Chapter 1347: Killing Ying Hongyue (IV)

Ying Hongyue was as pale as a sheet and the man seemed to be mentally breaking down. His goal of a lifetime—combining the eight bloodlines as one—had slipped through his fingers the moment he succeeded!

It would be one thing if he never reached that step, but he had and his presence had even surpassed that of Li Hao’s! He’d been infinitely close to half step emperor, but one swing of a blade had ended everything he’d fought for in this life!

There were no words to describe his devastation.

Ying Hongyue stared dumbly in the direction of where the god of Initial Martial was departing, murmuring, “How... How can you approach that blade without the complete integration of the eight bloodlines? That blade is accessible only when the eight bloodlines are one...”

“You’re as dumb as ever,” Li Hao sighed. “Why would the Exalted Blood Emperor permit others to approach the cat that he wants to revive? The blade he left behind isn’t meant for anyone but the keeper that he appointed.”

That was no stroke of fortune or treasure to be had under the Tranquil Star ruins!

“That was not our fortuitous opportunity.” Li Hao shook his head. “Do you get it now, you fool?”

That wasn’t a heritage or treasure available for the taking, so why should strangers be permitted to draw near?

The ruin’s sole purpose for existence was to prevent others from interfering with the cat’s resurrection. The blade was there to protect the cat. No one, apart from the god of Initial Martial, could claim it!

Ying Hongyue lost all color in his face and he gaped at Li Hao. That wasn’t a lucky encounter?

He’d viewed the blade as an item that would change his fortunes. Based on his thoughts, he would be able to seize the blade when the eight bloodlines were one. He would then overpower his enemies when he had the weapon of an exalted emperor and would be able to kill even half step emperors!

But today, Li Hao doused him in ice-cold water!

“So the Exalted Blood Emperor... did not leave a treasure behind for later generations...” Ying Hongyue murmured. Legends spoke of a kind and merciful Exalted Blood Emperor. How would a weapon that he left behind not be meant for future descendants?

“Why would the Exalted Blood Emperor do anything like that?” Li Hao laughed softly. “Even if he leaves behind an inheritance, he would not do so in this way. He simply wants to revive what he wants to revive.

“Saints have their bottom lines as well, not to mention an exalted emperor who bathed himself with blood from the frontlines of New Martial. And you want to cross his bottom line? You’re seriously... beyond idiotic!”

Take me, for example. If I were to revive my master, would I turn his resting place into a treasure trove? That would just be inviting thrill seekers to damage and loot it. I would turn that place into the biggest killing fields and execute whoever dares enter!

The Exalted Blood Emperor is already showing mercy by not promptly executing anyone who trespasses! But this guy views it as a chance to soar to the heavens... what an idiot, through and through!

“That’s impossible... Zheng Yu and the rest... have been scheming after this blade too...” Ying Hongyue still refused to accept this version of events and moaned, “It’s not just me! Zheng Yu’s father even died for it! Based on what you say, isn’t Zheng Yu an idiot too?”

“They’re just like me and hoped that

you

would be nurtured to maturity,” Li Hao grinned radiantly. “See, aren’t you the best nourishment for the blade after combining the eight bloodlines? The god of Initial Martial owes me a favor after I fed it. Do you think any of the guys you mentioned wanted the weapon?”

No! They had the Initial Martial god in their sights! Ying Hongyue, you’re really so stupid!

“Zheng Yu has been raising you in captivity all this time, can’t you tell? Do you think that he supported you so he could seize the blade? No! He supported you to feed you to the blade!”

Pfft!

Ying Hongyue spat out a mouthful of blood, insanity gleaming in his eyes.

He supported me to feed me to the blade!

He thought of all the benefits, help, and treasures that Zheng Yu had supplied to him over this period of time. The man had even given his own replica to Ying Hongyue and helped the latter = obtain innumerable heritages beyond the stone door.

Ying Hongyue had thought that Zheng Yu did all this to target the Red Moon exalted emperor, that he wanted to use Ying Hongyue to seize the blade...

That turned out to not be the truth!

Zheng Yu had strengthened him to combine the eight bloodlines as one so he would be the best fodder for the blade. That would force the god of Initial Martial to owe him a favor, creating a powerful ally for Zheng Yu against Li Daoheng!

So this was the truth!

Those heavyweights hadn’t planned on touching the blade at all. Even if they did, this wouldn’t be the time to. They would wait until they became exalted emperors!

Li Hao gently patted Ying Hongyue’s face and chuckled. “They might encounter New Martial again after refining Silver Moon world into their possession... so how would they easily disturb that blade? You really are so silly. They were all considering how to revive that cat for the Exalted Blood Emperor.

“It doesn’t matter if everyone in Silver Moon dies for it. The Exalted Blood Emperor will protect them at all costs so long as they delivered a living cat to him. No one here is worth as much as that cat. Even if the Human King rages with anger at the death of an entire world, New Martial won’t do anything to them so long as the Exalted Blood Emperor staunchly stands beside the traitors. You still don’t get it, huh!”

On the perimeter, Zhang An blinked and sank into a daze.

