young man to reveal his plan. Li Hao rapped his knuckles on the table as he thought things over.

“Zheng Yu is difficult to handle. It only

looks

like he hasn’t done anything for one hundred thousand years, but everything is hard to say. Can he really be that dumb if he’s made it to half step emperor?

“It’s that exalted emperor...”

“What?” The two blinked.

“That exalted emperor is an outsider and has been sealed all this time,” Li Hao smiled. “He’s struggled with Ying Hongyue for a few years, but didn’t gain much for his efforts. In my eyes, he’s actually the easiest target if we ignore personal strength and just look at brainpower!”

The two winced at this outlandish conclusion!

“I’d like to enter the seal with my primary body!” Li Hao continued. “But there may be people keeping tabs on my whereabouts, so I need you to do something after I go, Hongyu.”

“Go ahead.” Lin Hongyu’s expression shifted slightly.

“I’ve integrated your dao star into the starry river that now represents my great dao. The river contains a multitude of dao. Apart from myself, you and martial uncle can both access the dao universe if I grant you authorization to. I can also give the ‘dao’ character to one of you to ensure access is guaranteed...”

The young man looked at both of them. “Who should be in charge of the character? Which one of you will help me distract the various powerhouses?”

“I’ll do it...” Hong Yitang said weightily.

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

“Let me!” Lin Hongyu frowned. “Martial uncle has important matters to take care of—education is very important and the people’s cultivation will affect the strength of the great dao. All of this is relevant to a great deal of things, and it won’t be convenient for the martial uncle to travel back and forth between the dao universe either.

“Since I... am the marquise, it shouldn’t raise attention if I do so.”

Hong Yitang smiled ruefully. That... made sense. It was just... he was still a bit worried. Also, the idea of Li Hao entering the seal to handle the exalted emperor... was... absolutely horrifying! The kid might die at any time!

“Then it’ll be Hongyu!” Li Hao laughed. He looked meaningfully at the woman. “This is a very important matter, so no one is to know about this apart from the three of us! The slightest indiscretion might lead to the dao universe raging out of control, and I will die as well...”

“If I betray you, then I—” Lin Hongyu intoned.

“There’s no need for that!” Li Hao interrupted. He tossed out a storage ring instead. “The fruit of the Empyrean King tree is in here. Their true effects may not be what the tree spoke of, so you guys can be the judge of what you want to do with them. You can give them to others or save them for yourself!

“In addition, I might make a trip to Sword City...” Li Hao contemplated for a bit. “There may be more than meets the eye given that Sword City has remained in the seal all this time. There might be some use to it, even though it’s empty! The Sword Sovereign lived there for many years, so there may be some secrets to be found.

“I also need you guys to keep an eye on the seal—if anything happens to it, immediately start a hunt for Ying Hongyue and flush him out of all places in the world! Kill Ying Hongyue as soon as anything develops with the seal!

“That will misdirect attention from me for one, and mislead people into thinking that attacking Ying Hongyue is the reason for the change! Also, keep a close eye on that idiot queen. It may not be a good thing that she’s devoured a lot of lunar strength this time. She might fall under someone else’s control at any time. Her brains aren’t good for much, so she might easily fall into a trap!

“That’s it. As for Senior Zhang and his side, you can ignore him for now. He has his own plans in mind, so I won’t disturb him. You can also ask them for help in emergencies!”

Li Hao had finished his instructions; the two prepared to leave. Panther wasn’t willing to go.

“Go with them,” Li Hao frowned. “It’s no use following me! I can’t bring you into the seal, you’re too weak!”

Panther was at a loss. It crouched on the floor for a while and wagged its tail at Li Hao before leaving with disappointment.