Chapter 1359: The Journey of a Hero (II)

Hong Yitang firmly believed that the young man next to him would walk out of Sword Pool one day , that he would jump out of the pond of their world and truly transcend. He would create a world with a thought and rise above the great dao with a single idea.

Sword World was too grand!

I am simply taking a lead out of someone else’s book, how can my world be called Sword World?

The thought had just taken from before it dissipated.

“Sword Pool is where swords are baptized!” Hong Yitang seemed immensely satisfied. “This is a land of tempering and honing swords! Life is a long journey, we’ll always look around for momentary respite at some time. The place in front of us is perfect for taking a break.”

Li Hao looked on thoughtfully and didn’t say anything. The world could be Sword Pool then!

“Let us begin, martial uncle!”

“I’m going to become part of the river,” Hong Yitang smiled ruefully. “Although that’s a good development for my cultivation, I may not be human anymore. Are you in such a rush to send me on my way?”

“......” Li Hao didn’t know what to say.

You’re the one who wanted to do this.

“Then... we can forget about it, martial uncle...”

“Aren’t you keeping someone from a bright future that way?”

“......” It was Li Hao’s turn to smile wryly. “So what does martial uncle want to do?”

Hong Yitang’s smile turned into a meaningful grin. “Li Hao, I don’t have many regrets in my life, but I may not be human for much longer. I can look after Hongxiu, but I have a daughter...

“You having one wife is the same as two, just as herding one sheep is the same as herding a flock...”

“......” Li Hao stared dumbly at the man.

“Why do we come to this life and for what do we fight?” Hong Yitang sighed with emotion. “At the end of the day, it’s for our children and descendants! I don’t care about what’s to come in the far off future, but I only have one daughter.

“Li Hao... this would be my final regret as a human!”

“Martial uncle, you’re cultivating, not killing yourself,” Li Hao said woodenly. “I’m gifting you the dao universe! If you become the master of great dao, then Hong Qing would be the daughter of great dao. She would be one of the noblest people around. Why would you be afraid of that?”

“It’s not the same!” The response struck a chord with Hong Yitang. “Hong Qing hasn’t seen much of the world and there are few youngsters around her, even fewer with ability to their name. She is now one of the five commanders of your Demon Hunter Guard and has made it to ninth level Sun and Moon with your help. Fused Dao is within reach!”

How many in the world are worthy of her?

And while I am not invincible, how many will I look favorably on if I truly become the master of great dao? Since you don’t care, why not take another wife?

“Lin Hongyu is a plan of expediency!” Li Hao smiled ruefully. “Why be this way, martial uncle? Not to mention, we should have personal freedom in love. We don’t operate in a close-minded society of feudal times! All that talk of obeying our parents’ word in marriage or following the matchmaker’s instructions are from the ancient times. We are martial masters that pursue freedom...”

“What problem is there? Would Qing’er not agree to marrying you?” Hong Yitang waved him off. “Qing’er has no issues with this, it’s all up to you!”

“......” Li Hao’s head ached.

We’re discussing serious business here! I treat you as a brother, but you want to be my father.

This wouldn’t do! “Martial uncle, we’re busy at the moment. We can talk about this later!”

“I...”

Li Hao suddenly trembled, as did the long river shake violently. “We need to stop chatting, martial uncle. I need to leave. The river’s not going to hold for much longer, so we need to be quick about it!”

“You...!” Hong Yitang couldn’t push this matter further. What a pity. To be honest, he really hoped to use this moment to convince Li Hao to agree. What a nice son-in-law the young man was!

He was nearly the only viable candidate in Hong Yitang’s heart. Would he approve of anyone that his daughter found in the future?

Having known Li Hao and witnessed his glory and splendor throughout the young man’s rise, Hong Yitang almost looked at himself with a critical eye. Could there be anyone in the world more outstanding than himself?

Hong Yitang didn’t think there was anyone more exemplary than him. If he had to choose, then he would choose Li Hao.

As for the Human King and Supreme Zhang of New Martial... they were either married or too old. All of them were older than Hong Yitang, so they weren’t on the list of viable son-in-law candidates no matter how unparalleled they were.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

What a pity, what a darned pity!

Hong Yitang set the idea aside and walked into the river. Someone walked out of it at the same time—Li Hao. He stripped all of the river’s strength from the body of water and strode out with his domineering physical body.

He became one with the Li Hao on the outside. There was no need for a replica! There were too many drawbacks with utilizing replicas. Even if he was simply storing his physical body in the river, he no longer wanted to split himself apart anymore.

The two bodies became one!

Stars winked out in the cosmos as Li Hao withdrew them, placing them within their dao meridians. Dao stars studded his physical body in a stunning sight.

Massive dragons surrounded him and the strength within his body oscillated wildly. Of the 360 dao stars, half were incredibly brilliant and the remaining half were slightly dim. The unopened dao meridians were within his body.

Li Hao completed the fusion of his two selves.

Meanwhile, Hong Yitang had immersed himself in the river. The power of a myriad daos washed over Hong Yitang. His flesh and blood melted, revealing stark-white bones!

The man didn’t say a word. His dao stars materialized and began integrating themselves into the river. The way he wielded dao was different from Li Hao!