“Do you think that everyone is limited to what’s in front of them, that they’re only looking at Silver Moon?” Li Hao whispered insidiously. “New Martial must certainly exist still! If they really do ruin the Exalted Blood Emperor’s plan, they’d be hunted down by an invincible exalted emperor as soon as they set foot off the planet!

“The rest of the New Martial exalted emperors would probably be after them too! Even Zhang An’s status in New Martial is less than this dead cat, do you understand?”

Ying Hongyue was nearly a gibbering mess as he stared at Li Hao.

“So why do you think you were able to so easily touch that blade?” Li Hao laughed hauntingly. “Whether it’s the eight main cities or Silver Moon minor world, New Martial can discard all of that! It’s only the cat within the blade that cannot be forsaken!”

The young man turned to Zhang An with a smile. “Do I speak correctly, Dean Zhang?”

Zhang An blinked, then nodded after a beat.

Even when it comes to me... grandpa has more than one grandson. If I die... then so be it.

Grandpa can give up on me for the bigger picture.

But... as tender-hearted as the Exalted Blood Emperor looks, the cat is an entity that he must resurrect. A failure at revival would mean a complete end to all hope. That might... completely enrage the reincarnation of the War Sovereign, the ultimate powerhouse who is both friend and teacher to the Human King. A maddened Exalted Blood Emperor would be reason enough for New Martial to give up attacking Red Moon major world and refocus their attention on the person who ruined the resurrection plan!

So who dared put a toe out of line?

No one did!

Had the Exalted Blood Emperor fully inherited the War Sovereign’s strength? If he had, then Zhang An’s grandfather was no match for the exalted emperor either. Even the invincible Sun God might only rival the Exalted Blood Emperor.

Zhang An blinked, lost in thought.

I... don’t think I’ve ever considered any of this before.

Hope deserted Ying Hongyue; there was only infinite darkness that stretched on in front of him. Li Hao reached out, placing his arm around the man’s neck to gently grab his head. He patted his old enemy’s face.

“I told you before that it’s only the work of a thought if I want to kill you! What other plans do you have? I let you complete the integration of the eight bloodlines. What else?”

Li Hao had allowed Ying Hongyue to rise to the highest peak he’d ever attain, permitting him to complete the combination of the eight bloodlines that he’d always sought. They were all gone in the blink of an eye!

Ying Hongyue collapsed. Horror, despair, and insanity warred in his eyes.

“Kill me... Li Hao... kill me... KILL ME!” He screamed with a note of madness. “Assimilating the eight bloodlines was a trap! It was all a trap...”

The goal he’d chased after for so many years was just a trap! What was all of his effort and sacrifice for?!

He thought back to his time in Silver Moon, of all the martial masters that’d followed him. When he turned around now, none of them were left!

I thought I could walk to the highest point, but it took only a split second to fall from grace!

This was more agonizing than killing him!

My grand enterprise of collecting the eight bloodlines... is...!

“KILL ME!”

Ying Hongyue screamed with abject madness. He struggled fiercely as blood flowed from his orifices. He raged against the world, he refused to accept this! He wouldn’t have been so despondent if Li Hao had just outright defeated him.

“Does a rat like you break down so easily?” Li Hao watched impassively. “How can that be? Do you think I’ll let you off the hook so you can savor the anguish and suffering for the rest of your life? Is your favorite hobby trying to guess people’s minds?”

The young man slashed out with a sword, executing the entire group of people that Panther brought back!

Ying Hongyue’s presence dropped once more!

At the same time, Li Hao ripped through the firmament, sending in a tendril of blood. A ray of sword qi promptly flared in the void, but the young man cut it down with his sword!

“Li Daoheng, investigate all of the immaterial dao meridians associated with this blood!”

“Li Hao!” A cold rebuke sounded throughout the world. The kid went too far!

“Help me this once and I’ll give you a copy of all ninety-nine sword intents in the Hao Moon Sword, apart from the sword of time! You can study them however you’d like!”

The void stilled for a moment.

Zheng Yu spoke next, startled out of his indifference. “You madman... is that worth it for a buffoon? So what if some of his replicas survive the day?”

The Hao Moon sword dao!

Everyone had witnessed it and even seen the move of one thousand sword daos. It was very powerful and the sum total of great dao that Li Hao had comprehended ever since wielding the great dao and encountering the Eternal Sword intent.

Whether it was Li Daoheng or Zheng Yu, neither of the two thought much of Ying Hongyue. Just as Li Hao said, the man was just fodder for the blade. But the young man was willing to hand over the true meaning of sword dao in order to kill Ying Hongyue’s immaterial dao replicas!

While both of them were half step emperors, they still wouldn’t dismiss the true meaning of sword dao from a partial master of the great dao.

“That is an acceptable proposition!” came Li Daoheng’s voice.

The stand of blood melted into the immaterial dao universe, sending ripples throughout. A variety of agonized screams erupted throughout the world!

Saints and Fused Dao disappeared from the vicinity without needing Li Hao to say a word. They quickly returned with a number of cultivators.

Ying Hongyue was completely quiet now.