The dao stars melted into the water when they entered the river. It was an extraordinarily painful process!

“Martial uncle...” Li Hao’s face twitched.

“You command the river through the dao stars, I melt my dao stars into the river! I am the dao, the dao is me! Dao stars are born and assimilated by the river. Once I create a myriad of stars and integrate a myriad of daos into myself, I will be the great dao in its entirety!

“Since we’ve set foot on this path, we should do so in a more thorough manner. Or should we hope to keep something, such as our dao stars, in hope of one day breaking free? Innumerable cultivators yearn to become the master of great dao. Li Hao, do I need to retain the hope of extracting myself from the river?”

Boom!

The river churned, absorbing Hong Yitang’s flesh, blood, mental strength, dao stars and meridians... The man was much more extreme compared to Li Hao!

I either do not undertake this course of action, or I’ll do it and completely become the corporeal dao universe. The universe is me in the future!

A star sparkled in the distant void. The star of time had appeared!

Li Hao’s eyes widened drastically. That thing was interested in this?? Now this was annoying! Those three guys won’t leave the immaterial dao universe in the absence of the star, would they?

It was also surprising that Hong Yitang would entice the star of time with his integration into the river. This meant that, to the star, this was another new and fresh development closely related to great dao.

However, the star also seemed to be perplexed. It didn’t know if it should approach after seeing the young man. It hovered in the air for a while before running off!

Clearly, the level of temptation was not enough. It’d just spent a while being chased by someone else, so this place was not a crucial stop on its list just yet.

Hong Yitang also saw what’d taken place—he hadn’t been frozen this time! Entering the river had bestowed upon him much more resistance than before. He watched the star level with some regret.

“What a pity... it looks like the integration of my true body into the river is only worthy of a quick glance and nothing more to it. It’s not something that compels its closer study!”

“Martial uncle, it’s already impressive that you could draw its attention. If Li Daoheng or the rest lured it out of hiding, they’d be able to outright capture it. Why are you disappointed?”

“This kind of comfort is better off left unsaid!” Hong Yitang smiled. His smile was a ghastly sight as only half of his skeleton was left.

The river undulated! The water within it before had been very cloudy, but now it all turned blood-red, like it truly was blood.

A myriad of stars sparkled and the great dao shook. The dao universe was changing masters. If it wasn’t for Li Hao not having a deep enough grasp of it, this process would surely elicit a catastrophic reaction in the world!

......

Although the two were completing the transition in the dao universe, some changes took place in the outside world as well.

The heavens changed color!

The firmament turned red, as if holding a memorial ceremony for something, but not quite to that level. The sky was a mass of blood-red, but there was no corresponding blood-red rain or any other phenomenon.

Sword intent blossomed throughout the world!

It was present before, and densely concentrated, but it also somehow seemed wispy and intangible at the same time. Today, it... swelled with magnificence!

This was the exchange of dao masters!

Although both Li Hao and Hong Yitang were swordsmen, there were differences between the two as well. The differences were slight, however, since Li Hao also knew the Earthturner Sword method and Hong Yitang knew many of his sword techniques.

Only powerhouses would be able to detect the differences within.

......

Great Li in the north.

Celestial Pole raised his head to the sky with a faint frown. What was going on? Why were there changes in the sky? Was something the matter in the dao universe again? The corporeal dao universe or the immaterial? Was Li Hao cultivating, or were the three fighting over the star of time?

The Great Li king was also looking at the sky and said curiously after a while, “Senior, do you think there’s less killing intent in the environment all of a sudden?”

“Hmm?”

“I felt a little uncomfortable before, particularly when Li Hao brought the dao universe to us! My hairs stood on end as there was too much killing intent around. Perhaps it has something to do with Li Hao bearing too much killing intent in his heart when he summoned the great dao. It’s much better now. Has he improved again and calmed his heart?”

That was possible.

Too much killing intent?

Celestial Pole didn’t think that way. But upon further probing, the sword intent did seem to be more peaceful than before. It was still very dense, so there shouldn’t be a problem.

Had Li Hao improved?

Possibly.

As for any other reasons... Celestial Pole couldn’t come up with anything no matter how he wracked his brains. It wasn’t possible for it to be a change in dao masters, not unless Li Daoheng broke through the immaterial dao universe and charged into the corporeal dao universe. How else would it change masters otherwise?

There were no more opportunities in this day and age. The dao universe was the greatest opportunity to verify their dao! No one would give it up. If Li Daoheng had made his way into the corporeal dao universe, there would be a stunning battle at hand.

Celestial Pole didn’t say anything. He took stock of the surroundings again and found that the world was indeed much gentler than before.

“You have good senses,” he said. “Have you finished absorbing the strength in the skeleton?”

“Yes!” The Great Li king inclined his head. “My thanks to the senior for your help. I count as an Empyrean King now, right? I rank in the top five of the world!”

“......” Celestial Pol blinked.

“The Red Moon exalted emperor, Li Daoheng, Zheng Yu, Li Hao...” the king reeled off with a serious look. “And well, including the senior as well makes me number six. If we don’t include the senior, then I’m number five! The senior doesn’t care about trifles like these, and this king is not afraid of the woman in the west!”

“......” Celestial Pole cast an odd look at the man.